SANTA FE – New Mexico’s top education official says the state plans to emphasize a need to teach and support the arts by adopting new statewide K-12 education standards on the arts.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports state Public Education Secretary-designate Christopher Ruszkowski announced Tuesday that the state has adopted the National Core Arts Standards.
Ruszkowski says the new standards, which will take effect in July, will give public school students the chance to study at least one of the following disciplines: dance, music, theater, visual arts and media.
He says the change also allows teachers to weave art elements into other core classes.
The standards developed by a coalition of educators and supported by national arts groups were first published in 2014. At least 15 states have adopted the guidelines.
