we had to destroy the arts in order to save them

Venice Buhain reports that while the state is considering standards for the arts, no one's (yet) talking about an Arts WASL.

Sample tests, which are available online at the OSPI Web site, focus on skills students can learn in class and not on talent — how well a student can draw or sing, for example. The sample tests show that teachers score on specific criteria, such as whether a student understands arts vocabulary, develops skills important for creating the art, and processes feedback from a partner or the audience.

“It gives relevance to the arts,” Joseph said. “This is how you would be using it, the arts, in real life.”

Joseph said districts are eager to use the assessments.

“We can make sure that all kids are getting art like they’re supposed to,” she said, pointing out that the state and the federal government’s No Child Left Behind act consider the arts to be a core subject, just like math, reading or science.

You'd never know that by the way districts are gutting the arts to provide extra WASL prep classes. Maybe making the arts part of the WASL is the only way to save them.

Maybe. Or maybe we should step back, pause, hold on, breathe, and think before playing the next measure.