District honored for support of the arts
By Stacey Hollenbeck
At Schenectady High School’s annual winter concert a few years ago, Jeff Janiszewski was asked to join his teenage son on stage and sing the Hallelujah Chorus with one of the school’s choirs. A former member of the Schenectady High choir himself, he gladly agreed.
Janiszewski used the opportunity to do what he has done for years as president of Schenectady’s board of education -- to show his support for the arts.
“It’s a matter of choices,” Janiszewski said. “We’ve stood our ground over the years. We tried to make the arts programs whole, better, to restore them. ”
For decades Schenectady’s school board has championed arts education by providing funding for arts programs and facilities despite budgetary restraints.
The Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education Network and NSBA took note of the district’s accomplishments by presenting the board with their 2008 award for support of the arts at the Third General Session. The award, now in its 20th year, comes with a $10,000 cash prize.
The district’s commitment to the arts stems from a decades-old tradition of high-quality arts education.
“I’m 50 years old and I don’t remember a time we didn’t stand behind the arts,” said Janiszewski. “I can’t say we’ve never taken anything out of the arts. But we’ve added more than we’ve ever taken.”
Schenectady exposes students to a wide range of art activities from an early age. Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students receive one hour of both art and music daily. Beginning in fourth grade, students can participate in band programs, and middle school students receive twice the mandated time for music.
Many of the teachers at Schenectady’s arts magnet, Yates Elementary School, are former arts teachers. Each year, a theme related to the arts is incorporated into the curriculum.
The John Sayles School of Fine Arts, one of five learning communities at Schenectady High School, also integrates the arts into academic instruction and offers programs in visual arts, theater, music, dance, and television production.
A separate wing was opened at the school in 2001 that houses a theatre, dance studio, art gallery, TV studio, computer lab, photo lab, and art studio.
The school has an accomplished theater company, the Blue Roses, which produces four shows a year. Students from the Sayles School also participate in a summer film festival.
The district spends more than 5 percent of its annual budget on arts teachers’ salaries and materials, which amounts to $713 per student.
Schenectady also makes sure arts programs are accessible to students regardless of their economic status through financial assistance and scholarships.
In a school system with nearly 10,000 students, arts programs can be costly. But Schenectady has maintained its arts education through careful budgeting and community partnerships.
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