The title page for the Visit Winston-Salem website includes this graphic:

“City of Arts & Innovation.”

But this is happening in our schools:

And the students are literally begging the school system and the county commisioners to be innovative and save the very programs that help keep students engaged in all of their academic endeavors.

From Amy Diaz of WFDD:

The fact that Leah Crowley was the board member to speak about finding a solution to this problem is almost humorously ironic given her statements to teacher groups and advocates in public forums about the budget crisis.

But, I digress.

Students have been leading the charge to help save the arts programs on the chopping block with petitions, letters, discussions, and social media.

Interestingly enough, many of the private schools and charter schools that receive public money through Opportunity Grants that many in Raleigh and Forsyth County heartily champion have plentiful art programs and physical education opportunities.

So why put these programs for public schools in jeopardy if they reach so many more children?

What our history has shown us time and time again is that we needed music, dance, arts, and physical education to cope and grow as people and we needed them to become better students. To force the removal of these vital areas of learning would be making our students more one-dimensional.

It would make them less prepared.

It simply would hurt public education.

Innovate for the arts in our public schools.

Or give the city a new nickname.