Art programs are often the first thing to go when budget cuts hit. Illinois in particular falls short when it comes to art programs - only 63% of schools have it, compared to the 90%. nationwide.
Years of cuts have meant some schools have gone decades without an art teacher and those most effected by it are smaller, rural areas.
But in the southernmost part of Illinois, some schools are seeing their art programs revived. And it’s not the policymakers or even the schools that are leading the charge: It’s a grassroots effort of teachers, in particular one man, who’s made it his life mission to put an art teacher in every rural school.
Josh Shearer is an art teacher in Anna, Illinois. He’s come to this school board meeting in Jonesboro, Illinois, just a few miles away from his own school, because they don’t have an art teacher. And he wants to help them get one.
"Now I’m from the area. I grew up in Pulaski County. While there I attended Century High School and Century Elementary School. In that time I was very fortunate in having a wonderful art teacher you probably know by the name of Ms. Nancy Murray, who did a wonderful job. She did such a great job that at the age of 12 I decided that I wanted her job."
After graduating college, Josh did in fact go on take Nancy Murray’s position as an art teacher at Century grade school and high school. But in 2010- the school told Josh their budget was tight - so they let him go and they cut the art program.
"I don’t know, to me, not teaching art is the same as not teaching mathematics or reading. You know? So I have trouble when they talk about the budget. I hear poor leadership and misplaced priorities."
He found a new job, his current one teaching art in Anna, Illinois. It’s only a 20 minute drive from his old school at Century. Josh began to realize that a few miles and a different county can mean the difference between growing up with or without access to art.
No child ever asks where they're born. These are choices that they walk into the world to. And to deny the most disenfranchised students the best education we can, seems unjust and immoral. ~Josh Shearer
"I was a very poor student attending one of the poorest schools in Illinois and had a great art teacher. So if I had that opportunity I don’t know how we can deny any student in the future that opportunity, no matter where they live. Because no child ever asks where they’re born. These are choices that they walk into the world to. And to deny the most disenfranchised students the best education we can, seems unjust and immoral."
For Josh, it became bigger than just budget cuts. It is a matter of social injustice. And he’s sure he can do something about it. In fact, he went all in. It became what he describes as the most important thing he could be doing. But he didn’t know quite where to start. All he knew was that he needed to make this problem as visible as possible and by any means possible. And for Josh, that meant flier bombing Christmas concerts, setting up direct mail campaigns, and even buying billboards.
"My friends and colleagues that I work with in Anna first and at first they’re like: You can’t flier bomb cars! What are you thinking? Where are you going to get money for billboards at. You’ll get arrested! And of course I was like, I don’t care! Get me arrested, I’ll get on the news."
Josh is not like any art teacher you’ve met. He’s direct, pointed, and plain spoken. He’s got the gruffness of an alpha underdog. His call for compassion sounds more like a command.
"I called the superintendent at Century and asked him if I could take him out for dinner and of course I think he connected the dots pretty quickly. And he realized very quickly that I would make a much better ally to have at his side than thorn to be in his side. Because I did let him know that I had no problem getting ahold of the farmer had the field right across the street from the school and putting a billboard up so every time parents left the drop in line they could be reminded that their kids didn’t have an art teacher."
Despite his friends' warnings - Josh got financial support for all ideas - getting money from the arts organizations, his friends, his family, and he even out of his own pocket, putting hundreds of dollars towards these ideas. And he started to see some traction. He got the visibility needed to start the conversation.
Josh worked between school administrators and the Illinois Arts Education Association to apply for specific grants that would get everything a school needed to start their art program including a teachers salary. And after a few years, schools would be weened of the grant money to eventually have a sustainable art program.
For the last eight years, Josh has been working district by district, board meeting by board meeting and he’s seen some success.
"In January of this year, Meridian district 101 has hired an art teacher that was formerly my student teacher. So that was a district that hasn’t had art in at least 5 years, that now has a K-12 art teacher. And Century learned that they also received the Implantation Grant. So My favorite way to say this is, in August of 2018 not a single student in Pulaski County public schools has a visual art teacher, In 2019 every student in Pulaski County public schools will have access to an art teacher."
It’s a slow process, but it works, and he says he’s here for the long haul.
"As long as Johnston City doesn’t have Elementary art I’m going to be looking out for them. Until Mt Vernon gets an Elementary art teacher, I’m going to be paying attention."
