Unequal Access to Arts Education in the Bronx

New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer recently released “State of the Arts: A Plan to Boost Arts Education in New York City”, a report that shows children living in the city’s low-income communities, a significant amount in the Bronx, have unequal access to the arts. The report is based on the Department of Education’s Annual Arts in Schools Reports and reveals violations of State Education mandates for middle and high school arts teachers. According to the report, 42% of schools in the South Bronx and Central Brooklyn lack a certified arts teachers, and nearly half lack both a certified arts teacher and a partnership with an arts or cultural organization. Comptroller Stringer and other government officials, including Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña, agree that the arts is necessary in providing a well-rounded education and every child should have access to it no matter their socio-economic status. Click here to see the full report.