The positive impact of the arts on a school environment is obvious to me and reinforces my commitment to strengthening art in education programs. Often the arts link schools to the resources and people in the larger community. Much of what is said in the arts cannot be said in another way. To withhold artistic means of understanding is as much of a malpractice as to withhold mathematics.
Art starts early.
The arts teach. Not just how to sing and draw, but how to read and write. How to think creatively in areas like math and science. How to be independent and collaborative. How to make connections between seemingly unrelated topics.