Advocates: Haley's Arts Vetoes Will Affect Education
Arts Commission "predominantly funds" arts education programs throughout the state
When Gov. Nikki Haley vetoed $1.9 million in funding allocated to the South Carolina Arts Commission, along with an additional $500,000 in funding for grants on July 5, she said she was not cutting the arts, but rather the commission.
On Facebook, she reiterated: “We vetoed the Arts Commission, not the arts. This does not defund arts education.”
But many advocates say that without the SCAC, which is responsible for issuing competitive grants and overseeing the state’s art collection, arts programs across the state, including educational ones, will be in peril or ruin.
Christine Fisher, director of Arts in Basic Curriculum Project, an educational arts program dedicated to providing and enriching arts programs in schools from pre-school to the college level, said that her program will not exist without SCAC funding.
“Without the Art Commission, there are no ABC projects, period,” she said.
“ABC doesn’t just rely on the Arts Commission, and we apply for grants, but if we did not have ABC funding from the Arts Commission, there wouldn’t be anybody to write those grants.”
The program, which is a coalition between SCAC, the South Carolina Department of Education, and Winthrop University, is predominantly funded by SCAC.
The ABC Project works with schools to develop and enhance all arts fields. One particularly successful area is arts integration, which blends mathematics and science with the arts to make learning more fun.
Fisher said one example is children singing about the water cycle.
“All of those things, research-wise, have proven that students are able to put it from temporary to permanent memory. It’s getting them involved,” she said.
Fisher said that all ABC Project programs are completely free to the schools that call upon the organization. Having no fees allows the agency to provide arts education for even the most rural, impoverished areas.
“One thing I think people forget is that we’re a high poverty state” said Fisher.
“Those grants are really important. When all of the funding for materials and supplies were cut after 9/11, and when everything went South with the economy, the money has helped sustain programs with supplies in order to teach."
Fisher added that without the grants received through SCAC, many schools would be without paint and paper for artwork, or without music to play.
George Patrick McLeer, executive director of the Mauldin Cultural Center, said that even though SCAC funding is crucial to ABC Project, it is more than just funding.
“Yes, they may be able to get funding from other places, but getting the money from the state is more than money,” he said. “It’s saying the program is worth the state’s investment.”
McLeer said the SCAC gets matched federal dollars from the National Endowment for the Arts, which only gives to those agencies that are state-supported. SCAC money “trickles down” to countless programs throughout the state through its grants.
SCAC granted more than $260,000 in arts education funds this past fiscal year, according to its website.
State lawmakers return to Columbia on Tuesday to consider the vetoes, and whether to override them.
Richard Hayes
10:19 pm on Thursday, July 12, 2012
Haley is so out of touch with what is needed for South Carolina!!! We have a budget surplus, so this is not an issue of reducing the budget! We need strong priorities for our leaders that support the people of South Carolina!! #1 - public education! #2 -Rebuild infrastructure -- this will lead to JOBS!
Vote for the party that supports the People of South Carolina - Democrats!
JoSCh
1:05 pm on Friday, July 13, 2012
“One thing I think people forget is that we’re a high poverty state”
“It’s saying the program is worth the state’s investment.”
The poor obviously aren't worth investing in. If not the poor, who will work in factories for less than prevailing wage? Just a little while longer and we'll be caught up with India and China.
Colnzgprnts
12:22 pm on Monday, July 16, 2012
JoSCh - If I read you correctly, your position is that we the people of the impoverished state of South Carolina can spend our way to a better future. You might want to spend a little time and effort (make an investment) with a textbook that provides an introduction ton economics.
Or you might want to listen to Obama, he will support your position that we can spend our way to glory - look how well his spending spree has worked!
JoSCh
1:58 pm on Monday, July 16, 2012
What you call spending I call investing which apparently wasn't discussed in your economics textbook. And of course I think there are issues besides funding, but funding is the only thing the truly selfish care about. I'd ask if you can you cite a case where defunding education produced better results but there isn't much point in engaging you. You've been given your position and your bigotry won't allow you to have a rational discussion using facts, only pejorative and fallacy.
Wall Street Journal article on the Obama spending spree you claim.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/obama-spending-binge-never-happened-2012-05-22
I realize that they aren't a blog run out of a bomb shelter by an uneducated Appalachian tardbilly wrapped in a confederate flag so they may not be a credible source to you. Sorry bout that.
Colnzgprnts
2:32 pm on Monday, July 16, 2012
JoSCh - I guess you put me in my place! I especially liked your response with a Wall Street Journnal article as support for your in-depth knowledge of economics. However, the article is not from the Wall Street Journal; it is from MarketWatch which is quite different, but that doesn't matter or does it matter?
Also, I think the cut about an 'uneducated tardbilly wrapped in a confederate flag' was right on target since I was raised in New England and spent most of my adult life in a suburb of Chicago and have an MBA from a Big Ten School. These simple facts seemingly reinforce your boundless wisdom, insight-fullness and profound charm!
Y'all Have a great day, now ya hare!
JoSCh
2:40 pm on Monday, July 16, 2012
Reading comprehension must not be stressed at Big 10 schools? I never said you were the tardbilly, only that you trusted the tardbilly for your talking points.
Yeah, MarketWatch is a huge difference in that it's owned and operated by WSJ, it says WSJ right under MarketWatch in the header, and has multiple links to WSJ and other WSJ publications. I get it that you can't argue with the facts, but you aren't even picking nits very well.
I see you didn't bother responding to the facts in that article or my stance on investing. Way to go. Come back when you have something.
bargeman
8:57 am on Saturday, July 14, 2012
All the bleeding heart liberals (socialist) think more money will inprove education. The education system in South Carolina has been pouring more money into the educatiom system every year for the last 100 years. All it has given us is newer schools,higher pay for teachers and administers to give us the (thank God for Mississippi ) next to last education system in the Nation. Lex-Rich and Lexington One have higher SAT scores ( over 400 points higher) than Richland One and Richland one spends almost double per student. They also have some of the newest schol buildings in the State. So I wish that someone could explain how more money will solve the problem. I guess the same socialist that states this is the same ones that say we can aspend our way out of debt.
reg
11:31 am on Sunday, July 15, 2012
Actually, bilgeman, South Carolina is now operating on its lowest educational budget in 20 years. We laid off over 1500 teachers in the last four years. The only reason we didn't lay off more is because of Recovery Act funding, which we don't have anymore, and which means we'll lose even more. Another thing you're apparently not recognizing - that cost per pupil rate. That's calculated with ALL costs, from electricity to maintenance to payment for the new buildings. Its so much higher in the places you specify because of those newest school buildings you yourself point out. Funny how the GOP has its minions spouting out "socialist!!!" in argument against capitalist principles; maybe that's because they're hoping to hide their Marxian economics goals that they've been promoting for the last 30 years.
Colnzgprnts
12:29 pm on Monday, July 16, 2012
bargeman - what you say is true, but you are fighting an uphill battle.
Americans have been conditioned to believe that increased spending for education results in a better product. That canard can be used to support any spending proposal! It follows that if we pay to have the buses repainted of if we buy a new piano for the cafeteria, we have spent additional money therefore we are going to have smarter kids! See how easy and painless that is.....and it takes no brains, just write the check!
Robert Kelly
9:17 am on Sunday, July 15, 2012
Education costs money. Diversity (arts, music, school clubs, etc. ) improves the students' intelligence. What is so expensive? Well, buildings cost money, school buses cost money, interscholastic sports cost lots of money compared to the other school clubs and intramural sports. Teachers don't cost much because we simply don't give them the same pay rate other professionals get, and politically everyone thinks it's the teachers unions that cost the school district so much that no one has the ethics to curtail the expenses of the interscholastic football program and give the teachers a decent salary. They can't refuse the pay the electric bill, but they can freeze the salaries.
bargeman
10:31 am on Sunday, July 15, 2012
If what you say is true. Then explain why it has not worked for the last 100 years and why it will work now. I am retired from the school system and they will not hold the PARENTS RESPONSABLE and took GOD out of the schools. Until that is restored nothing will EVER change.
reg
11:33 am on Sunday, July 15, 2012
It's worked plenty in the last 100 years, bilgeman. In fact, we used to have the highest rated education system on the planet. It was when the Reagan administration started chopping it up, blocking it from the developments that our educational system and schools needed to continue, that our school system started to plunge. US ranks at the bottom in many education categories when compared to other developed nations.
bargeman
7:59 pm on Sunday, July 15, 2012
Hey reg the obamanite. Blame it on anybody but the socialist The schools have spent more money every year also the counties and the State have increased spending every year. We still have sorry teachers, educrats ,city and county tax and spend RINOS who are really socialist democraps. We still have the worse education system in the good olde USA because of the sorry,money hungry, socialist teachers and Administrators. As long as ehe schools keep doing what they have been doing it will stay sorry.
reg
8:28 pm on Sunday, July 15, 2012
Who's held the state govt for the past 15 years, bilgeman? Who is it, exactly, that is responsible for the slashed funding we've had? (I see you're ignoring the post I made here that pointed out our school budget got slashed to 1991 levels.) Go on - keep trying to point fingers away from the communist/Marxian trend that the GOP has taken over the last three decades. Your American ancestors are rolling over in their graves....
stanley seigler
1:08 am on Monday, July 16, 2012
@bargeman: Blame it on anybody but the socialist...
seems you believe there is something wrong with a socialist...help me understand why...i know some very bright, happy, rich socialist...socialism is just another form of government...why do you use it as a pejorative...
also any reason to believe personal attacks enlighten discussions...generally they add nothing...eg...
how does calling someone a socialist proves that 'Until that [God and parental responsibility] is restored nothing will EVER change...for that matter what do most of your point have to with 'Haley's Arts Vetoes?'
bargeman
8:46 am on Monday, July 16, 2012
Socialist are worthless. They think eht government man mahe laws are better than God's laws. They think I should pay for the wothless people that will not obay God's law and work. They think that the people who work should feed them,give free medical,f ree housing, free phome....ETC. If you will not work you should not eat or get anything else except what you deserve. NOTHING.The whole truth is that if you socialist do not take money fron the producers by gun point ( forced taxes )the worthless ones would die out. Problem solved as you are responsable for your self and your family.
JoSCh
9:56 am on Monday, July 16, 2012
I see that the "free" education you received didn't take but did you know that your web browser likely has a free spellcheck and if it doesn't your computers word processing software definitely does? Using it wouldn't make you a socialist.
To your other points, you aren't smart enough to argue with.
bargeman
10:40 am on Monday, July 16, 2012
I knew more than the socialist teachers so I left after the 9 grade ,join the US Navy right after my 17th birthday, got out 10 years later because your government kept trying to get me killed to keep the industral/military complex making money from ammo,bombd and body bags. I am retired and proberly do as well as the top 30% in the USA. I have made it my goal for the reat of my lfe to fight taxes ,welfare, dumbing down school systems and Socialist.Therefore with socialist like you I have very good entertainment for the reat of my life. I am prepared for the coming collapse are you?
JoSCh
11:46 am on Monday, July 16, 2012
Another Navy man, how you doing boats? I got out after 4 years as an RM2 with a tax free 50k reup bonus on the table because they let morons stay in until high year tenure and I just couldn't support an operational organization that wouldn't cull the non-performers. Not that I don't believe that they deserve to live, just that they don't need to be between me and harms way.
Enjoy your battle fighting America and stocking your bunker.
hdangerfield
6:20 pm on Monday, July 16, 2012
WOW! I don't beleive Gov. Haley has any idea about the arts program and the benefits it provides. She wants to be re-elected and that means NO TAXES..CUT CUT CUT. I am SC born and raised but I am ashamed that all we hear is negative comments from our folks in Columbia. I get real tired of the bickering and finger pointing on issues. I pay taxes and I don't mind when it benefits people and especially our education system. I am embarassed ..............I do and will not support Gov. Haley.