Your Personal Connection

We've all had defining moments in our lives. What personal experience with arts, culture, or creativity had an impact on your life and your view of the community?

A visit, with my children, to the Norman Rockwell museum in Stockbridge, MA and their wonderful reactions!

Arts Education and Programs for our Youth

Creativity and innovation are vital skills in a student’s education. While many communities provide access to quality arts education, many of our youth are still being left out of the creative community. What will you do as Governor to champion arts education for our youth both in our schools and in our communities? How will you balance the importance of arts education with the constant pull to “teach to the test”? Would you support joining ten other states in making one year of arts education in high school a requirement for admission to the state university system? Do you support adding arts into the Commonwealth’s STEM to transform it to STEAM?

I am highly in favor of ensuring that students have the ability to exercise their talents in a wide variety of areas.  I’ve always been a strong advocate for returning Metal Shop, Wood Shop, and Home Economics to the middle schools.  I would also make sure that children have the opportunities to appreciate and develop their talents in the arts as well.  “Time on Task” or “Teaching to the Test” have made children less broad in both their appreciation of and exercise of their vocational and art talents and gifts.   I would not have the requirement of one year arts education for admission to the state university system. I would not transform STEM to STEAM.  I would prefer to have a separate initiative to foster art appreciation.