Fine Arts Classes

Re “Getting Together on Prep Courses,” Aug. 11.

I have been a teacher for 30 years in the Conejo Unified School District, teaching art and related subjects. I have found several reasons that college prep seniors and juniors do not take fine arts courses.

College prep students often are afraid to take visual arts because they are afraid they will not receive an A, which would affect their grade-point average. Additionally, seniors often do not wish to take an art class if it is considered difficult and time-consuming, as in a lab situation.

I am happy to see that the University of California system is finally realizing that the arts are basic to learning in problem solving and decision making. We in the arts have known this for many years.

Yes, there are many students who would like a more discipline-based art curriculum. However, this does not occur when our scheduling is at the mercy of open enrollment, meaning that usually the classes are scheduled through student input. It becomes a popularity contest and thereby such courses as the history of art, history of music, music theory, etc., are limited to just a handful or two of students truly interested. We are not allowed to run a class with fewer than 24 students.

We in the arts have to advertise and sell our classes to students if we want to present a much needed college prep class.

The arts are not play classes. They are similar to learning a job skill in some instances. Unfortunately, until changes are made in scheduling and course enrollment, we will be subject to satisfying the student who does not want to work very hard and receive an A.

B. WELCH

Thousand Oaks