After several months of advocacy by local teachers, Montgomery County’s school system issued guidelines for “best practices” in arts education funding. But teachers are pushing back, saying there needs to be a strict policy to ensure equity and access for all students.
The new guidelines set recommendations for per-pupil spending on art supplies for elementary students, outlining an “optimal” goal of about $5.50 per student per year and a minimum of $3.60.
“The per pupil cost reflects current research into local vendor pricing as well as an estimate of materials that would need to be purchased and/or replaced on a yearly basis,” according to a memo from Superintendent Jack Smith to school board members.
Art supplies include those for drawing, painting, collage, sculpture and ceramics, according to MCPS documents.
Because the guidelines are recommendations and not rules, some art teachers say they are ineffective.
Some schools have increased their per-pupil art materials spending for the 2019-2020 school year in response to the new guidelines, but most have not, according to Jill McCowan, an art teacher at Lakewood Elementary School who spoke at a recent school board meeting representing art instructors on the Council of Teaching and Learning.
“Our school system should support all of us educating all of our students, like our neighbors in Baltimore, Howard and Prince George’s counties, who each have dedicated equitable arts funding for their students,” McCowan said.
A school system spokeswoman said MCPS issued a guideline rather than a new policy to allow for flexibility between schools. Gboyinde Onijala, the spokeswoman, said principals determine their schools’ art budgets based on student needs. There is no districtwide policy or regulation that explicitly states how principals allocate annual instructional materials to individual departments.
“As a result, these issues are addressed through districtwide guidelines and best practices,” Onijala said. “Our practice as a district is that school needs differ so principals have discretion in the allocation of their instructional materials. There is no districtwide per-pupil amount for the arts because flexibility is needed and schools have unique priorities.”
The guideline was developed by a committee that met periodically for three years and reviewed by art teachers, administrators and central office staff. The guidelines give principals a recommendation on how to allocate arts funds to promote efficient schedules, appropriate learning environments, staffing choices and instructional materials, Onijala said.
“The Best Practices documents provide schools guidelines on per-pupil funding. However, it is the principal’s discretion on determining the allocation to their department,” she said.
Caitlynn Peetz can be reached at caitlynn.peetz@moco360.media
