Last spring, in response to a budget deficit, the Lansing Public School District laid off 87 teachers who were certified to teach art, music and physical education in its elementary schools.
Now more than a month into the school year, we thought it would be a good time to check-in on how this is playing out and find out what options are on the table to educate Lansing students in these crucial subjects.
In the coming weeks here on Current State, we plan to have a series of conversations with all of the stakeholders – parents, teachers, and district officials. Today, we start off with community arts providers.
Barb Whitney is a program manager and interim director of the Arts Council of Greater Lansing. And Mitchell Robinson is an associate professor and chair of the Music Education department in Michigan State University’s College of Music.