U Ah S Report Master Final

Report of the
URBAN ARTS HIGH SCHOOLS PROJECT

Phase 1: Exploratory Research 2007-2009

Specialized Arts Programs
in the Toronto District School Board:
Exploratory Case Studies

Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
Centre for Urban Schooling
Department of Curriculum, Teaching & Learning

The piopei citation foi this publication is:

uaztambiue-Feinnuez, R. (Eu.). (2u1u). Specializeu Aits Piogiams in the Toionto Bistiict School Boaiu: Exploiatoiy
Case Stuuies. Repoit of the 0iban Aits Bigh Schools Pioject, Phase 1: Exploiatoiy Reseaich 2uu7-2uu9. |Technical
Reseaich Repoitj. Toionto, 0N: Centie foi 0iban Schooling, 0ntaiio Institute foi Stuuies in Euucation, 0niveisity of
Toionto. 11u pp.

Authoi's email: igaztambiue|atjoise|uotjutoionto|uotjca
http:cus.oise.utoionto.caReseaichThe_0iban_Aits_Bigh_Schools_Piojectinuex.html

This woik is licenseu unuei the Cieative Commons
Attiibution-Noncommeicial-No Beiivative Woiks 2.S Canaua License.
To view a copy of this license, visit http:cieativecommons.oiglicensesby-nc-nu2.Sca

Prepared by:
Bi. Rubn uaztambiue-Feinnuez, Piincipal Investigatoi
Centie foi 0iban Schooling
Bepaitment of Cuiiiculum, Teaching, anu Leaining
0ntaiio Institute foi Stuuies in Euucation of the 0niveisity of Toionto

Contri butors:
Kate Caiins
Chanuni Besai
Lia ulaustone
Yuko Kawashima
Lyuia Nenna
Zahia Nuiau
Saiah Switzei
Elena vanueiBussen

Funded i n part by research grants from:
Social Sciences anu Bumanities Reseaich Council of Canaua
0niveisity of Toionto Connaught Funu

For more i nformati on, please contact:
Bi. Rubn uaztambiue-Feinnuez, Associate Piofessoi
Bepaitment of Cuiiiculum, Teaching anu Leaining
0ntaiio Institute foi Stuuies in Euucation
2S2 Blooi Stieet West, 11
th
flooi
Toionto, 0N
NSS-1v6
CANABA

Email: igaztambiueoise.utoionto.ca
Phone: 416-978-u194

http:cus.oise.utoionto.caReseaichThe_0iban_Aits_Bigh_Schools_Piojectinuex.html

Acknowledgements

A number of people weie instiumental in facilitating the woik iepoiteu in this
uocument. We woulu like to acknowleuge the piincipals of the schools with specializeu aits
piogiams in Toionto - Naigaiet Keii, Kathleen NcCabe, Beveily 0hashi, Nichael Poiiiei, Baiiie
Sketchley, anu Rick Taiasuck, foi allowing us to come into theii schools anu obseive life as it
happeneu. Nany auministiatois anu teacheis - too many to list heie - weie also instiumental in
allowing us to come to the schools anu facilitating oui piesence theie. We also want to thank
Chiistine }ackson, Piogiams Cooiuinatoi foi the Aits in the Toionto Bistiict School Boaiu, foi hei
suppoit of this ieseaich, as well as otheis in the cential offices of the TBSB, paiticulaily in the
ieseaich office, foi all of theii help in making this ieseaich possible. At the 0ntaiio Institute foi
Stuuies in Euucation, }eff Kuglei anu Kathleen uallaghei welcomeu the 0iban Aits Bigh Schools
pioject into the Centie foi 0iban Schooling anu they continue to offei iesouices without which
this pioject woulu not be possible. Bominique Rivieie joineu the ieseaich team as a C0S
Reseaich 0fficei in the final stages of this iepoit anu pioviueu hei keen euitoiial eyes.
Bepaitmental suppoit fiom Laia Caitmale, Loieuana Poliuoio, Isabela Neuina-Rojas was ciucial
foi secuiing ieseaich funus, anu as Bepaitment Chaiis, Bennis Thiessen anu Taia uolustein
encouiageu the pioject anu enableu space anu time foi making the pioject possible. Although not
all of the stuuents involveu in this ieseaich contiibuteu to the wiiting of the iepoit, all of them
maue significant contiibutions to the ieseaich anu shoulu be mentioneu heie. In auuition to the
contiibutois listeu above, unueigiauuate stuuents Baiiy Au, Sauia Feiuous, anu }ackie Bowell,
anu uoctoial stuuents }oige Aicila anu Salima Bhimani maue impoitant contiibutions to oui
woik. Last - yet most impoitantly - we want to thank the 17u teacheis, stuuents, auministiatois,
paients, hall monitois, libiaiians, guiuance counselois, anu othei membeis of the school
communities who gave us of theii time anu alloweu us into theii classiooms.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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The 0iban Aits Bigh Schools Pioject: Phase 1 - 2uu7-2uu9 S
Some Pieliminaiy Finuings 4
Repoit Summaiy 6

;2<''=2(%% 1(*2 342&&% >&' /2< .'/0 ?
56/.* 70%%*
"A caiing anu accepting community" 9
The Balancing Act 14
"Tiansfoimative expeiiences" 19
Bang on to youi hat! 2S

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890%* :*%/03;"<<0%
Biveise Pathways to Success: "Yes, this is what I want to uo" Su
Biveise Conceptions of the Aits: "Eveiybouy likes uiffeient things" S4
A Biveisity of Challenges: "It's Completely Woith It" S8
Conclusion 41

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=*,0 >*.3%<
"A positive, safe enviionment" 47
"Woiking togethei to achieve oui goals" Su
"A constant battle" SS
Looking foiwaiu S6

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!"#$% '( )*+,*-#./01203%4%/0+? 890%* :*%/03;"<<0%? @ A"BC =*D*<E.-*
"The Cheiiy on the Ice Cieam" 61
"The people aie what makes it gieat" 6S
"The best of both woilus" 71
The Besignei Label 7S

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F*E3* 7"3*/ @ G*3*E GD.,+03
"A mattei of emphasis" - The Piouuction of the Aitist: 78
"Like sepaiate woilus" - Community Tensions 8S

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!"#$% '( )*+,*-#./01203%4%/0+? >E*%/%. ;0<*.? @ 5.* )9*/<,C%0
Community 9S
}ouiney 98
Teaching anu Leaining 1uu
Auministiation 1uS
Summaiy of Implications foi Futuie Reseaich 1u6

S<><'<)4<0 :T?

Page 1 | UAHS Report

Exploring Urban Arts High Schools in Toronto:
An Introduction

Dr. Rubn Gaztambide-Fernndez
Principal Investigator

The City of Toronto has the viitue of having the laigest numbei of publically
funueu aits high schools of any Canauian city, anu it is only seconu to New Yoik in Noith
Ameiica. In the last twenty-five yeais theie has been a veiitable explosion of specializeu
aits piogiams in seconuaiy schools acioss both Canaua anu the 0niteu States (T. Cuitis,
1987; 0nueicoflei, 2uuu; Wilson, 2uu1). This expansion of specializeu piogiams stanus in
staik contiast to the uwinuling financial suppoit foi aits piogiams in most othei schools.
This uispaiity is often justifieu along two uistinct lines of aigument. 0ne iationale ielies on
the notion that public aits high schools aie piepaiing "talenteu" stuuents to become aitists
in the futuie. Yet, while these schools aie publicly funueu, the public ioles anu
iesponsibilities that these futuie aitists shoulu fulfill aie not cleaily aiticulateu (Claik &
uaztambiue-Feinnuez, 2uu4). A seconu way to justify specializeu aits piogiams is to
aigue that they pioviue a unique appioach to teaching anu leaining foi stuuents who thiive
in a cieative enviionment anu who may not be seiveu well by tiauitional schools. Yet, be-
cause entiance into these piogiams typically iequiies some soit of aumission piocess, the
logic by which stuuents aie selecteu typically ielies on some notion of eithei commitment
to the aits oi emeiging aitistic talent. Regaiuless of the iationale, we know veiy little about
what happens in these specializeu aits piogiams, whethei stuuents aie piepaieu to be-
come aitists, oi whethei they aie theie to expeiience a unique euucational enviionment.
Bespite the giowth in numbeis since the 197us, ieseaich on these aits high schools
has been spaise anu typically baseu on single cases, focusing piimaiily on the "impact" of
the aits in leaining anu uocumenting piogiam success (T. Cuitis, 1987; uaskell, Binkley,
Nicoll, & NcLaughlin, 199S; uoie, 2uu7; Nathan, 2uu2). Although the fiist aits high schools
weie establisheu in the 19Sus, it was not until the 197us anu 198us that high schools foi
the aits began to spiout in cities acioss Noith Ameiica (T. Cuitis, 1987; 0nueicoflei, 1988,
2uuu). In the 0S, some of this giowth was ielateu to the emeigence of "magnet" schools anu
othei uesegiegation policies following civil iights legislation (uoie, 2uu7; Wilson, 2uu1). In
Canaua, specializeu piogiams in the aits emeigeu fiist within the context of vocational anu
technical euucation, anu latei as an alteinative to the euucation offeieu in tiauitional public
schools (B. Cuitis, Livingston, & Smallei, 1992). The ieasons foi the giowth of public aits
high schools aie uiveise anu vaiy acioss uiffeient local as well as national policy contexts.

The piolifeiation of aits high schools has not gone unchallengeu. In 1988,
0nueicoflei inviteu auvocates of aits high schools to auuiess the questions being iaiseu
about these schools: "Is the expenuituie meiiteu. Bo they catei to an elite minoiity. Is the
cuiiiculum antiquateu, too naiiowly focuseu, oi focuseu on the wiong appioach. Boes the
cuiiiculum meet a neeu. Bow uo aits high schools ielate contextually to the laigei
euucation anu aits euucational communities." (p. 4S). These questions have become
incieasingly ciitical, paiticulaily in the context of uwinuling iesouices foi the aits in
euucation (Bavis, 2uuS; Fowlei, 1996). Bespite the peivasiveness of a singulai image, as
poitiayeu in a film like 2*-0, aits high schools aie as uistinct fiom one anothei as they aie
fiom othei schools, pioviuing uiffeient expeiiences to uiffeient communities (Bavis, 2uu1;
Wilson, 2uu1). While few, stuuies of aits high schools suggest uiffeient answeis to the
questions aiticulateu by 0nueicoflei (1988), anu point to the uiveisity in how piogiams
have evolveu, how they aie implementeu, what communities they seive, anu with what
aims. Nost iecently, ieseaicheis fiom the esteemeu Pioject Zeio at Baivaiu 0niveisity
have sought to uocument how the aits influence teaching anu leaining within the context of
specializeu aits high school (Betlanu, Winnei, veenema, & Sheiian, 2uu7). Few stuuies of
aits high schools, howevei, have uelveu into the social anu cultuial uynamics that influence
euucative expeiiences in the aits.
Aits euucation scholai Bient Wilson (2uu1) has aigueu that aits high schools can
seive as mouels foi school iefoim. Baseu on a stuuy of foui aits magnet schools in the
0niteu States he notes the peculiaiities of these schools as spaces that have been oiganizeu
with the expiess puipose of euucating young aitists. Foi instance, he obseives that acioss
these foui schools, theie is a focus on public assessment anu engagement, iethinking
uiscipline as ielateu to school goals, active leaining, foimative evaluation, collaboiation
anu assuming multiple ioles, builuing community anu cohesion, anu integiating
instiuction. Wilson aigues that aits magnet schools fostei a climate that piomotes positive
attituues towaiu schools anu moie peimeable school bounuaiies.
Nost of Wilson's obseivations aie consistent with othei stuuies of inuiviuual aits
high schools (Bavis, 2uu1; Bavis, 2uuS; uaztambiue-Feinnuez, 2uu1). A team of
ieseaicheis leu by Piuyne (2uu1) noteu thiee oveiaiching themes in theii stuuy of the
Walnut Bill School, a piivate aits high school in Nassachusetts, 0SA. Theii poitiait of this
school illustiates how stuuents felt encouiageu to be themselves anu uevelop a stiong
sense of iuentity. Stuuents weie given a "gift of iesponsibility" thiough a focus on what they
uesciibeu as a "collaboiative spiiit." In a similai pioject using the methouology of
poitiaituie, uaztambiue-Feinnuez (2uu1) exploies the expeiiences of stuuents anu
teacheis at an uiban aits high school in the city of Boston. Echoing the finuings fiom the
eailiei stuuy, he uesciibes the "huge challenge" that stuuents anu teacheis encountei when
engageu in the many aspects of the woik at an aits high school. A "spiiit of collaboiation"
also peimeateu this uiban school, anu stuuents uesciibeu feeling "iespecteu foi who they
weie anu who they wanteu to be." While these two schools seem similai in teims of the
themes that emeige as iesonant in this ieseaich, the paiticulaiities of each context aie
staikly uiffeient (Bavis, 2uu1, 2uuS). Inueeu, while the piivate school is locateu in a laige
subuiban campus, the uiban school ieflects the specificities of that context.


Public aits high schools have tenueu to be locateu in uiban settings. As Wilson
(2uu1) notes:
magnet schools aie an uiban phenomenon. 0nly in cities uo the aits-as-magnets
have all of the ingieuients - things such as a population base anu cultuial anu
euucational iesouices - neeueu to attiact a vaiiety of types of inteiesteu stuuents
fiom acioss uiban anu subuiban neighboihoous. (p. S76).
While the ieseaich outlineu above offeis some staiting points foi a stuuy of uiban
aits high schools, little ieseaich has been uone specifically on how stuuents themselves
expeiience such euucational contexts. Inueeu, while theie is an abunuance of infoimation
about the aims anu iationales foi these piogiams available fiom the schools themselves,
we know veiy little iegaiuing what actually happens in aits high schools, about stuuents
expeiiences in these schools, anu what they leain about what it means to be aitists.
Fuitheimoie, most available ieseaich on aits high schools is almost exclusively 0S-baseu,
anu theie aie no stuuies of how these schools evolve in uiffeient socio-cultuial anu
national contexts.

!"# %&'() *&+, -./" 01"223, 4&25#1+6 4"(,# 7 8 9::;<9::=
Baseu on pievious ieseaich anu woik expeiience in both piivate anu public aits
high schools, it is cleai that stuuents ieceive many anu often contiauictoiy messages about
the iole of aitists in society (e.g. uaztambiue-Feinnuez, 2uu1). Theie aie at least thiee
ways of conceptualizing the iole of the aitist in society baseu on uiffeient ways of thinking
about cultuie (uaztambiue-Feinnuez, 2uu8). In uiffeient contexts, aitists can be seen as
(1) piouuceis of "gieat woiks" that piotect the values of the social elite, (2) inciteis of a
public imagination that subveits the social oiuei, anu (S) enteitaineis that ieflect public
neeus anu wants. These ways of thinking about the iole of the aitist coexist in often
contiauicting ways within the context of public aits high schools. Fuitheimoie, whethei
anu how stuuents ielate to any oi all of these views inteisects with othei uimensions of
theii subjectivity, such as theii iuentification with categoiies of iace, class, genuei, anu
sexuality.
In oiuei to investigate these claims anu uevelop a ueepei unueistanuing of the
expeiiences of stuuents in aits high schools, the long teim goal of the 0iban Aits Bigh
Schools Pioject is to consiuei the expeiiences of stuuents in a iange of specializeu aits
piogiams, with a focus on publicly funueu aits high schools in the 0.S. anu Canaua. uiven
the numbei anu uiveisity of aits high schools, Toionto is a paiticulaily iich context foi
beginning this woik anu ueveloping a founuation on which to builu a laigei stuuy in the
futuie. Theiefoie, the fiist phase of this pioject involveu conuucting exploiatoiy case
stuuies of the vaiious aits high schools within the TBSB. The cential focus of these case
stuuies was to wiite ieseaich poitiaits of each school, incluuing infoimation about the
schools' histoiy, mission anu philosophy, cuiiiculum anu peuagogy, stuuent population anu
community paiticipation, anu auministiative stiuctuie anu seivices.

In collaboiation with the cential office of the TBSB, all six schools with specializeu
aits piogiams weie inviteu to paiticipate in this exploiatoiy ieseaich. Foui of the schools
agieeu to paiticipate in full fiom the beginning of the pioject, anu the amount anu uepth of
the uata collecteu at these schools was iich enough to be able to wiite the poitiaits
incluueu in this iepoit. Bata collection at these foui schools began in the Fall semestei of
2uu7 anu continueu staggeieu thiough the Spiing of 2uu8. The othei two schools agieeu to
paiticipate in the pioject in the Fall of 2uu8, anu uata collection at these two schools began
in Becembei. At one of these schools, enough uata was collecteu to wiite a technical iepoit,
which is also incluueu heie. At the seconu school, uue to seveial scheuuling anu availability
challenges, the uata collecteu was spaise anu not enough to complete a ieseaich iepoit;
this sixth school is not incluueu in this iepoit. The uata foi this ieseaich was collecteu
mainly via: iequests foi school uocuments anu piinteu mateiials; obseivations of classes
anu othei events uuiing school visits; anu semi-stiuctuieu naiiative inteiviews with key
auministiatois, teacheis, stuuents, anu othei membeis of the community.
Each of the iepoits incluueu heie is piesenteu in the foim of a ieseaich "poitiait,"
following the methouology uevelopeu by Saia Lawience-Lightfoot anu }essica Bavis (1997;
Lawience-Lightfoot, 198S), which seeks to captuie a holistic sense of a school's cultuie, its
unueilying logic as a place of leaining, anu an unueistanuing of what makes the schools
"goou" places of leaining. The methouology of poitiaituie is paiticulaily apt foi stuuies of
aits piogiams because it uiaws its founuation on notions of aits-baseu euucational
ieseaich. The ieseaich poitiaits incluueu heie aie a souice to exploie thematic similaiities
anu uiffeiences anu to uevelop questions foi futuie ieseaich. The long-teim goal of the
pioject is to stuuy a laigei set of public aits high school in seveial uiban iegions of Canaua
anu the 0S. This will constitute the fiist inteinational stuuy of uiban aits high schools.

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The ieseaich conuucteu in Toionto pointeu to thiee key uimensions thiough which
iueas about the aits anu what it means to be an aitist aie ciiculateu anu negotiateu within
aits high schools: piogiam stiuctuies, the centiality of the aits, anu the stuuent bouy. Each
of the following uimensions highlights peculiaiities of public aits high schools anu why
they constitute an impoitant site foi ieseaich into cieative piactices:
1&K 0$<4(-%(U<8 -'/0 $'&*'-B0 -'< 0/'94/9'<8 -)8 (B$%<B<)/<8: These
piogiammatic stiuctuies aie justifieu in ways that ieflect uiffeient conceptions of
the aits in euucation anu how teaching anu leaining take place. Foi instance, in
geneial, when piogiams aie containeu within laigei schools, views of the aits tenu
to focus on notions of inuiviuual talent anu commitments, while in schools wheie
the piogiam is school-wiue, the aits aie seen as integial to the leaining expeiience.
While in both contexts iesouice allocation is contesteu, inequities become moie
palpable when not all stuuents aie involveu in the aits. These tensions, in tuin,
shape how teacheis engage stuuents anu how stuuents unueistanu theii own
involvement in the aits. 0nueistanuing why these piogiams "uo what they uo the
way they uo it" woulu infoim uebates about the allocation of iesouices to the


euucation of a select gioup of stuuents foi the expiess puipose of euucating them in
oi thiough the aits.
52< 4<)/'-%(/= &> /2< -'/0 /& /2< &D<'-%% <894-/(&)-% $'&*'-B6 This centiality
biings into ielief the paiticulaiities of euucational expeiiences with the aits anu
how uiveise stuuents make meaning of those expeiiences. The ways stuuents talk
about what it means to be an aitist, anu whethei anu how they come to iuentify as
such, aie often ielateu to theii piioi expeiiences with the aits anu theii social anu
cultuial backgiounu. Biiect obseivation of how uiveise stuuents' expeiiences with
the aits in euucation inteisect with othei aspects of euucational expeiience,
paiticulaily with piocesses of iuentification ielateu to iace, class, genuei, anu
sexuality, will infoim theoiy anu piactice iegaiuing issues of iuentity anu equity in
public euucation anu in the piomotion of cieative city policies at laige.
.44<00(,(%(/= -)8 /2< 8<B&*'-$2(4 8(D<'0(/= &> /2< 0/98<)/ ,&8=6 These aits
piogiams uiffei in teims of stuuent accessibility anu uemogiaphic uiveisity along
lines of iacial oi ethnic affiliation, immigiation, oi socio-economic status. Some
piogiams seive stuuents fiom mostly uppei-miuule class piofessional families,
otheis mostly iecent immigiants oi stuuents fiom woiking-class homes, while a few
actually ieflect the uemogiaphic uiveisity of the aieas in which they aie locateu. 0ui
exploiatoiy ieseaich suggests that the stuuent population in any given school
shapes how piogiams aie implementeu anu justifieu as well as the kinus of
expeiiences stuuents uesciibe. By exploiing these uiffeiences, this ieseaich will
illuminate the iole that the aits might play in ielationship to schooling anu the
futuie oppoitunities of uiveise stuuents.
Baseu on these thiee uimensions, the 0iban Aits Bigh Schools Pioject will continue
its woik exploiing the following thiee sets of ieseaich questions: (1) Bow aie selecteu
uiban aits high schools stiuctuieu anu implementeu uiffeiently in uiffeient contexts. Bow
uo teacheis uesciibe anu justify the woik that they uo within such piogiam stiuctuies.
Bow aie uiffeient conceptions of the iole of the aits in euucation anu the puipose of
specializeu aits piogiams implieu in the way teacheis anu auministiatois uo anu justify
theii woik. (2) Bow uo stuuents fiom uiffeient social anu cultuial backgiounus uesciibe
theii expeiiences in vaiious types of uiban aits high schools. Bow uo they constiuct
iuentifications as aitists within these piogiams. Bow uo they unueistanu the iole of the
aitist in society. (S) Bow uo bioauei uynamics ielateu to categoiies of iace, class, genuei,
anu sexuality shape how piogiams aie stiuctuieu, implementeu anu justifieu. Bow aie
these uynamics ielateu to stuuents' expeiiences in these piogiams anu whethei anu how
they unueistanu themselves as aitists.
While focuseu on a unique euucational setting, this ieseaich will infoim bioauei
uebates about the aits anu about the potential of youth to contiibute to the cieative life of
the local anu piovincial, as well as national anu global communities. At a time when
iesouices foi schools in geneial, anu foi aits piogiams in paiticulai, have suffeieu gieat set
backs (Catteiall & Waluoif, 1999; Fowlei, 1996), aits high schools have flouiisheu. The
iationale foi this uispaiity is often uncleai anu wiappeu ambiguously between two

somewhat contiauictoiy aims. 0n the one hanu, some schools aie committeu to the notion
that public aits high schools aie piepaiing "talenteu" stuuents to become aitists in the
futuie (uaztambiue-Feinnuez, 2uu8). 0n the othei, some schools focus on the notion that
the aits pioviue a paiticulai kinu of euucation that engages paiticulai kinus of stuuents
bettei (uoie, 2uu7). To some extent oi anothei, these two aims aie piesent, eithei
implicitly oi explicitly, in the way public aits high schools justify theii woik (uaztambiue-
Feinnuez & Piyuatkewycz, in piepaiation). Yet, given issues of access anu equity, whethei
anu how these piogiams seive the neeus anu inteiests of uiveise stuuents iemains an
impoitant question that this stuuy will exploie. Fuitheimoie, while these schools aie
publicly funueu, the public ioles anu iesponsibilities that these futuie aitists shoulu fulfill
aie not cleaily aiticulateu (Claik & uaztambiue-Feinnuez, 2uu4). uiven limiteu iesouices
anu multiple uemanus, specializeu piogiams stiuggle to stiike the piopei balance between
specialization anu a bioau-baseu euucational expeiience. What uo stuuents fiom uiffeient
social anu cultuial backgiounus involveu in these piogiams leain about what it means to
be an aitist. What is theii iesponsibility to the public that sponsois theii aitistic tiaining
anu euucation. This ieseaich will exploie the stiengths, challenges, anu tensions that aiise
fiom offeiing specializeu aits piogiams within public euucation systems. It will contiibute
to oui unueistanuing of the potential social anu cultuial benefits of investing in the
euucation anu tiaining of young aitists anu how the complexities of social anu cultuial
uiffeience inteisect in the context of the aits.

B#C2&+ 0D>>(&?
This iepoit is composeu of five case stuuies, each focusing on one of the five schools
that paiticipateu in this pioject. The fiist foui iepoits aie piesenteu as ieseaich poitiaits.
Each poitiait was wiitten by one oi moie membei(s) of the ieseaich team baseu on the
uata collecteu at each of the schools. The uata was analyzeu along foui uimensions
iuentifieu by Bavis (Bavis, 199S) as ielevant to the stuuy of euucational oiganizations
focuseu on the aits: leaining anu teaching, community, auministiation, anu jouiney.
Thiough the analysis of the uata, the ieseaich team iuentifieu themes that weie salient
acioss the foui ielevant uimensions. Following the methouology of poitiaituie, the analysis
sought eviuence of the chaiacteiistics that make each of these schools "goou." This seaich
foi "goouness" is piemiseu on a iejection of ieseaich mouels that seek to uocument failuie
oi uysfunction in euucational institutions. It seeks to uocument the complex ielationship
between both successes anu challenges that togethei uefine any entity - peison oi
institution - as "goou." Noie impoitantly, it seeks to gain an unueistanuing anu to honoi
the peispectives of those who biing life to a place such as an uiban aits high school.
Poitiaits aie also texts that invite inteipietation. Nost social science texts aie filleu
with jaigon anu uense theoietical exploiations of social phenomena, anu aie often uiy anu
lack any ioom foi the ieauei to inteipiet what is being uesciibeu. In fact, one stanuaiu of
tiauitional social science is that ieseaich shoulu be explicit anu cleai so that it can be
ieplicable, which is not possible if theie is too much ioom foi inteipietation. Poitiaituie, as
uevelopeu by sociologist anu euucational theoiist Saia Lawience-Lightfoot, embiaces the
iuea that eveiy ieauei can have hei oi his own inteipietation of a paiticulai text. Like an


aitist painting a poitiait of an inuiviuual, a poitiait wiitei seeks to uesciibe in uetail a
paiticulai social phenomenon so that the ieauei can inteipiet those uetails. A poitiait
invites the ieauei to biing hei own lenses to inteipiet what the wiitei is uesciibing, anu as
such, a poitiait invites many inteipietations.
The uata collecteu at the fiist foui schools uesciibeu in this iepoit alloweu the
ieseaich team to constiuct nuanceu anu complex poitiaits of the school sites. This was not
the case with the fifth school incluueu in this iepoit, wheie the piocess of uata collection
was less thoiough because it was moie complicateu by time anu othei institutional
constiaints. Foi instance, while the ieseaicheis weie able to inteiview almost all of the
teacheis woiking at this school, they weie not able to inteiview enough stuuents to gain a
ueepei unueistanuing of theii expeiiences. The institutional stiuctuie of the piogiam also
uiu not allow the ieseaicheis to obseive events beyonu classes, which limiteu theii access
to uiffeient settings anu uiffeient kinus of expeiiences. Nonetheless, the ieseaich team felt
that enough uata was available to ciaft a technical iepoit that offeieu an inteiesting
analysis of the uata that was collecteu anu that iaiseu inteiesting questions foi futuie
ieseaich.
Baseu on the five case stuuies anu a consultation with stakeholueis involveu in
uiffeient ways with uiban aits high schools, the final section of the iepoit outlines some of
the implications that the fiist phase of this pioject iaises. These implications incluue both
ieflections on the futuie of the kinus of piogiams uesciibeu as well as suggestions foi
futuie ieseaich on uiban aits high schools. The aim of the section is to set out a ieseaich
agenua that will infoim the futuie of the 0iban Aits Bigh Schools Pioject anu that might
guiue the woik of othei ieseaicheis inteiesteu in this topic. As well, the goal is to point to
some of the challenges that uiban aits high schools face anu offei possible insights foi
auuiessing these challenges. We offei these implications as a staiting point foi continueu
conveisations.


Cherryhill High School for the Arts

A caring and accepting community, The Balancing
Act, and Transformative experiences

Lydia Menna

Car engines idle befoie the tiaffic light of a hectic east enu inteisection cieating
a baiiage of mechanistic clamoiing. Buiiieu uiban uwelleis uescenu into the uimly lit
unueigiounu tiain system to be tianspoiteu to a multituue of uestinations acioss the
metiopolitan aiea. The abiupt sounus anu fleeting sights of this innei-city noue uissipate,
upon enteiing the gateu giounus of Cheiiyhill Bigh School foi the Aits. A ciowu of
iambunctious stuuents emeiges fiom a neaiby subway station anu heau towaiu the
entianceway of the school. As the stuuents entei the giounus, theii youthful voices
consume the couityaiu beyonu the gates, as they sing along to the melouy of a populai
show tune. This ciooning assemblage of stuuents splinteis off, as they inuiviuually
encountei fellow schoolmates, socializing within the inteiioi of the couityaiu. Stuuents
waimly gieet one anothei with affectionate hugs, kinu laughtei, anu shiieks of uelight. This
lively anu fun-loving scene in many ways encapsulates the Cheiiyhill expeiience waimly
iecounteu by stuuents, faculty anu auministiatois at the school.
This iepoit offeis a point of entiy into the uynamics of a multifaceteu school cultuie
stoiieu thiough the liveu expeiiences of the stuuents, teacheis anu auministiatois who
geneiously paiticipateu in this ieseaich. The Cheiiyhill cultuie has been uniquely
influenceu by a piogiammatic shift fiom a vocational school to a specializeu aits high
school. The tiansfoimation of the school's piogiammatic vision both necessitateu the
navigation of challenges anu piecipitateu celebiateu achievements. As Cheiiyhill continues
to establish itself as an uiban specializeu aits high school it enueavois to fostei a H*3.%I
*%/ *HH0J,.%I HC--"%.,6, while <,3.K.%I ,C #*9*%H0 the vaiious components of the piogiam
to offei stuuents eniiching anu ,3*%<LC3-*,.K0 0MJ03.0%H0<.

E* 1(&.)/ ()A (11#C+.)/ 12>>D).+?F
0ften, in uesciibing theii time at Cheiiyhill, oi in iecalling theii initial impiessions
of the school, stuuents ielay memoiies of a "welcoming", "accepting", "caiing" community
that just "feels like home." Neg Robeitson, now a senioi stuuent at Cheiiyhill, still ietains a
viviu memoiy of an encountei that occuiieu uuiing hei initial weeks at the school, which
left an inuelible impiession. Neg's laige blue eyes beam, anu hei full lips wiuen, as she
ieaches back in time to iecount the uiamatic event that took place five yeais eailiei.

l Lhlnk, well, l Lhlnk, lL was a couple of, a few weeks lnLo school, and a bunch of guys from
anoLher school came, and Llred Lo rob one of, a Cherryhlll kld, and [usL, Lhe whole school
swarmed Lhem. And ya, Lhey Lrled Lo sLeal rlnclpal Coleman's camera. ?a, and [usL, llke, klnda
Lhe whole school sLood up for Mr. Coleman, and LhaL one guy. So, ya lL was my favorlLe
[memory]. So, l guess lL was klnda a blg deal for me.
In iecent yeais Neg's expeiiences at Cheiiyhill, while peihaps less spellbinuing,
have continueu to nuituie a connection anu enthusiasm foi the caiing community
establisheu at the school. Neg affectionately communicates hei cuiient feelings about the
school community by exclaiming,
lL's awesome. l would never, ever Lransfer. um, l [usL, l love lL, llke.everyone's [usL frlends wlLh
everyone, and lL's greaL. Llke, everyone's [usL so nlce, and lL's really easy golng, and people are
sLudylng whaL Lhey wanna sLudy, llke, muslc, arL, vocal, whaLever, lL's whaL Lhey wanna do. Ch
ya, lL's [usL, people are happy, and you know, we go Lo Lhelr shows, llke, muslc and dance shows,
and we LoLally supporL our frlends. And lL's really fun, ya.lL's llke, lL's my home.
With a slight laugh Simone Kantai, a junioi at the school, conveys similai sentiments
as she iefeis to hei time at Cheiiyhill as "an amazing auventuie." Simone also evokes
images of caiing anu comfoit by iefeiiing to the school as, "just, it's, like, home." In hei
view, the school cultuie cieates:
A place [LhaL] ls more comforLlng Lo open up. Llke, you can acLually open up Lo people, and you
can be frlends wlLh almosL everybody, lf you wanL Lo. lL's llke, Lhere's no, l don'L, Lhere's, noL
many cllques, Lhere's noL, llke, groups of people. ?ou can [oln any group you wanL, and be llke,
everybody accepLs you. lL's a very accepLlng school. So, lL's really, wonderful.
While many stuuents attenuing Cheiiyhill, expiess a connection anu affection foi
the accepting anu caiing atmospheie cultivateu within the school, they also note that
outsiue obseiveis at times voice alteinate chaiacteiizations of the Cheiiyhill cultuie. Foi
instance, visual aits majoi Ruby Benuiix suggests that stuuents attenuing othei high
schools within the city often chaiacteiize Cheiiyhill stuuents as somewhat unconventional
oi "off the wall." Ruby canuiuly aumits, "we've got a bit of a ieputation with othei high
school stuuents in the Boaiu, as the ciazy school . appaiently theie's a look that Cheiiyhill
stuuents have, like, people iecognize us on the stieet, theie's a look."
Ruby fuithei attempts to aiticulate the Cheiiyhill peisona, "we'ie all ieally louu, anu
ieally iambunctious, but ieally fiienuly." She quickly claiifies, "not louu anu iambunctious
in a scaiy way, we'ie soita, the people that will walk up to ianuom stiangeis in the stieet,
anu give them hugs." Ruby shifts hei chaiacteiization back to the immeuiate context of the
school by suggesting, "it's just, that's the soit of geneial school vibe, like. if you'ie a
stuuent, anu you walk into the school five people will hug you," but she ieaches out to
exteinals views to explain, "if you see us on the stieet, usually you've got a gioup of about
ten people, who aie all singing some ieally louu musical theatie song, skipping. }ust soit of
that kinu of ciazy." With a giggle, Ruby goou-playfully auus, "it's not ieally ciazy, it's moie,
like, joie ue vivie."
As the afteinoon session of classes begins, the gioupings of stuuents assembleu in
the couityaiu staits to uispeise as they shuffle into the builuing. In the uppei hallways of
the school, stuuents meanuei into Ns. Ninoff's class, seemingly unhuiiieu by the sounuing
of the final bell, to signal the beginning of the peiiou. As stuuents entei the classioom they


caiiy with them the vivacious laughtei anu chattei of the hallways, which at once
invigoiates the space. Stuuents seat themselves into familiai gioupings as they continue
theii animateu conveisational exchanges.
veionica Reeu, a female stuuent in the class, gaineis the inteiest anu aumiiation of
seveial classmates, with an appeaiance that is ieminiscent of 19Su's pin-up photos of
Bettie Page. veionica's bluntly bobbeu haii anu palliu skin tone exaggeiate the seveiity of
hei fishnet stockings, thigh-high patent boots, black bustiei, anu micio-mini skiit, which
fliitatiously ieveals pale blue iuffleu unueipants. Seveial stuuents anu teacheis at
Cheiiyhill make iefeience to such fashion statements, to illustiate the cieative, expiessive,
anu accepting atmospheie that typifies the school.
Simone Kantai, uiesseu in black tights, chunky boots, anu a giey scaif casually
cloakeu aiounu hei neck, enteis Ns. Ninoff's class, anu settles into hei uesk. In an eailiei
conveisation, Simone voiceu hei immeuiate attiaction to "people's styles" at Cheiiyhill, anu
jovially aumits that now in hei seconu yeai at the school she, "weai|sj tights lot moie often
than.jeans." Simone feels "inspiieu" by how "people expiess theii own opinions" thiough
clothing choices. She explains,
well, lL's [usL one of Lhose Lhlngs, where you klnd of go shopplng, buL you don'L really puL on
whaL oLher people are wearlng. ?ou [usL klnd of whaLever, you are ln Lhe mood for, you plck lL
up, and [usL buy lL, and lL doesn'L maLLer how much lL ls worLh, or whaL lL really looks llke, lL's [usL
mlxed colours, and do whaLever you wanL.
Simone is not the only obseivei of the "Cheiiyhill look." Accoiuing to Ruby Benuiix,
the uistinctive uiess of Cheiiyhill stuuents has contiibuteu to the establishment of the
school's ieputation as a "ciazy place." Ruby, outfitteu in black tights anu a slivei scaif that
ieflects the light as she eneigetically explains,
lL's [usL a sorL of vlbe we all glve off. 8uL, apparenLly Lhere's sorL of, a look for Lhe Cherryhlll glrls,
wlLh Lhe layers and layers of vlnLage, wlLh, llke, you know Lhe blg scarf, and everyLhlng. Llke,
people recognlze us on Lhe sLreeL.
With a coy chuckle, teachei Alexanuia Auams confesses, "I can pick them out on the
bus," as she makes iefeience to the unique fashion choices of Cheiiyhill stuuents. She views
stuuents' uistinctive styles as expiessive gestuies of inuiviuuality. Ns. Auams feels, "it's just
a uiffeient, um, look, anu aesthetic. So in teims of looks, it's easy to pick out who's a
Cheiiyhill stuuent anu who isn't." She fuithei attempts to claiify the "look" by
uistinguishing the Cheiiyhill style fiom that of othei seconuaiy schools in the city.
um, Lhey [Lhe sLudenLs] don'L Lry Lo be cool, whlch l llke. 1hey um, and lL's noL even, you know,
some arLs schools Lhere ls, Lhe unlform of unconformlLy. So yes, all of Lhe guys are gonna, wear
mascara, and Lhls look. 8uL here, l flnd you can wear anyLhlng and be accepLed, whlch l Lhlnk ls,
um, very unlque. LhaL you can do whaLever you wanL here, and Lhere ls noL Lhe same Lypes of
cllques.
Ns. Auams chaiacteiizes the style of uiess at Cheiiyhill as "just ieally
inuiviuualistic." With a quiet laugh anu incieuulous tone, she iecalls one paiticulai stuuent,
who in a sense epitomizes how uiess has come to be associateu with the accepting anu
suppoitive climate fosteieu at the school. She iecounts,

l remember my flrsL year, belng really surprlsed, one of Lhe mosL popular guys ln one of my
classes.Pe would, l Lhlnk, he dressed all Lhe Llme, ln Lhe same klnd of cloLhes. And he was, lL was
from value vlllage, and he [usL was very klnd of sLrange, buL he was so eccenLrlc.So, he'd wear,
a sLraw haL one day, Lhe nexL day he'd walk ln wlLh a boom-box, on hls shoulder.And he ls Lhls
sklnny, klnda wlry guy, LhaL normally aL oLher schools would be plcked on, or made fun of, and
here was, ls, valued for hls eccenLrlclLles and personallLy. So, l love LhaL abouL Lhls school.
Back in Ns. Ninoff's class, the teachei's affable voice inteijects to captuie the
attention of hei class with the instiuction, "class, class, I'u like to get staiteu now." Bei calls
foi oiuei uo little to quiet the boisteious stuuent exchanges that fill the space. Peihaps, in
an effoit to hook the attention of the stuuents, Ns. Ninoff poses an ambiguous question,
"Class, something is uiffeient touay, what uo you notice." The ioom stanus silent foi
seveial seconus, until a male stuuent enthusiastically shouts out "0h, veionica is heie!" The
ioom eiupts with joyously kinu laughtei. veionica somewhat uefensively ieplies, "I hau the
flu.you can still heai it in my voice." Tiying to stem the laughtei, Ns. Ninoff confiims, "yes
veionica is heie, but that is not what I was iefeiiing to." Within seconus Ns. Ninoff
announces that the stuuents scheuuleu to piesent theii piojects shoulu begin.
As Bianuon Walkei, the fiist stuuent piesentei of the uay neivously appioaches the
fiont of the class, fellow classmates peihaps sensing his hesitance, suppoitively chant, "uo
Bianuon! uo Bianuon! uo Bianuon!" Fiom his position at the fiont of the class, Bianuon
uiamatically flicks back his stiaight uaik haii, encouiaging his sculpteu bob to cascaue
foiwaiu, anu conceal pait of his face. Bis high-pitcheu voice quiveis slightly as he asks,
"Can you guys think of anything fiom populai cultuie fiom the 199u's." Almost
instantaneously, the iight siue of the class in unison exciteuly sings a GJ.H0 ).39<N tune. This
waim iesponse seems to cause the tension in Bianuon's contiacteu shoulueis to ielease as
though signaling the alleviation of his initial anxiety. Be continues by ieciting, "ait is not
founueu in time but in people - Bitlei," anu pioceeus to ask the class what they think the
quote means. A fiee spiiiteu uiscussion about the use of ait a tool foi piopaganua ensues.
Bianuon's face uisplays ielief as the piesentation uiaws to a close anu his classmates
caiingly congiatulate him on a job well uone.
The suppoitive anu encouiaging attituues conveyeu in Ns. Ninoff's class aie often
echoeu in stuuents' uesciiptions of the cultuie nuituieu at Cheiiyhill. Stuuents speak of the
school as an accepting place, with a laiuback, anu caiing atmospheie, wheie inuiviuuality is
encouiageu. Ruby Benuiix's vibiant biown eyes naiiow, as she ponueis how best to
communicate what she means when she iefeis to Cheiiyhill as "a school that |isj veiy
community focuseu." Foi hei, the cultuie of the school has facilitateu a multituue of
"amazing, "engaging" anu "fun" moments of leaining anu giowth. Bei lively uemeanoi
shifts to a moie pensive state as she attempts to illustiate the accepting community at
Cheiiyhill.
Ch Cod, Lhe communlLy feel, lL's llke, l don'L really know how Lo descrlbe lL .buL aL Cherryhlll
bullylng doesn'L happen usually, l mean Lhere's no homophobla, l mean, l Lhlnk LhaL half Lhe
school populaLlon ls gay or bl !"#$%& So, l mean, llke, Lhere's noL homophobla or anyLhlng llke LhaL.
And l guess, Lhe rlnclpal and Lhe Leachers really [usL nurLure Lhls communlLy, fosLerlng
envlronmenL, where everybody ls compleLely supporLlve of each oLher, and where everybody
helps each oLher ouL, and Lhere's no compeLlLlon. Llke, Lhere are no compeLlLlons ln Lhe school aL


all. Llke, even our sporLs Leams don'L really compeLe. So, Lhere's no compeLlLlon everybody really
helps each oLher ouL, and ls very supporLlve of one anoLher.
Ruby leans back in hei chaii, anu expels a meuitative sigh, as she consiueis how this
"suppoitive community" is conveyeu. She suimises that the cultivation of a suppoitive
atmospheie at the school is uue in laige pait to auministiatois' anu teacheis' expectations.
As she expiesses,
Lhe facL LhaL, we're all expecLed, mosL, a loL of Lhe people LhaL come here are really nlce people,
who [usL, you know, wanL Lo do Lhelr arL. 8uL for anybody who's noL, Lhe expecLaLlon of Lhe
school ls LhaL you wlll be klnd Lo oLher people, and LhaL you wlll noL, you know, you wlll noL Lear
oLher people down, and LhaL you wlll be good Lo each oLher. So, lL's [usL people are expecLed Lo
be klnd Lo each oLher, and people wlll rlse Lo Lhe occaslon, because l Lhlnk Lhe naLural human
lncllnaLlon lsn'L really Lo haLe each oLher, you have Lo be Lralned Lo do lL. So, l Lhlnk because
everybody ls expecLed Lo be klnd Lo each oLher we are.
Senioi stuuent Neg Robeitson lenus a fuithei uimension to the foimation the school
cultuie. Fiom hei peispective, the flexible uisposition exhibiteu by auministiatois anu
teacheis, cieates a suppoitive space foi stuuents to take cieative iisks anu expiess
themselves thiough vaiious means. She speaks fonuly of Piincipal Coleman anu his
contiibutions to the school.
Llke, rlnclpal Coleman wlll Lake any suggesLlon, llke, you wanna learn someLhlng you'll Lake lL,
and you know. l'm sure he Lalks abouL lL aL meeLlngs wlLh Leachers, buL lf you wanna learn, Lhen
you wlll learn lL. And l Lhlnk LhaL helps oLher klds, and you klnd of have a loL of freedom wlLh
where you wanna go wlLh arL. Llke, Lhere are preLLy much no boundarles.
Amiust the fluiiy of eneigetic stuuents voices consuming the libiaiy space, Neg
takes a moment to ieflect, anu conjuie up an instance in which the flexibility affoiueu to a
fellow stuuent unleasheu an inventive vision. Bei infectious laugh pieceues the telling of
the tale.
Llke, my besL frlend lasL year dld um, a saLanlc rlLual, ln, llke, a LransparenL box ln Lhe hallway,
and, llke, LhaL's welrd, LhaL's welrd. ?a, Lhere's, llke, no boundarles. 1haL's whaL he wanLed Lo do.
And, he was graded on a rubrlc, and lf lL maLched Lhe rubrlc, he goL a good mark, lf noL, you
know. Pe dld whaL he wanLed Lo do. ?a, llke, lL wasn'L llke, no you can'L do LhaL because. ?a,
LhaL's whaL he wanLed Lo do so.
The waim anu affectionate accounts of stuuents' expeiiences at Cheiiyhill seive to
illuminate funuamental components of the establisheu enviionment. Bowevei, the
iuentification of sites of uiffeiences, while seluom voiceu, point to the complexity of a
school's cultuie. Foi teachei Alexanuia Auams, the caiing anu laiu back atmospheie at
Cheiiyhill is a "goou fit," but she also notes: "you uon't tenu to finu a lot of ethnicities heie."
Ns. Auams' pensive gaze conveys an inteinal complexity long befoie she cautiously aumits,
"I think the stuuents woulu benefit fiom seeing moie iacial uiveisity."
Amaia uaiiba, a senioi stuuent at Cheiiyhill, also appieciates the "open-minueu"
anu "helpful" atmospheie of the school, while simultaneously voicing significant uiffeiences
between hei high school anu elementaiy school contexts. With a wiue giin she ueclaies
being a Cheiiyhill stuuent, "it's pietty awesome." Bowevei, in hei soft-spoken tone of voice,
Amaia also obseives that hei elementaiy school "was a lot moie, like, hip-hop, like, moie

we hau a lot of black stuuents, we uiu have, like, othei cultuie stuuents as well |sicj, but it
was moie of, the uiban hip-hop kinu of cultuie." Bei expiessive eyes ieflect gieat uepth as
she consiueis how the composition of Cheiiyhill is quite uiffeient fiom hei past school
expeiiences,
our school [Cherryhlll] ls, malnly based on whlLe, mlddle class klds, sLudenLs. l've noLlced LhaL, l
mean belng a black person ln Lhls school you noLlce LhaL someLlmes l'm Lhe only black kld ln my,
mosL of my classes acLually. So, l don'L really noLlce, cuz, l don'L look aL lL LhaL way. SomeLlmes
when you, you Lalk abouL Lhlngs LhaL lnvolve Lhese Lhlngs, you klnda look around, and llke, huh,
l'm Lhe only black sLudenL ln Lhls class, LhaL's klnda welrd." 8uL aL Lhe same Llme, um, when l say
mulLlculLural as ln, Lhe, a way of llfe, culLure klnd of a way, noL as ln you are 8lack, or WhlLe, or
Aslan, or ln LhaL klnd of way. Cuz we don'L really, any, llke, we have a couple Aslans, we have a
small group of 8lack people, and Lhe resL ls [usL whlLe mlddle class sLudenLs.
Noments pass as Amaia contemplates hei expeiience as a stuuent of coloui at
Cheiiyhill. Bei ieceptive bouy language anu calm piesence communicate an openness that
is echoeu in hei canuiu iesponses. Amaia fuithei loweis the gentle tone of hei voice to
confiue, "um, honestly, that uoesn't ieally bothei me, oi mattei to me at all. Cuz, peisonally
I uon't ieally, look at myself, as a Black, oi White, I look at myself as a, as a, human being,
that's just pait of society. If you want to look at me as a Black peison, that's fine by me, cuz I
am, you know what I mean." She fuithei explains,
l geL a loL of [usL, uh, l mean, quesLlons . lL's crazy, and someLlmes, l wlll explaln as much as l
can, l'm noL, llke, an experL on lL, buL l Lry Lo explaln, lf l can. lL's klnda welrd cuz, a loL of
sLudenLs, don'L auLomaLlcally [udge me, Lhey ask me why Lhls ls lL, . or why lf you're 8lack Lhls ls,
Lhls, and l Lry and explaln as much as l can. 8uL l don'L really Lry, and look aL myself, or anyone
else ln, cuz of Lhelr colour, rellglon, or culLure, or anyLhlng, llke, LhaL. So, lL doesn'L really maLLer
Lo me lf l go Lo a school where l have, flfLy 8lack klds, ..or whaLever. lL doesn'L really maLLer Lo
me.

!"# G(3()1.)/ *1+
The main auministiative office is abuzz with activity as the staff piepaie foi the
beginning of fiist peiiou. The small visitoi ieception space offeis two woou fiameu vinyl
upholsteieu chaiis, positioneu in fiont of a seiies of built-in veitical woouen mail slots,
which haikens back to the builuings 196u's aichitectuial ioots. Faculty flow in anu out of
the main office, waimly gieeting auministiative staff as they uait in to ietiieve memos anu
papeiwoik fiom the peisonalizeu mail-slots, neatly labeleu with the fiist initial anu
suiname of each teachei.
Thiee sign-up sheets auveitising faculty piofessional uevelopment sessions on
"Wellness anu Stiess," "Team Builuing," anu an "E-leaining Institute," aie affixeu to a pale
giey laminate suiface iesting atop a tall countei that foims a bounuaiy between visitois
anu office staff. 0f the thiee sessions available, the "Wellness anu Stiess" woikshop has the
monopoly on paiticipants, with twenty-one faculty signatuies. The boiueiing walls on
eithei enu uisplay bulletin boaius with vaiious notices, the Naclean's magazine school
iankings, anu an enlaigeu map geogiaphically uefining each of the schools within the
uistiict boaiu.


The uooi to the aujacent office of Piincipal Bon Coleman stanus open, gieeting
stuuents, faculty, anu paients to uiop in anu shaie a woiu. A collection of tiauitional biass
school bells is neatly uisplayeu on a siue table. "Aits minueu high school a catalyst foi
stuuent cieativity," ueclaies the heauline of a fiameu newspapei aiticle hanging above the
siue table. Accompanying the heauline is a photogiaph of Piincipal Coleman spoiting a giin
fiom eai to eai.
The laige winuow in the office oveilooks the tiee-lineu couityaiu at the fiont of the
school. Settling into his chaii, Piincipal Coleman piouuly highlights the fact that at
Cheiiyhill Bigh School foi the Aits stuuent auuitions uo not foim pait of the aumission
selection ciiteiia. Be comments "no auuitions, moie access" anu explains the school's
philosophy is inclusive, as aumission to the aits high school is not contingent on piioi
expeiience, often acquiieu thiough costly piivate lessons anu extiacuiiiculai tiaining.
The woius "passion" anu "joy" aie peppeieu thioughout Piincipal Coleman's
uesciiption of a typical stuuent expeiience at Cheiiyhill. The school, he explains with
intensity, is "just a joyful place to be" in which "eveiy kiu in the piogiam is in the aits . it
geneiates a cultuie that is committeu to the aits . theie is no othei option in the builuing -
eithei you aie in the aits oi not." Be viviuly iecounts a school community inhabiteu by
lively, imaginative, enthusiastic stuuents with a "passion" foi theii aitistic enueavois. The
cultuie of the school has cieateu "an attituue in the builuing wheie no one woulu blink at a
kiu uancing in the halls."
The ueuicateu aits anu non-ait faculty at Cheiiyhill, many of whom aie aitists with
an active piactice outsiue of school, aie an integial pait of school community. Piincipal
Coleman obseives, "staff aie exciteu because they aie the cieatois |of the piogiamj this has
ieleaseu incieuible eneigy." "Cioss-uepaitmental pollination" is the teim he uses to
emphasize that both aits anu non-aits "staff aie integiateu in the way they woik togethei."
Be inuicates that all teacheis aie suppoitive of the aits anu cites teacheis' effoits to
ioutinely accommouate stuuents' iigoious peifoimance scheuules as eviuence, while
simultaneously acknowleuging "it uiives them ciazy some times".
Ellie Baines, a teachei who has woikeu with a vaiiety of stuuents ovei seveial yeais
of teaching at Cheiiyhill, echoes the sentiments of Piincipal Coleman. Ns. Baines suggests
the aumissions philosophy of the school is uistinct anu fosteis an inclusive enviionment:
keeplng LhaL phllosophy of lL's [Lhe arLs ls] for everyone . LhaL's why we don'L audlLlon . so Lhey
come Lo us mosLly as beglnners . we don'L accepL based purely on LalenL. We look aL proflles,
and we look aL Lhelr lnLeresLs, and we Lake rlsks wlLh a loL of klds, and Lhey have Lo wanL Lo be
here, Lhey have Lo wanL Lo Lry and do Lhe arLs . our phllosophy remalned Lo be an open access
school, where klds who really show an lnLeresL, and work hard can do lL.
The foyei anu hallway uiiectly outsiue of the main office ieveibeiate with the
footsteps of stuuents tiickling into the builuing to begin theii school uay. Piincipal Coleman
emeiges fiom the main office with a biass school bell, caiefully selecteu fiom the collection
he has amasseu. As the uooi to the foyei swings open the iesounuing tone of the bell floous
the hallways. Bis moining iitual of manually iinging a tiauitional school bell to signal the

stait of the uay has become legenuaiy among paients, stuuents, anu staff anu is often
iefeienceu as a symbol of the nuituiing anu caiing atmospheie of the school.
Cheiiyhill senioi Nick Aituii, a high-spiiiteu anu outgoing stuuent, is "passionate"
anu uevoteu to his aits piactice. As he explains, "I tiy to uo as much as I can at this school, I
tiy to push myself to, like, being the best like, ait stuuent that I can be". Bis tall fiame anu
conspicuously long limbs iegistei iestlessness, as he fiequently shifts postuies. Nick
expiesses concein that some "people heie now aie not in it ieally foi the ait ... I uon't know,
they just uon't seem motivateu . anu I think when they uo stait to caie in life it is veiy late
in the game . I woulu like foi it to be moie like, selective." Nick seems to compiehenu the
complexity of tiying to balance the school's inclusive aumissions philosophy with the
piogiammatic goal of auvancing a iigoious aits anu non-aits piogiam. Be stiuggles to
come to some iesolution on the issue as he ielays his inteinal uebate anu contemplation of
the school's aumissions piocess:
Lhen agaln, lf Lhere was an audlLlon, l probably would, never would have goLLen lnLo Lhls school. l
don'L know llke, l Lhlnk a school, llke, a hlgh school mosL cerLalnly ls Lhere Lo shape you, and you
are noL Lhe same as who you are when you sLarL hlgh school. So LhaL way an audlLlon would noL
really work. lL would [usL be people . llke, have Lhelr parenLs llke, pay for exLra Lralnlng when
Lhey were younger so LhaL Lhey could sLand up llke LhaL. l don'L know, buL l wlsh llke, Lhere was a
way LhaL Lhey could flnd Lhe people who were moLlvaLed.
Stuuents shuffle about the halls making theii way to staiiwells, classiooms, anu
stuuio spaces. Acioss the hall fiom the main office the libiaiy is alive with boisteious
stuuent voices. The libiaiy space is a constant hub of activity. Incieaseu eniollment in
iecent yeais, neaily uoubling the size of the stuuent bouy, has placeu a stiain on the libiaiy,
which is one of the only centializeu gatheiing places in the builuing accessible to stuuents
all uay. The libiaiian inteiacts with stuuents in a welcoming anu laiu-back mannei. As a
stuuent appioaches the iefeience uesk to sign out some photogiaphy books, the pitch of his
voice peaks with genuine inteiest as he asks, "What pioject aie you woiking on this week
Kim."
The ciiculai tables positioneu in the centie of the libiaiy, each seem to iepiesent a
miciocosm of youth cultuie, as stuuents engage in lively iecounts of weekenu escapaues
anu piovocative cell phone conveisations. "This is going to be the event of oui geneiation,"
ueclaies Tianna Baipei exciteuly fiom hei seat at a iambunctious table of stuuents
synchionizing the outfits they plan to weai foi an upcoming night of ieveliy. As hei shiieks
of enthusiasm iise well above the level typically accepteu in a libiaiy, the libiaiian gently
aumonishes, "Tianna please".
Stuuents move unfietteu thioughout the libiaiy space waimly inteiacting with the
libiaiians anu fellow classmates. Baviu Izzaiu, a senioi stuuent, shifts anu angles a guitai
case in one hanu, a hoineu instiument case in the othei hanu, anu an oveiloaueu
messengei bag slung acioss his shouluei, to awkwaiuly maneuvei the metal tuinstile
guaiuing the entiance to the libiaiy. Bis boyish face anu cleai blue eyes pioject the nave
optimism often associateu with youth. Baviu, uiesseu in fitteu blue jeans anu a giey hooueu
tiack-jacket, exemplifies the causal tiappings populai with the majoiity of male stuuents at
the school. Bis squaiely positioneu eight-panel hat, pieceu togethei with swatches of tweeu
suiting fabiic, fuithei typifies a fashion accessoiy auopteu by the school's many music


stuuents. 0ften at the school's public conceits, the young musicians peifoiming on stage
aie clau in a vaiiety of feuoias hats, flat caps, anu toques, staikly uenoting the absence of
tiauitional peifoimance attiie.
Baviu uesciibes the school as a place with a "vibiant atmospheie anu people that
aie ieally fiienuly." Be aumiies the willingness of teacheis to "woik with you, they'll ieally
explain things to you . they'll explain why you neeu to leain something, anu how you can
use it latei in life . insteau of just saying uo this, anu get these maiks." Baviu believes his
involvement with the Cheiiyhill aits piogiam has pioviueu the oppoitunity to cultivate a
"passion" foi his musical piactice, anu has piopelleu him to engage in vaiious aits
commitments, both within anu beyonu the school. Bowevei, he also expiesses the
challenge of tiying to balance commitments in the aits, school assignments anu
extiacuiiiculai activities:
lL's really hard Lo balance Lhe arLs wlLh dolng well ln academlcs, and l don'L know, l klnd of
balance lL preLLy well, buL ofLen Llmes, Lwo or Lhree Llmes a week, l'll be comlng home aL Len
o'clock 'cause l have a pracLlce . l have Lo go Lo anoLher pracLlce, and Lhen l have Lo geL my
homework done for Lhe nexL day. So l don'L sleep a loL, LhaL's klnda whaL suffers . l don'L know,
lL's odd balanclng academlcs wlLh arLs.
Faculty membeis at Cheiiyhill vaiyingly iesponu to stuuents' peiceiveu stiuggles to
balance theii aits anu non-aits commitments. Stella Wainei, a teachei at the school, knows
the expeiience of an aits high school stuuent fiist hanu. With stiikingly piecise uiction she
voices empathy foi stuuents stiiving to accomplish the balancing act. Ns. Wainei vibiantly
uiaws on hei past aits stuuies to offei notes of suppoit to hei stuuents. "I know what it was
like to go thiough all of those shows, anu be involveu outsiue of school in things, anu tiying
to achieve . that balance in youi life . I unueistanu the stiesses oi . how gieat |itj feels,
because that's how I felt when I woulu finish a show."
Bei intonation tuins solemn as she offeis a counteipoint on the stuuent expeiience
at Cheiiyhill suggesting, "heie I believe that theie is a balance, but also sometimes it gets a
little out of contiol, anu it is haiu to get the kius to unueistanu that balance, especially
when a lot of piessuies aie being put on them with the giaues, with theii aits." In an effoit
to awaken stuuents to the ieality of life ciicumstances she auvises, "yes, you have this to uo,
yes, you have that peifoimance, but you've got to leain how to piioiitize, anu piioiitizing
uoesn't mean youi acauemics come fiist, it means scheuule youiself, leain how to uo that."
Ns. Wainei's wisuom iesonates with Simone Kantai, a junioi stuuent, whose seiene
anu ielaxeu uemeanoi is untioubleu by the animateu suiiounuing of the libiaiy. The loose
ponytail casually holuing back hei long chestnut locks miiiois the laiu back piesence she
iauiates. Black tights anu fitteu jeisey pullovei compliment the lean physique she has spent
countless houis toning, thiough a ueuicateu uance piactice. Simone believes, "it just
uisciplines you.you just leain to manage youi time, anu you leain to wake up on time, anu
be eveiywheie, anu be involveu, anu go to class, anu actually have to pay attention."
The moining is getting off to a slow stait in Robeit uiayuon's ait class, with only he
anu two of his female stuuents in attenuance seveial minutes aftei fiist peiiou has officially
commenceu. As stuuents casually staggei into the classioom, Ni. uiayuon in goou-humoi

wains them, "I'll give you a giace uay foi being late because of the snowy weathei
conuitions," even though attenuance issues in the class have become a ioutine piactice.
Wintei weathei conuitions asiue, on occasion both teacheis anu stuuents have expiesseu
conceins with the image of an "aitist" as "slow moving" anu "lax," which peimeates
thioughout segments of the stuuent bouy. Ni. uiayuon suggests he often ieminus his
stuuents that becoming an aitist is a piocess that involves a lot of "woiking long, anu haiu"
thiough seveial yeais of ueuicateu piactice. 0nce the majoiity of the class aiiives, stuuents
piepaie to piesent theii woik foi ciitique. Ni. uiayuon giounus the ciitique in questions
that engage the stuuents in a uiscussion of theii piocess, thematic exploiations, aitistic
uecisions, inspiiations, anu iefeiences to ait theoiy anu piactice.
As an aitist with an active piofessional piactice beyonu the classioom, Ni. uiayuon
iecognizes the uifficulty of tiying to achieve a balance between the long houis he ueuicates
to his teaching piactice, anu the time intensive iequiiements of cieating anu publicly
exhibiting his aitwoik. Ni. uiayuon iefeis to it as, "pait anu paicel of the challenge of
balancing school, anu things that aie outsiue of school.at this point, I think, I uo pioviue a
iealistic example foi stuuents of what a piacticing aitist looks like."
Fellow teachei Ellie Banks has also wiestleu with the uemanus of negotiating hei
ueuication to both a teaching anu active aits piactice. As she claiifies, "my uays aie long
because I woik extia with kius, I'm with them heie aftei school many nights a week, in the
moining, anu at lunch so it's uifficult." Ns. Banks' fiim commitment seems to be giounueu
in hei belief that "ieally ait is about the human being, anu what we have to say insiue, so
we'ie ieaching kius thiough the aits, anu that is satisfying but it is haiu to uo." Thioughout
hei time at the school, she all too cleaily unueistanus the toll of such uemanuing woik as
she conceues, "I know why people get buint out uoing that because it's haiu, it's haiu on
youi soul, it's haiu on youi spiiit, it's haiu physically, anu emotionally."
In the opposite wing of the school builuing, which houses the "non-aits" classiooms,
teachei Siuney Pioctoi eneigetically connects supeiheioes, movie iefeiences, anu an
animateu film into the uay's lesson. Stuuents thoioughly enjoy the viueo, laughing out louu
in unison in all the appiopiiate places, as though on cue. Thioughout the lesson the
teachei's soothing voice spoiauically inseits humoious, but ielevant anecuotes, which elicit
affectionate giins anu chuckles fiom stuuents.
Flashing a waim smile Syuney Pioctoi playfully pionounces, "be piepaieu to be
aweu." A male stuuent, with stiaight chin-length biown haii anu a meticulously manicuieu
goatee, who fiom his seat in the seconu iow has continuously maintaineu a concentiateu
gaze on his teachei, now enthusiastically exclaims, "I have been waiting foi this!" The
teachei's stiiking eyes light up, as a populai cultuie iefeience is once again uiawn upon to
weave a tale of how "Benise the Nenace's Physics Nom" instinctively calculates the
accuiate mass, anu numbei of toy blocks containeu in a box. This oiation is met by a joyous
outbuist of laughtei as stuuents keenly attenu to the lightheaiteu tale.
Peiiouic uistiactions suiface thioughout the sequence of the lesson. Foi instance,
one of the male stuuents in the class feels compelleu to uisclose to a classmate, "uuue my
Nom cleaneu my ioom anu now I can't finu anything." Each time, Syuney Pioctoi easily
gets the class back on tiack with a seiene "ssssh," which washes a sense of calm ovei the


class, anu effectively silences the amiable uisiuptions. As the bell sounus to uenote the enu
of the peiiou, Ni. Pioctoi ieminus stuuents to stait stuuying foi theii impenuing test anu
that he will be available both befoie anu aftei school to assist them.
Faculty at Cheiiyhill also point to the complexity anu challenge of stiiving to
maintain the "non-aits" piogiams within a specializeu aits context. Teacheis inuicate
achieving this balance is uifficult because the majoiity of the stuuents aie attiacteu to the
specializeu aits focus of the school, anu not the "non-aits" couises. Spencei Baiiu, a teachei
at the school, is foithiight in the obseivation that:
l Lhlnk Lhe problem ls maklng sure LhaL enough focus ls pald Lo Lhe academlc courses, especlally
maLh and sclence 'cause leL's be honesL, LhaL's noL whaL Lhe klds are lnLeresLed ln, buL l Lhlnk lL's
lmporLanL Lo malnLaln, a level LhaL's approprlaLe, based on Lhe facL LhaL we are offerlng Lhe same
academlc courses as any oLher hlgh school.
With a fuiioweu biow anu intensifieu tone of voice Spencei conveys the belief that,
"no, I uon't think it's balanceu . oveiall school activities anu uecision making uoes slant
towaiu the aits." While this teachei iealizes these conuitions aie to be expecteu given the
specializeu context of the school's piogiam heshe uoes not allow this appieciation to
uiminish the concein unuei uiscussion. Spencei caiingly communicates, "I unueistanu that
it is a school of the aits, but I ieally think some moie attention neeus to be paiu to
acauemics, anu ieally the impoitance of acauemic subjects, in teaching stuuents the skills
they neeu to succeeu in aits, such as a woik ethic anu oiganization".

E!&(),H2&>(+.I# #JC#&.#)1#,F
With classes in session the conspicuously empty anu quiet hallways accentuate the
physical stiuctuie of Cheiiyhill Bigh School foi the Aits. While the builuing has unueigone
ienovations, iemnants of its vocational school histoiy aie inteispeiseu thioughout the
vaiious ietiofitteu spaces, which now accommouate the specializeu aits piogiam. The
palpable scent of pubescent peispiiation that lingeis in the aii announces the piesence of
the conveiteu fitness centie long befoie ieaching the actual entiance. A notable staleness
uominates the coiiiuoi, while the inuustiial coiiugateu metal ceilings anu piotiuuing
ventilation haiuwaie echo tiaces of the space's pievious incaination as a uiy cleaning
woikshop.
Piincipal Coleman auopts a ielaxeu postuie as he iests his aims atop the suppoits of
his office chaii anu stietches out his legs. Be iecounts the giauual tiansfoimation of the
physical space of the school fiom a vocational piogiam "full of auto-shops, small engine
shops, uiy cleaning shops, hospitality aieas, anu woouwoiking, fiaming places," to a
stiuctuie that now houses "uiama stuuios," "a beautiful ait aiea," anu an "upgiaueu
auuitoiium with impioveu lighting, anu sounu," to suppoit the specializeu aits focus of
Cheiiyhill. Biawing on his numeious yeais of seivice, he explains that his eaily yeais with
the school weie "veiy challenging" as the ieputation of the vocational school was in a state
of uecline.

Bis voice intensifies as he iecollects a motivating factoi behinu his lobbying foi a
specializeu aits high school stemmeu fiom his belief that "the city shoulu have an aits
school in the city, not just in the subuibs." Be also quickly acknowleuges the ciucial
suppoit of the school's enthusiastic paients in the ultimate establishment of a specializeu
aits piogiam. Piincipal Coleman appieciatively iecalls the suppoit of a small gioup of "veiy
ueuicateu" paients who helpeu him put togethei the mouel foi the aits school.
Bowevei, plans to tiansfoim the piogiammatic stiuctuie of the school into a
specializeu aits high school weie met with some initial iesistance by the Bistiict Boaiu. In
his view, the Boaiu's opposition "may have been influenceu by the fact that |the foui aits
schools in the Boaiuj auuition theii stuuents anu select them veiy caiefully. anu they
catei to a faiily well off community that has been able to pioviue piivate lesson suppoit foi
theii sons oi uaughteis." In his view, a vestige of the school's foimei incaination has been
ietaineu with Cheiiyhill's "inclusive philosophy." Be notes,
whaL we have hung onLo, from Lhe de-sLreamed phllosophy, whlch was here from Lhe beglnnlng,
ls our aLLempL Lo be lncluslve. So, of Lhe four arLs programs ln Lhe ulsLrlcL School 8oard, we are
Lhe only one LhaL does noL audlLlon, and we do LhaL expllclLly, so LhaL we don'L exclude klds LhaL
don'L have a prlvlleged background, haven'L had prlvaLe lessons.
As Piincipal Coleman's ieminiscence winus to a close, his unfailingly composeu
uemeanoi anu steauy tone of voice, cannot mask the piiue that infuses his iecounting of the
"leap of faith" taken to cieate Cheiiyhill Bigh School foi the Aits. Peihaps iealizing that no
oial histoiy woulu be complete without a nou to the "iisks" encounteieu along any
ciicuitous path, he points to the "cost" anu "iisk" associateu with tiansfoiming a school's
cultuie. Bis auministiative pioclivity emeiges as he ielays how the "initial intake" of
stuuents "that came foi the |aitsj package.went uown" anu fuithei asseits, "it was a iisk
we hau to take to begin to get a cleai gioup, who weie heie foi the aits."
Piincipal Coleman notes that ovei the couise of seveial yeais, as the aits piogiam
establisheu a ieputation, "we uiu begin to attiact some moie stuuents . anu then we hau
just |toj giow the population. So now we aie ovei one thousanu." As the foimation of the
school's specializeu aits stiuctuie began to take shape the cultuie of the school was fuithei
tiansfoimeu by the influx of stuuents anu teacheis attiacteu to the aits focus. The shift in
piogiammatic vision initiateu a change in the school climate anu the composition of the
stuuent bouy.
Layla Bavis, a giaue nine stuuent, speaks with confiuence as she chaiacteiizes the
school, "a ieally goou enviionment foi kius who aie um, like, uiffeient fiom a lot of people
eithei in the way they uiess oi theii sexuality . like Cheiiyhill, like, people like accept, aie
moie accepting of, like anything." Aftei a biief pause she auus, "although a lot of people,
when they come to oui school, they'ie like 'theie's no black kius heie' which when you look
aiounu it's almost tiue, theie's like eighty peicent white giils. So it's ouu that way."
Seateu at one of the ciiculai tables in the libiaiy, she fiimly plants hei feet on the
flooi anu leans foiwaiu to iest hei elbows on the veneei suiface to ponuei the composition
of the stuuent bouy at Cheiiyhill. She iecalls the uesciiption that a now ietiieu teachei
shaieu with hei about the school piioi to the aits piogiam, "befoie it was an aits high
school theie weie a lot moie, um, black kius anu like Inuian kius anu, um, just a lot moie


ethnicities in the school. But then, when it changeu into an ait school, I uon't know, it
attiacteu moie kinu of uppei class, white kius."
Layla pauses fiequently as she attempts to aiticulate hei thoughts on the
uemogiaphics of the stuuent population at Cheiiyhill. With some hesitation she explains,
l don'L know, l'm noL really sure, buL l'm guesslng LhaL lL's probably [usL because um, [pause]
yeah probably [usL because once lL became an arL school lL aLLracLed, or lL appealed Lo more um,
more klds furLher away and, llke, 'cause down, down here used Lo be, llke, Lhere used Lo be, llke,
a large black communlLy. um, and now lL's more, llke, Lhe arLs, um, has a, Lhe arLs programs um,
have appealed Lo, llke, klds all around Lhe clLy.
}unioi Aiuen Phaii has only been at the school foi a shoit time, yet hei lowei lip
pieicing anu inuigo beiet woin slightly askew signal hei awaieness of the stylistic piactices
typical of Cheiiyhill. Aiuen notes the unique genuei uynamic that seems to have
manifesteu alongsiue the establishment of the school's aits focus. With a chuckle she
comments, "the guy to giil iatio is ieally uneven. It's, like, thiee giils to a guy, oi something
like that." As a consequence she wonueis if the school is "moie intimiuating foi giils, 'cause
they'ie so many of them." While she suggests this "uoesn't ieally make a huge impact," she
ieiteiates "it's kinu of weiiu just like seeing all these giils, anu just, like, so few guys."
Piincipal Coleman also acknowleuges that the composition of teacheis changeu as
the school sheu its vocational function to embouy a specializeu aits mouel. The piocess of
secuiing teacheis to paiticipate in the cieation of the specializeu aits mouel was cultivateu
ovei time. Be aumits the challenge of ieciuiting teacheis "while fiustiating, has also been
veiy healthy because it's the people that aie heie, built what's heie anu so, have a ueep
commitment to it." Be piouuly acknowleuges, "they woik haiu . non-stop peifoimance .
wonueiful eneigy" anu accentuates "theie aie high expectations foi the kius in all the
aieas, not just the aits . we aien't piepaiing aitists, but some will go that ioute, but along
with those high expectations."
The shift in the school's piogiammatic vision also attiacteu teacheis with aits
expeitise anu a stiong commitment to the aits. Piincipal Coleman emphasizes that many
teacheis "aie in theii own iight piacticing, eithei uanceis, choieogiapheis, aitists, that
biings a uiffeient peispective." Foi Bon Coleman, the commitment of aits teacheis to both
theii teaching anu theii woik as aitists, has been impoitant "because the expectations of
both kius anu paients heie, is that they'ie getting something extia."
Aits teachei Ellie Baines, ietieats to hei naiiow office situateu along the wiue
hallway leauing to the open stuuio space, in the hopes of stealing a few moments at the enu
of the school uay to attenu to the auministiative aspects of hei woik. As she wiaps up
aiiangements foi an upcoming event at the school, fiagments of hei telephone
conveisation tiickle out of the ciampeu office, teeming with files anu viueo- tapes. Aftei
completing hei telephone task, she shifts focus to consiuei the expeiience of teaching at
Cheiiyhill.
She conveys a uefinite sense of confiuence when speaking anu ieflecting on this
topic. Ns Baines aumits, "it's been haiu," iefeiiing to hei many yeais of passionate
commitment to aits teaching, but in the same bieath astutely claiifies, "I've seen lives

tiansfoimeu thiough the aits, anu thiough the haiu woik that we uo with these kius." Fiom
hei peispective, aits teaching is intensely implicateu in stuuents' tiansfoimative
expeiiences "because they think that somebouy caies about them, they know that
somebouy caies about them, anu somebouy caies about oui woilu, anu somebouy caies
about the ait foim, anu teaches them iespect foi the woilu, anu themselves, thiough the ait
foim." She self-assuieuly ieiteiates, "I have seen lives tiansfoimeu in fiont of my eyes," as
though affiiming hei aiuent commitment to aits teaching at Cheiiyhill.
Ns. Baines suggests that stuuents' tiansfoimative expeiiences aie in pait uue to the
fact that "they'ie leaining about, the lifestyle, the cultuie, it touches them in a uiffeient way,
all the piouuctions they uo, it's haiu once it gets in youi bloou." The peifoimative
uimension of the aits piogiam seems to play a vital iole in the stuuents' tiansfoimative
jouineys. Ellie attempts to illustiate hei conjectuies by uiawing on a iecent example. "We
just uiu oui |peifoimancej woikshop anu they'ie uefinitely aitists, they have something to
say . they hau theii own inuiviuual voice .. it's a jouiney."
Teachei Katheiine Fletchei echoes similai sentiments. She iefeis to the witnessing a
foimei stuuent's "tiansfoimation," eliciteu by his paiticipation in an aits piouuction, as one
of hei "most memoiable moments" at the school. Katheiine explains, "the stuuent . was a
kiu that was pietty isolateu, he just ieally got along with auults, when he fiist came." She
fuithei uesciibes the challenge he faceu as a "a peison of, um, mixeu cultuie anu coloui, in
an institution that, wasn't as multicultuial as some othei schools |in the cityj aie," but " that
|piouuctionj tiansfoimeu him." With a smile she waimly iecalls the awaiu bestoweu upon
the stuuent by the school community in acknowleugment of this "tiansfoimative"
expeiience. As Katheiine iecounts,
he ended up wlLh, we have someLhlng LhaL Lhe parenLs' creaLed called Lhe Coleman Awards for
sLudenLs who's llves have been changed Lhrough Lhe arLs over Lhe four years LhaL Lhey have been
here, . and over LhaL Llme lL was LhaL [producLlon], even Lhough he was a good acLor always,
and he always goL roles, buL lL was Lhere LhaL he found hls frlends, and hls way of klnd of pulllng
people LogeLher.
Senioi stuuent Neg Robeitson cieuits hei peisonal anu aitistic evolution to the
nuituiing enviionment at Cheiiyhill. As Neg enteis one of the visual aits stuuios, hei high
iubbei iain boots embellisheu with white polka uots hint to a whimsical uisposition. Bei
cleai blue eyes bioauen as she ieflects upon hei time at Cheiiyhill. "I think, it's moie, how
fai I've come since giaue nine." Neg explains, "it's moie how much I've giown with visual
ait . now it's like, I'm just uoing eveiything, giaphic uesigning, anu fashion, anu visual, anu
I love it." She pauses to assess the many facets of hei aitistic jouiney anu giowth. With a
giacious smile Neg confiues, "I guess they make it, like, feel totally safe. This is my safety
net. Like, I come heie anu it's just . like, I leave my issues at the uooi. I think eveiyone else
uoes too."
Neg pulls fiom hei eaily yeais at Cheiiyhill to shaie a tiansfoimative auolescent
expeiience, "when I fiist came in giaue nine, I useu to be, like, a ieal gangstei kiu, anu theie
was a lot of ieally, like, gangstei kius aiounu, anu that's when the fighting woulu go on, but
they left the next yeai, giaue ten, anu I stayeu, anu I kinua giew out of it." She has obseiveu
similai patteins of change in the succeeuing cohoits of giaue nine stuuents, anu cieuits the
conveision to the laiuback, suppoitive community establisheu at Cheiiyhill. Neg notes,


so many klds change. Llke, klds LhaL come LhaL are, llke, gangsLer become, llke, all earLhy and
hlpple, and llke, um, people [usL LoLally change, llke, anyone who l see Lhe flrsL day of grade nlne,
and Lhey're all, llke, done up really well, wlLh llke, Lons of makeup, and heels. l'm llke, Lhey're noL
gonna be llke LhaL nexL year, flrsL day. no, noL a chance, llke, everyone [usL LoLally geLs more lald
back, and people [usL come Lo school ln runnlng shoes, and raln booLs, and um, you know.
Senioi stuuent ueoigia Ruuu sits at one of the oveisizeu tables in the visual aits
stuuio. A mass of coloieu pencils aie stiewn besiue hei, as she sketches a comic book
inspiieu female chaiactei with shoit spiky puiple anu blue haii. Seveial othei stylizeu
female figuies aie sketcheu lightly in pencil besiue the piotagonist.
While speaking about hei expeiience at the school, she peisistently plays with hei
laige stai shapeu uiop-eaiiings, causing them to glittei in the ieflecteu light. ueoigia
uiscloses, "Cheiiyhill has uone, like, wonueis foi me. Since I've been heie I'm a completely
uiffeient peison than I was at my othei schools." She elaboiates, "I feel, like, a lot moie
secuie, anu like, I have a healthiei lifestyle. Anu um, I'm, I, woik haiuei because I'm
enjoying what I'm uoing." ueoigia is quite stiiking in appeaiance, with an intense gaze that
is accentuateu by the application of smoky eye shauow. She exuues a self-assuieu, but
unpietentious aii. She fuithei piofesses, "Cheiiyhill, helpeu me become, like, a bettei
peison on a bunch of uiffeient levels, like, acauemically, aitistically uefinitely. Anu I uunno,
like, inteipeisonally, anu like, just peisonally."
ueoigia expels a uiamatic sigh, befoie pioceeuing to the highlight the contiibutions
of the teacheis at Cheiiyhill, to hei uevelopment as an aitist. She explains that, "the
teaching methou is uiffeient. Beie we get to come up with oui own assignments a lot of the
time, which is ieally goou because you can exploie what you'ie inteiesteu in." ueoigia
suggests the flexibility affoiueu to stuuents miiiois the expeiience of an aitist. "I mean as
an aitist that's what you'ie uoing. You'ie not, you'ie, like, auuing onto something, anu you
neeu to leain about that, anu they teach you that, but it also helps you to, like, uevelop youi
peisonal cieative siue."

-()/ 2) +2 ?2D& "(+K
0utsiue the stuiuy woouen auuitoiium uoois, paient volunteeis aie stationeu
behinu long iectangulai tables uiligently selling concessions. The inuustiious ventuies of
the Paients' Aits Committee simultaneously satiate the attenuees of the evening's featuieu
peifoimance, while iaising funus foi the school's aits piogiams. The suiface of the
concession table is lineu with a slew of chocolate bais, gummy canuies, bags of potatoes
chips, anu cans of fizzy soua, tempting spectatois to inuulge in a sweet fix. A lone basket of
shiny ieu apples stanus conspicuously out of place alongsiue the moie uelectably
sacchaiine tieats. The auuition of this healthy alteinative uoes little to sway puichaseis, as
potato chips holu the ieign as the top-sellei of the evening. The paient volunteeis
congeniality anu theii shaieu knowleuge of the school cultuie is eviuent as they exciteuly
iefeience teacheis by fiist name anu stuuents' accoiuing to theii aiea of aitistic expeitise.

The alluiing melouies of the peifoimance seep thiough the ciacks of the auuitoiium
uoois inviting those waiting outsiue foi a chance to entei. A gioup of auolescent males,
spoiting black anu giey feuoia hats, stanu by the uoois anxiously awaiting theii chance to
see the Cheiiyhill }azz anu R&B stuuent conceit insiue the auuitoiium. 0ne of them uances
fienetically on the spot anticipating the jovial atmospheie insiue the auuitoiium. When the
suuuen eiuption of applause signals a pause in the peifoimance, the weighty uoois open,
anu the boisteious gioup of auolescents iush thiough the uoois anu uisappeai into the
uaikeneu auuitoiium.
The auuitoiium is filleu to capacity with an auuience of suppoitive paients, young
siblings, anu stuuent peeis caiingly cheeiing on the Cheiiyhill musicians. An eneigetic
touulei, peihaps one of the evening's youngest fans, happily sings anu sways in the aisle. As
a glaiing spotlight pans the ciowu, notable stylistic tiappings such as thick boluly colouieu
eyeglass fiames, supple leathei jackets, chic angulai haiicuts, anu fastiuiously tiimmeu
goatees, seem ubiquitous among the paients in the auuience.
The stuuent oichestia assembles amiust welcoming claps anu joyful ioais of
anticipation. The young musicians aie casually uiesseu in a mix of jeans, t-shiits, iunning
shoes, tights, anu 0uuS boots, staikly uenoting the absence of any foimal peifoimance
attiie. Each membei of the oichestia is also weaiing a uistinctive hat, the unofficial yet
inuispensable tiauemaik of most stuuent musicians at Cheiiyhill. This expansive collection
of toques, baseball caps, feuoias, beiets, anu eight-panel caps aie piominently
foiegiounueu as spotlights illuminate each musician.
The Cheiiyhill Senioi }azz Combo, compiiseu of five male stuuents anu one female
stuuent, ascenu to the centie of the stage with instiuments in hanu. Some of the male
membeis of the senioi jazz combo aie ueckeu out in coloiful ienuitions of the 'zoot suits'
woin by the jazz musicians of the 19Su's. The membeis of the jazz combo confiuently
engage in a lively inteipietation of the Coltiane classic 73( O(>. Ensemble membei Baviu
Izzaiu stanus out in his canaiy yellow zoot suit, as he ihythmically motions back anu foith
in time with his saxophone. Baviu's enthusiastic peifoimance biings to life his
stiaightfoiwaiu synopsis of the peifoimance expeiience, "theie aie long houis anu
piactices, but when it finally happens it's just ieally gieat."
The enthusiastic anu fiantic applause of the auuience communicate an elation that
motivates the musicians to intensely inuulge in theii peifoimance. A young auuience
paiticipant, a uiminutive giil no moie than five yeais olu, appeais to be tiansfixeu by each
melouic note. Bei stiaight black haii flows fieely with the peipetual nouuing of hei heau,
anu hei aims wave exciteuly as she imitates the beating a uium.
Ciowus of fellow Cheiiyhill stuuents sing along anu sway to the cauenceu sounus
pioffeieu by theii peeis on stage. This faithful uemonstiation of suppoit is in keeping with
the woius of senioi aits stuuent Neg Robeitson, who attiibuteu the "ieally easy going"
atmospheie of Cheiiyhill to both the ieality that "people aie stuuying what they wanna
stuuy, like, music, ait, vocal," anu the suppoitive encouiagement offeieu foi such aitistic
exploiations. Neg eainestly suimises, "people aie happy, anu you know, we go to theii
shows, like, music anu uance shows, anu we totally suppoit oui fiienus, anu it's ieally fun."


Nany auministiatois anu teacheis have iefeiieu to such peifoimances as an
oppoitunity to beai witness to "stuuents' passion foi the aits." Stella Wainei, teachei anu
aits enthusiast, noteu that a successful stuuent at Cheiiyhill is "one who giauuates with a
well iounueu expeiience." Bei hope is that stuuents "will leain how to biing the aits to any
aspect of theii life because" in hei view "it's the most puie anu honest way of expiessing
youiself."
Seveial stuuents view peifoimances as the culmination of numeious houis spent
piacticing anu ieheaising in piepaiation foi an "occasion to shaie theii woik," anu
expeiience the exhilaiation of a "peifoimance high." A lanky male stuuent who has
appeaieu as a key figuie in a numbei of the musical pieces takes to the stage once again.
Bis mass of fiizzy haii anu oveisizeu sunglasses eclipse all othei peisonal featuies. Be
appeais to be channeling a young Bob Bylan, with each calculateu nasally squawk, anu fits
of uelibeiate postuiing. A young chanteuse joins him on stage. The uuet engages in a
ienuition of PE0% 5CK0 >C-0< ,C QCD%( The young female songstiess impeisonates the
soulful, seuuctive, anu poweiful vocals of R&B legenus such as Koko Tayloi anu Etta }ames.
As the evening of musical enteitainment uiaws to a close the oichestia
enthusiastically initiates theii own encoie, which the auuience pleasingly obliges. The
peifoimance is concluueu with a fluiiy of shiieks of uelight, applause, anu cheeis of
iecognition.


Martelli Collegiate

A Community of Diversity:
Diverse Pathways to Success, Diverse Conceptions
of the Arts, and a Diversity of Challenges

Elena VanderDussen

In the hour-long bus ride fiom the bustling city centie towaius the east
enu, the city appeais to ueciease in height while spiawling out in bieauth. Skysciapeis aie
tiaueu foi stiip malls, paiking incieases in abunuance, anu iows of bungalows weave away
fiom the main inteisections. Stuuents floou the NcBonalu's on the west coinei of
Biookview Stieet anu Spinnei Avenue East, giabbing bieakfast sanuwiches anu hash
biowns on theii way to school. They uon't have to ventuie much faithei along the busy
Spinnei Avenue to ieach the Naitelli Nall next uooi, home to a Staibucks, Wenuy's, anu
othei chain iestauiants anu stoies. Beauing south along the quietei Biookview Stieet with
bieakfasts in hanu, the stuuents pass the Naitelli Nanoi coopeiative housing apaitments
anu a small plaza that caiiies moie family names than coipoiate bianu names incluuing a
small Afghani kebab iestauiant, a take-out pizzeiia, anu a convenience stoie. Smells of
giease fiom the iestauiants mingle with the exhaust fiom Spinnei Avenue's heavy tiaffic to
cieate a thick haze. The siuewalk iises up to ciest a small hill, at the top of which the teens
look uown at Naitelli Collegiate Institute's massive stiuctuie iising out of the hillsiue, its
wings spieauing in all uiiections. Behinu Naitelli Collegiate spieaus the spacious Rawuon
Paik, a quiet gieen space secluueu by tiees that maiks the tiansition fiom the congesteu
apaitment builuings off Spinnei to quiet subuiban single uetacheu housing fuithei south.
Naitelli Collegiate finus itself nestleu in the centie of these thiee boiuei zones.
The stuuents tiickle uown the path to the ciiculai uiiveway that leaus to the
school's entiance. With heavy book bags slung low on theii backs, they weai thick pauueu
vests anu bombei jackets which they pull tightly aiounu them to waiu off the ciisp fall chill
as they make theii way unuei the massive oveihang to the fiont entiance. Passing unuei
the gaze of the secuiity cameias, the stuuents push thiough the mesh-winuoweu uouble
uoois to the fiont foyei. The uistiict school boaiu-issueu signs on the main uoois ieau:
"Please begin youi visit at the office."
The light uoesn't change much fiom the clouuy giey outuoois to the inuooi entiy,
wheie humming fluoiescent bulbs cast a gieenish glow two stoiies above the flooi. The
foyei seems somewhat vacuous with no fuinituie othei than a couple of benches pusheu
up against the wall. The squeaks of uamp iunning shoes making contact with the smooth
tileu floois echo thiough the space as stuuents pass thiough quickly en ioute to theii

classiooms anu lockeis, occasionally pausing to gieet fiienus with a high-five oi a hug. A
faint smell of chloiine uiifts uown the coiiiuoi fiom the 0lympic-sizeu pool that
complements Naitelli's ieputeu athletics piogiam.
Coiiiuois leau in uiveiging uiiections on uiagonals anu in stiaight lines, sometimes
leauing up staiiwells anu iamps. Retiieu police officei }eiiy uale is not fazeu by the
complexity of Naitelli's immense layout as he casually patiols the hallways, sometimes
seeming to be eveiywheie at once as he plays his iole as the eyes anu eais of the school.
Biesseu plainly in blue jeans anu a giey sweatei, with a walky-talky hanging off of his belt,
he weais no cleai maikei of his iole in the school. }eiiy is pait of the "Safe Schools"
initiative fiom the school boaiu, anu speaks about Naitelli with almost pateinal caie foi
the stuuents who he finus show him a lot of iespect. Be explains that even though Naitelli
is "in a bau aiea," it is a goou school, especially in compaiison to some of the othei schools
he ciiculates. 0thei than occasionally inteivening in a minoi aigument among stuuents, he
has seen few pioblems.
The coiiiuoi walls leauing towaius the main office aie lineu with photos of alumni
anu staff, extenuing back into the 196us. The class of 198S photo looks like an Ameiican
high school movie fiom that time, with lots of giils with bleacheu fiizzy haii pileu high, anu
pait-in-the-miuule haiieu boys. Class of 2uu1 shows a lot moie uaik faces, hijabs anu
caiveu haiilines. Less uiamatic change can be seen among the teacheis' poitiaits, anu
many of the same faces can be seen smiling thiough theii giauual changes ovei seveial
uecaues as staff membeis at Naitelli.
The small main office is bustling with activity as a young ieceptionist communicates
with people both in peison anu on the phone. In ielation to the size of the school, the
waiting aiea of the office is small, leaving ioom foi only a naiiow woouen bench foi
stuuents to wait theii tuin to speak to the ieceptionist oi ieceive theii late slips. Theie is
little on the walls by way of uecoiation, with the exception of a sign on the bulletin boaiu
that ieaus: "What people with self contiol uo" above a list of ways to ueal with stiess,
angei, anu fiustiation.
A stuuent behinu the countei begins the moining announcements, signaling the enu
of fiist peiiou. Be ieaus fiom a sciipt, infoiming stuuents of the upcoming stuuent
leaueiship meeting, stuuent anti-violence committee, newspapei committee, anu choii
ieheaisal. Staff anu stuuents move in anu out of the office in a steauy stieam of
communication with one anothei that is at once biusque anu efficient. A tall, lanky senioi
stuuent biings in the attenuance. Like the othei staff anu stuuents at Naitelli, his IB bauge
is visible hanging fiom a lanyaiu aiounu his neck. As he looms ovei the countei to pass the
attenuance to the ieceptionist, his awkwaiu movements suggest that he is just getting useu
to the iesults of a giowth spuit that fit him into an unfamiliai size. Bis seiious anu focuseu
expiession ielaxes into a smile as he hanus the attenuance sheet to the ieceptionist befoie
heauing quickly back to class to stait his aciylic painting assignment.
The stuuent ietuins back to his classioom to join the steauy buzz of activity as he
anu his classmates woik inuepenuently on theii assignments, occasionally woiking one-on-
one with theii teachei Bill Bouglas as he stiolls aiounu the ioom. A veteian teachei with a
tiaues backgiounu in the aits, Ni. Bouglas has a piofounu iespect foi the uiveise ways that


the aits can eniich one's life. Be has vision of the aits as pioviuing a gateway to many
uiffeient futuie paths foi stuuents to use theii talents to finu fulfilling caieeis: "We've seen
kius tuin aiounu because of ait," he explains. Be tells the stoiy of a stuuent who hau
uioppeu out of high school only to finu his way back by taking ait classes. As the stuuent
uevelopeu his talents, he eventually gaineu the couiage to enioll back into a full couise loau
in oiuei to giauuate. veiy few of even the most well-known aitists weie evei appieciateu
in theii lifetimes, he ieminus his stuuents, anu most uiu not make much of a living thiough
ait alone. Ni. Bouglas is convinceu that as stuuents uevelop theii aitistic gifts, they will
finu piactical ways to finu aitistic niches in tiaue anu commeice, ieminuing them that "ait"
is not a single pathway, but that ait is a pait of eveiything anu eveiy inuustiy.
In a ciowueu office at the back of the music ioom, Susan Li sits at hei uesk. She
uesciibes the many aits piogiams at Naitelli as cateiing to a vaiiety of uiffeient
conceptions of what an "aitist" might iepiesent. She heiself teaches uiama, music, anu
uance, anu mentions that Naitelli is the only school in the aiea with a full functioning
piofessional theatie space. She speaks with excitement about the new Enteitainment
Technology piogiam, which hau its fiist giauuates last yeai, anu enjoys the facilities of a
newly-ienovateu television stuuio. In all of hei enthusiasm foi the many piogiams that
shape young aitists anu technicians, she is piouu of hei "fieice" stuuents. These stuuents
take on the bulk of the woik to uiive the piogiams foiwaiu, as moie anu moie technical
staff positions have been eliminateu by the school boaiu.
Naitelli's ieputation of being in "a bau aiea" is one that staff anu stuuents uo not
ignoie, but neithei uo they accept. As a membei of the suppoit staff, Nis. Eiin Engel
uisagiees with any iumouis that the school is not safe: "Naitelli has hau a ieputation -
because inciuents have happeneu in this aiea - of being an unsafe school. Well, in oiuei to
combat that we hau cameias put all aiounu the school. We weai lanyaius." Awaie of the
many uangeis that teenageis face thioughout theii high school yeais, Nis. Engel sees that
young people face fai moie than challenges of physical uangei when it comes to theii lives:
"so it is a safe place, it's a place wheie . a peison's chilu can come, they can finu a vaiiety of
couises, they can finu teacheis that caie about them, anu they can uevelop into the
inuiviuuals they want to be." Nis. Engel uoes acknowleuge that the school community
faces a vaiiety of unique challenges, being in an aiea of the city with ielatively lowei
income anu highei numbeis of families that aie new to Canaua. She is convinceu, howevei,
that Naitelli is a community piepaieu to face challenges anu cieate oppoitunities foi its
uiveise stuuent population.
The uiveise pathways of success that Naitelli Collegiate offeis, the uiveise
conceptions of the aits, anu the uiveisity of challenges that the Naitelli school community
giapples with chaiacteiize Naitelli Collegiate Institute as a uynamic, living, leaining
enviionment, anu thus oiganize this iepoit. A high uegiee of commitment fiom stuuents,
teacheis, anu auministiatois goes beyonu geneial expectations as they caiiy out theii woik
with passion anu commitment to biing these themes to life. The contiast of the vitality of
the aits they engage with anu the challenges they face as a school community is stiiking,
uistinguishing Naitelli Collegiate Institute, as Nis. Engel uesciibes it, as "a place wheie you
can uevelop youi talents."

L.I#&,# 4(+"M(?, +2 0D11#,,6 EN#,O +"., ., M"(+ P M()+ +2 A2F
School auministiatoi Neil Pioctoi answeis a knock at his office uooi to finu two
stuuents stopping by to chat between classes. Stuuents aie always uiopping by to talk to
him, he says. Slyly pointing to a glass jai filleu with Balloween sizeu chocolate bais, he
confiues "I give them chocolate," though "not in the moining." A fiienuly anu talkative man,
Ni. Pioctoi sees his move to Naitelli as "piestigious." Be explains, "It's a big school anu a
big piogiam anu a goou ieputation." Be lists Fiench immeision, the steel banu, the school's
long histoiy with uiamatic aits, anu the specializeu visual aits piogiam as some of the
highlights at Naitelli, "so, it's lookeu upon if not a flagship school, ceitainly a school with a
lot of piestige behinu it."
The wiue vaiiety of piogiams at Naitelli makes it a school wheie "a lot of exciting
things aie happening." Ni. Pioctoi comments on the new Enteitainment Technology
piogiam as "quite a goou piogiam; it's veiy ieflective of the kinu of cuiient tienus in the,
out in the job maikets." The big challenge, he notes, is getting the infoimation out to
stuuents about the wiue vaiiety of options that they have foi electives, along with getting
this infoimation out to feeuei schools. Thiough its uiveise piogiams anu oppoitunities,
Ni. Pioctoi sees Naitelli as able to pioviue stuuents with uiveise pathways to achieving
success in theii lives, both in a caieei, as well as peisonally:
l don'L necessarlly say LhaL you have Lo go Lo unlverslLy or college. Someone who ls, who ls golng
Lo make a poslLlve conLrlbuLlon, and lf LhaL means golng lnLo an apprenLlceshlp, or college or
whaLever, buL someone also who, who would noL [usL necessarlly be passlve ln Lhelr ln Lhelr
acLlons, someone who ls envlronmenLally consclous . you need Lo be able Lo, you know, make
declslons, have a plan, you know, communlcaLe well wlLh your workers. ln facL, one of Lhe
blggesL Lhlngs LhaL employers look for ls someone who works well wlLh oLhers.
Ni. Pioctoi hopes that iegaiuless of whethei a stuuent aims to go to univeisity oi to
entei the woikplace, "the iole foi eveiy stuuent is to be, to be a contiibutoi, to be able to
woik with otheis, anu to be iesponsible, a iesponsible citizen."
"Why Stuuy Ait." A sign posteu behinu a glass uisplay case in the visual aits wing
poses the question, offeiing its own answei: "The aits aie a foice foi the nation's economic
health." Anothei sheet offeis a list of "Bow Aits Euucation Builus The Skills that Business
values," iefeienceu fiom a 1996 euition of R"<.%0<< P00B magazine. Bown the hall, in a
laige squaie classioom, Ni. Bouglas hanus out small caius, white on one siue anu black on
the othei, to the foui female stuuents clusteieu aiounu him by the winuows. Facing his
stuuents, he uses a shaip metal utensil to sciatch off the pitch black Inuian ink, exposing
the white unueisiue in an intiicate uesign. Responuing to theii skepticism of how
challenging the task appeais, Ni. Bouglas explains that if they make a mistake they can
paint a new coat of ink ovei it anu stait again. Aftei uemonstiating a few uiffeient
techniques foi making lines in uiffeient uiiections, he gives them a few sciap caius in
uiffeient sizes, anu tells them to expeiiment until they aie ieauy to begin theii piojects.
The young women uispeise back to theii easels anu Ni. Bouglas tuins his attention to the
iest of the uiaue 11 anu 12 stuuents.
Stuuents sit alone oi clustei in small gioups aiounu uesks that appeai to have been
painteu with layei upon layei of chalky white. An Afghani stuuent at the back of the class,


his uaik shouluei-length haii pusheu out of his face by a plastic haii banu, weais
heauphones to block out any sounu that might uistiact him fiom his canvas. A tall giil, hei
black haii slickeu back into a fiizzy bun, sings louuly in a ueep alto voice as she auus
vibiant colouis to hei painting of an Afiican woman weaiing a biight iobe anu stanuing
unuei a tiee. A boy with uaik skin anu shoit black haii staies at his blank white canvas,
paintbiush poiseu in miuaii. Be quietly tells his neighboui that he is having tiouble
knowing how to get the iight shaues foi the oiange sky anu puiple mountains that stanu
out vibiantly fiom the small iefeience pictuie in his hanu. The teachei comes up fiom
behinu the boy anu takes the paintbiush out of his hanu, nuuging him asiue. In bolu
stiokes, the teachei sweeps biight oiange acioss the top quaitei of the canvas. 0veicoming
his initial suipiise, the boy begins to ask questions about the techniques of layeiing coloui.
Content that his stuuent has leaineu something fiom this uemonstiation, the teachei hanus
him back the biush. The boy takes it tentatively, uabbing unceitainly at the oiange sky.
Teachei Bill Bouglas explains that he sees himself moie as a consultant than as an
instiuctoi. Since the ministiy changeu the title of his couise fiom "Neuia anu Technique"
to "Painting anu Biawing," he uoesn't finu that the name accuiately ieflects the puipose of
his couise, which is to help stuuents investigate uiffeient meuia anu styles in theii aitistic
woik. In his couise, Ni. Bouglas aims to "expose" stuuents to uiffeient styles, "foice" them
to tiy them out, anu even if they uon't want to they "have to." "You can't leain if you uon't
make mistakes," he explains, anu this couise ensuies that they will uo things in ait that
they have nevei uone befoie. By the enu of the peiiou, the boy painting the sunset is
tiansfixeu in his woik, layeiing colouis to cieate a iich waim skyscape. "I uon't feel like
stopping," he ieplies, as if mesmeiizeu, to Ni. Bouglas's ieminuei that it is time to clean up.
The visual ait piogiam at Naitelli has also taken uiffeient pathways ovei the yeais,
evolving fiom the 196us "vocational ait piogiam," anu latei a "commeicial aits piogiam."
Now uesignateu as a "specializeu aits piogiam," it continues its legacy of offeiing "eniicheu
cuiiiculum" in the aits. Accoiuing to some veteian teacheis, the piogiam has changeu
since the 197us. 0ne teachei says that now, "we see moie kius that take it in a ieally
genuine inteiest anu they want to uo well, anu they love ait, but piobably won't puisue it
as a caieei as much as they useu to when I fiist came heie." This teachei attiibutes this
shift to the uemogiaphic changes of the aiea; wheieas in the 197us the stuuents weie
mostly "white Euiopean" anu the school was "eighty peicent plus white," now the school
has a moie "multifaceteu aspect" that is "cultuie baseu," he explains. Paients touay "want
them to uo veiy well in the white collai piofessions, anu ait is soit of, you know, the blue-
collai thing."
Some teacheis tiy to help theii stuuents become awaie of potential paths wheie
they can use theii aitistic talents to make a living in the futuie. Foi instance, Ni. Bouglas
iecognizes the immense challenges facing stuuents who aspiie to piestigious piofessions in
meuicine, aichitectuie, engineeiing, oi in the highly competitive woilu of fine aits, with the
limiteu iesouices at theii uisposal. Be helps stuuents to imagine othei caieei possibilities
that aie peihaps moie in ieach anu in fact moie closely aligneu with how they may want to
use theii talents in the futuie. Be sees viable alteinatives, like being an "aichitectuial
ienueiei," to builuing a successful caieei. "They get to use theii aitistic talents," he notes,

"anu they uon't have to compete at the level of tiying to be an aichitect, which veiy few of
them will." The specializeu aits piogiam aims to piepaie stuuents in a way that both
encouiages them to puisue theii talents, yet is iealistic of the challenges they will face in
theii futuie caieei paths. 0ne teachei explains:
lL's sorL of a [umplng off polnL for a loL of Lhem LhaL have Lhls creaLlve ablllLy. 1hey can sLlll geL
lnLo Lhese areas and work ln Lhlngs LhaL Lhey wanL Lo do and has always been Lhelr love, buL
probably wouldn'L have been able Lo achleve lL lf Lhey had [usL gone afLer Lhe Lop [ob. 'Cause
Lhere's [usL so few of Lhem aL Lhe Lop. 1hey would be worklng ln Lhe lower levels aL someLhlng
Lhey may noL wanL Lo do. 1hls way Lhey can sLlll work ln Lhe lndusLry and use Lhelr creaLlve
LalenL so LhaL Lhey don'L lose lL and for some of Lhem LhaL's Lhe savlng grace ls Lhey, Lhey geL lnLo
Lhe fleld LhaL Lhey always wanLed Lo.
In the technology wing on the opposite enu of the school, Liam Yolanu hanus a small
pink caiu to each gioup of thiee to foui stuuents in his uiaue 1u Biama Tech class. Be
explains to his stuuents that they will be given the chance to eain some extia maiks on
theii last quiz. "Some of you uespeiately neeu bonus maiks," he ieminus them, speaking in
a piojecteu voice that suggest an acting backgiounu. In gioups, the stuuents sciibble what
they can iemembei about the ieasons to light a stage anu the contiollable qualities of light
on the pink caius, asking theii fellow-stuuents foi help.
"I uiun't uiscovei my innei aitist until I was into my twenties," Ni. Yolanu laments,
as opposeu to his stuuents, who now have the oppoitunity to stuuy aits anu film as a pait
of theii high school piogiam. "The aits is wheie you can giow as a peison." Be hopes that
his stuuents use the aits couises to giow peisonally. Be says, "I woulu love it if some
people come away fiom one of my classes anu say, 'Wow, he ieally maue me think,' oi, 'I
uiun't know I felt that way,' about a ceitain issue, oi just to . . . get them thinking a little bit
is what I woulu like to accomplish."
Ni. Yolanu piojects a shoit movie about lighting uesign on the white scieen at the
fiont of the class, but the muffleu auuio makes it uifficult to heai the two naiiatois'
explanations. In the uaikeneu ioom, two stuuents uooule on black sheets of papei,
compaiing what look like giaffiti tags. At anothei table, a boy puts on a paii of eaiphones
anu ieaus a newspapei, while a giil woiks on a Suuoku puzzle. A gioup of boys at a thiiu
table chat anu laugh. Noticing the lack of attentiveness among his stuuents, Ni. Yolanu
spiings ovei to the piojectoi anu pauses the viueo, calling on one of the boys fiom the
chatty table to uesciibe the uiffeience between ianuom anu motivateu light. "I just coulun't
concentiate," says one stuuent in his own uefense aftei failing to give an answei, "too much
piessuie!" Ni. Yolanu iesponus with a iepetitive anu uiamatic shoveling movement, as if
uigging thiough a mounu of stuuent excuses. The stuuents ioai with laughtei, some looking
back at theii classmate anu whipping theii hanus up anu uown to make a snapping sounu.
Ni. Yolanu again tuins on the viueo to finish the segment befoie giving his stuuents time to
woik on theii set uesign piojects in gioups.
Although it is a compulsoiy cieuit foi the Enteitainment technology piogiam,
Biama Tech 1u is an open cieuit, uiawing both those stuuents who have a gieat ueal of
inteiest anu commitment to the piogiam, anu those who take it out of cuiiosity. Ni. Yolanu
has founu that no mattei what theii ieasons foi taking the couise, the aits have helpeu
many of his stuuents to flouiish uespite challenges that they may have hau in school in the


past. "I hau stuuents this yeai that I talkeu to teacheis that they hau last yeai anu they saiu,
'0h, watch out foi these guys, they'ie hoiiible.' Anu they'ie some of my top stuuents," he
explains. Ni. Yolanu hopes that his stuuents will be able to giow peisonally in the aits
thiough employment in the futuie. "If they'ie investing in that as a piogiam heie, anu
putting that many houis anu that much time into ueveloping theii skills anu honing theii
skills anu making the contacts, um, I'm hoping theie's a light at the enu of the tunnel,
theie's a job on, on the othei enu."
"Rob's a goou example," his foimei teachei Ni. Yolanu uesciibes him, "came out of
the piogiam last yeai anu is placeu at Royal Theatie now." Although Rob Tuckei alieauy
giauuateu fiom Naitelli a yeai ago, he can still be founu hanging aiounu the tech wing,
since he ietuineu to uo a co-op yeai with a piofessional theatie. Rob's fiienuly, awkwaiu
mannei communicates the quiiky "techie" steieotype of confiuence anu focus on his chosen
fielu. Be uesciibes his expeiience at Naitelli anu the passion that he aumiies in his
teacheis: "0nce you get into something, you will love it. The teacheis love the subjects they
teach, they love what you uo. If you know what you want to uo, Naitelli offeis the piogiams
foi you to go into anu go 'yes, this is what I want to uo.'" Rob uiscoveieu what he wanteu to
uo by having access to the new Enteitainment Technology piogiam at Naitelli.
l'm a hands-on person so l do en[oy bulldlng, worklng wlLh elecLrlcal Lhlngs. l do have Lhe ablllLy
Lo do everyLhlng else, lL's [usL noLhlng Lruly caughL my lnLeresL . l've always loved LheaLre and
fllm and sLuff llke LhaL so l wenL, okay, l'll go ln LhaL dlrecLlon, sLarLed looklng aL lL, and Lhe
deeper l wenL Lhe more l sLarLed Lo en[oy lL, Lhe more l sLarLed Lo love lL.
With the help of Naitelli's Enteitainment Technology piogiam, Rob founu a
pathway to success that alloweu him to combine his "hanus-on" abilities with his love foi
the aits.
In a squaie classioom uaikeneu by heavy thick giey cuitains, Rohit Singh ieaches
foi anothei pencil ciayon fiom the Ciayola set he has biought fiom home, contemplating
his postei of the biight ieu "Santa Fe" tiain on the uesk in fiont of him. The teachei smiles
at his piogiess, commenting on his steauy, soliu colouiing. The stuuent next to Rohit
focuses on hei vibiant unueiwatei scene, using hei own set of Piismacoloui pencils. The
teachei pauses at the giil to Rohit's left, ieminuing hei of the neeu foi consistency in hei
postei's letteiing. While most stuuents have copieu fonts fiom stencils oi mouels, this
stuuent has attempteu to uesign hei own font in a way that ieflects the wispy flow of the
postei's image. As the teachei woiks hei way aiounu the laige "0" of uesks in the laige,
spacious ait ioom, she is full of piaise anu encouiagement foi hei stuuents, who chat
quietly in gioups as they woik aiounu the uesks.
Some of the woius that visual Ait teachei Naiilyn Poitei uses to uesciibe hei woik
as a teachei incluue facilitatoi, teachei, iole mouel, anu confiuante. She believes that one of
the stiengths that she offeis to the aits piogiam at Naitelli is hei backgiounu, which has
incluueu teaching in tempoiaiy positions all ovei the city as well as woiking foi ten yeais
in the business sectoi. She sees a lot of oppoitunities foi people to use aits in business,
such as in auveitizing oi in packaging, so she tiies to help hei stuuents uevelop skills that
they can apply in uiffeient aieas. While she cites uiminishing funuing as a pioblem, she
woulu like to see the specializeu aits piogiam expanu at Naitelli, offeiing peihaps an

animation couise as anothei way that stuuents can apply aits to possible caieei paths in
the futuie.
Naitelli offeis anywheie between fifteen anu eighteen visual aits cieuits a yeai, a
significant numbei moie than geneial aits piogiams. Stuuents who take at least six cieuits
of visual aits aie eligible to ieceive a specialist ceitificate, which can help them go on to
puisue post-seconuaiy paths in the aits, whethei it be ait histoiy, stuuio ait, oi tiaues
piogiams. Ni. Bouglas believes that it is the vaiiety of aits couises available to stuuents
who have a passion foi the aits that uistinguishes Naitelli fiom othei schools, enabling
them not only to take multiple aits cieuits, but to focus theii aits tiaining in the fielu that
they wish to one uay puisue.
Stuuent Skye 0wens uoes not plan to complete the six cieuits to achieve the
specialist aits ceitificate, yet taking specializeu visual aits classes at Naitelli has helpeu hei
to think of possible futuie caieei paths that combine hei talent in ait with othei inteiests,
such as science. She uesciibes an inteiest in biomeuical communications as one possible
futuie:
lL's baslcally you're dolng Lhe lllusLraLlons for llke, medlcal LexLbooks. um, or llke publlc
lnformaLlon pamphleLs and Lhlngs llke LhaL. So, l [usL, l llke Lhe ldea of lL because you're uslng
your ablllLy Lo do arL comblned wlLh your undersLandlng of sclence Lo creaLe someLhlng LhaL wlll
be undersLandable Lo oLher people.
As a senioi stuuent contemplating high school giauuation only a few months away,
Skye has little claiity about what hei futuie might holu. Regaiuless of whethei aits will
featuie centially in hei futuie caieei path, howevei, she plans to continue to puisue aits as
a way to eniich hei life: "I think piobably at some point in my life I'll take ait classes again,
even if I uon't stuuy it at school oi anything, just because um, it's something that I ieally
enjoy to uo." While stuuents see the aits as impacting theii futuies in uiffeient ways, the
natuie of the piogiams at Naitelli allow them uiveise oppoitunities to imagine pathways
to successful futuies that integiate theii aitistic talents in unique anu innovative ways.

L.I#&,# Q2)1#C+.2), 2H +"# *&+,6 ERI#&?'2A? 3.S#, A.HH#&#)+ +".)/,F
The Naitelli stuuent news is filmeu eveiy Nonuay afteinoon aftei school,
tiansfoiming the tech ioom into a hub of activity. The black cuitain has been pulleu back
to ieveal a laige gieen scieen, anu a woouen uesk has been iolleu in fiont. Behinu it, two
black stools aie aiiangeu foi the news anchois. Lights, cameia, telepiomptei, anu seveial
chaiis foi ciew membeis face the scieen. Ni. Yolanu sits on the siuelines watching,
explaining that he is mostly just theie to supeivise the laigely stuuent-iun piouuction.
"0kay guys, ieauy to go." Fiona, a twelfth-giaue stuuent at Naitelli, calls out to the
ioom full of stuuents. Like the laige blue lightning bolt on the fiont of hei white t-shiit,
Fiona seems ieauy to stiike into action. Bei long light-biown haii is paiteu on the siue anu
pulleu back into a low ponytail, wheie it cannot uistiact hei fiom hei focuseu woik. The
gioup spiings into theii appiopiiate positions: one listening to the miciophone thiough a
heauset; anothei on lights; anothei sciolling uown the sciipt that appeais on a small


telepiomptei; anu Fiona behinu the cameia. "Spoits fiist!" The make-up aitist emeiges
fiom the back of the ioom caiiying a basketball, which she places alongsiue a spoits jeisey
on the newstable. "Quiet on set!"
Kail ueliveis his spoits iepoit with ease, enuing without a single mistake. "Kail -
one-take magic!" exclaims Ni. Yolanu. "I'm a one-take man!" ieplies Kail piouuly, stiolling
off the set with his hanus in the aii, tiiumphant. Rob anu Kiisten take theii places to shoot
the opening, closing, anu news stoiies. Comfoitable in his iole, Rob iepoits on the
successful giaue eight paients' night, infoims stuuents that iegistiation foims aie now
ieauy foi night couises, anu announces the upcoming meeting foi the Seais Biama Festival.
"Attention all actois, aitists, peifoimeis, anu most impoitantly /0/.H*,0/ stuuents," his
stoiy begins. Kiistin stiuggles with hei ueliveiy. Fiona suggests that she ieau each stoiy
alouu seveial times foi piactice, but Kiisten keeps tiipping ovei woius, thiowing hei hanus
ovei hei face with embaiiassment. Each time, Fiona offeis calm woius of encouiagement
while the iest of the gioup waits patiently. Finally, Kiisten manages to get out hei thiee
stoiies successfully.
Ni. Yolanu explains that the Naitelli news has been iunning foi foui yeais, anu
Fiona is the only one who has woikeu on it both this anu last yeai. She has hei woik cut
out foi hei: wiiting the sciipt, euiting the shots, anu teaching all the eagei ninth anu tenth
giaue stuuents how to use the equipment. Ni. Yolanu iecounts that when he coulun't
attenu the giaue eight paients' night the pievious week, Fiona steppeu up, gieeting
paients, explaining the uiama technology couise, anu even uemonstiating the use of some
of the iecoiuing equipment. "Fiona, what's a goou uay to holu a Seais meeting." he asks
hei. Fiona looks up fiom hei woik anu pauses foi a moment. "Thuisuay," she ieplies.
While Fiona sees a lot of ioom foi uevelopment of the aits piogiams at Naitelli, such as
ienovating the laige auuitoiium anu incieasing suppoit foi the Enteitainment technology
piogiam, she uoes feel that Naitelli has offeieu hei unique oppoitunities to become a
leauei in the aits in a way that she may not have been able to in anothei piogiam:
1he facL LhaL Lhe program really lsn'L ln place has glven me, aL leasL me speclflcally . more
experlence. l guess l could say ln dlfferenL aspecLs of whaL l wanL Lo do. 8ecause lf you go lnLo a
school LhaL does have Lhls sorL of very cuL-llned program, wlLh Leachers who run Lhe whole Lhlng,
um, you don'L geL Lo do as much, ln some ways. 8lghL, llke, you can perform and Lhey plck you
because Lhey Lhlnk you're good, and Lhls and LhaL. 8uL, from where l am . l've [usL Lrled Lo flll
Lhe places LhaL l Lhlnk has been Ms.ed and so, whaL l've been dolng ls run or [usL be ln charge of a
loL of Lhlngs LhaL many sLudenLs ln oLher hlgh schools who dld have a program wouldn'L be ever
able Lo experlence unLll, say, laLer on lf Lhey were golng on lnLo Lhls buslness. So LhaL's been a
huge Lhlng for me.
Fiona goes on to uesciibe how the close anu collaboiative ielationship she has with
hei aits teacheis has nuituieu hei leaueiship skills. While "not exactly equal," Fiona has a
sense that they aie woiking "on a same level," because they "both use each othei's
stiengths."
While oppoitunities foi stuuents to shape the aits at Naitelli inuicate the
conception of the aitist as a leauei, othei stuuents appieciate the holistic natuie of the aits
in helping them to uevelop into well-iounueu inuiviuuals. Kelly, a stuuent who uiu not

initially come into the ait piogiam, bites hei lip in concentiation, woiking to mastei the
choieogiaphy in a Nusical Theatie class. When Kelly fiist chose Naitelli foi its extenueu
Fiench piogiam, she wasn't initially awaie of the aitistic oppoitunities that existeu. Now
in the tenth giaue, she is heavily involveu in both banu anu musical theatie alongsiue extia-
cuiiiculai involvement in choii anu uance, anu intenus to achieve the specializeu aits
ceitificate by giauuation. While she is still "not too suie" about what she wants to uo aftei
high school, Kelly sees many oppoitunities at Naitelli to become a well-iounueu inuiviuual:
l Lhlnk lL's lmporLanL Lo be well-rounded, and my marks rlghL now are very good and my maLh
and sclences and everyLhlng llke LhaL ls very sLrong, so lf somebody ln a unlverslLy wenL Lo look aL
my appllcaLlons Lhey'd see LhaL l had Lhe academlc quallflcaLlons. 8uL Lhey, lf Lhey also saw LhaL l
was lnLo Lhe arLs and acLlng, Lhey'd see LhaL l was a well-rounded person.
In auuition to well-iounueuness being impoitant foi hei own life, Kelly uesciibes
Naitelli as "a nice school to go to . you have many oppoitunities to get involveu, uh, anu
theie's kinu of equal oppoitunity, I guess, like theie's not a big music piogiam but veiy
little spoits oi whatevei, it's faiily well-iounueu." In fact theie aie many ways to become
well-iounueu at Naitelli, Kelly explains as she lists off soccei, uiagon boat, athletic
association, anu music council as some of hei favouiite activities. Kelly uesciibes hei
fiienus as "also into the aits anu, anu spoits too, so they'ie well-iounueu."
Buiing lunch bieak, eleventh giauei uayal Nauaiajah is moie likely to be founu in
the visual ait ioom than in the cafeteiia. The visual aits couise "uoesn't feel moie like a
class, it feels moie like, I uon't know, it feels veiy um, homey. It uoes. It feels like, you
always want to be theie, I always want to be theie." uayal gatheis the plastic jais of aciylic
paints into a caiuboaiu box to be stoieu aftei class. She explains that while it's impoitant
foi famous aitists like uauguin to be innovatois of aitistic styles, she uoesn't see this as
tiue foi heiself. Rathei, uayal sees the impoitance of subjecting hei own woik to otheis'
ciiticism in oiuei to know how to "make it bettei."
l Lhlnk anoLher person's perspecLlve ls, lL's good because you'll see your arL and be llke, okay lL's
perfecL, l love lL and lL's beauLlful. And Lhen, someone else . mlghL Lhlnk lL - um, lL's okay, buL
you know, Lhls could be dlfferenL, or LhaL could be dlfferenL, or LhaL could be more beLLer. So l
Lhlnk lL's beLLer, so you can nexL Llme when you do lL, you can conslder LhaL. Make lL beLLer.
uayal iecalls Ni. Bouglas telling hei class that you can't just uo gieat ait foi a living,
anu ieminuing hei that not even the gieat aitists weie iecognizeu as such in theii own
time. "Bistoiy iepeats itself," she quotes.
While aitists aie sometimes seen as leaueis anu innovatois, sometimes they aie in
uialog with the peispectives of otheis anu use the aits in a vaiiety of ways that aie not
always consiueieu "gieat ait." 0ppoitunities to leain the ways in which the aits can be
useu in a vaiiety of fielus anu tiaues allow Naitelli stuuents to see the aits as a way to
make a living. Whethei as leaueis, as well-iounueu inuiviuuals, oi as woikeis in othei
fielus, stuuents see the aits as eniiching theii lives in a vaiiety of ways.
* * *
"uieat Balls of Fiie" pipes thiough the hallways at ten minutes befoie 9:uuam, but
no one seems to take much notice. When it is ieplaceu by the theme song fiom the caitoon
sit-com QE0 G.-J<C%<? stuuents walking thiough the halls quicken theii pace to a light jog.


Finally the S0CJ*3/6 theme song - a well-known pop cultuie countuown - plays one anu a
half times befoie being cut off by the long "BEEP" of the school bell. A stuuent voice asks
eveiyone to stanu foi the national anthem, followeu by the unmistakable sounu of the steel
uium banu playing "0 Canaua" on a iecoiuing. Aftei the anthem, the same voice oiueis,
"Please pioceeu quickly to youi peiiou one class."
Bianching away fiom the main school builuing towaius the technology wing,
stuuents scuiiy thiough the halls caiiying muffins in papei napkins oi taking gulps of juice
fiom plastic bottles, some tuining into the tenth giaue steel banu class. The teachei stanus
at the enu of the iows of uesks anu flashes his smiling eyes anu beaming giin as he chats
jokingly with stuuents anu collects the funus they have iaiseu foi the banu by selling
lollipops anu CB iecoiuings of the steel uium banu. The steel banu classioom is a colouiful
place. Thiee of the foui walls aie coveieu with flags hanging veitically fiom the ceiling,
suiiounuing stuuents in ieus, blues, yellows, anu gieens. The uiveisity of the flags seems to
be ieflecteu in the faces of the class's thiity stuuents, whose skin tones anu facial featuies
inuicate a wiue vaiiety of ethnic backgiounus. The majoiity of the flooi space is taken up
by foui iows of steel uiums, with a music stanu foi eveiy two uiums.
Aftei a lesson on music theoiy, giils with jeans, hooueu sweatshiits, anu black-
pauueu coats, anu boys with oveisizeu logoeu t-shiits take theii places behinu theii uiums.
The teachei climbs onto a chaii at the fiont of the class to gain some height, anu iaises his
aims to get his stuuents' attention. As they play theii fiist numbei, "Autumn Leaves,"
stuuents gioove along to the music, theii eyes glueu to the sheet music befoie them as they
play. Thiee giils passing by in the hallway uance a few steps into the ioom befoie
continuing on theii way. "In this class, we catei to the uiveisity," says the teachei befoie
theii next numbei. "Shoulu we play 'Biazil.'" he asks the class fiom his conuuctoi's peich
atop the chaii. This suggestion is gieeteu by hoots of agieement anu two giils in the fiont
uance in a ciicle togethei to show how pleaseu they aie with this choice.
0iiginally fiom Tiiniuau, Easton Lewis began the steel banu to meet the neeus of a
uiveise population at Naitelli:
We have almosL over one hundred um, uh, dlfferenL naLlonallLles comlng Lo Lhls school . l
LhoughL l would lnLroduce lL more so, so LhaL Lhe Carlbbean sLudenL would have someLhlng Lo
ldenLlfy wlLh and um, sLrange enough [chuckles], we goL sLudenLs from all naLlonallLles, from
lndla, Srl Lanka, aklsLan, uh Afrlcan counLrles, Sweden, we had a sLudenL from, and we have of
course Carlbbean sLudenLs as well. 8uL l was amazed Lo see Lhe wlde specLrum of sLudenLs LhaL
we, LhaL ls Lhe program aLLracLed and even Loday we have, you come Lo my class and my
prlnclpal once remarked, ?ou know someLhlng wlLh your sLeel band, Lhere's everyone, you
know, Lhere's every race, you can see every race ls represenLed ln your sLeel band."
While one of the moie well-known piogiams at Naitelli, with peifoimances bookeu
aiounu the city anu even inteinationally, the steel banu is not officially consiueieu a pait of
the specializeu aits piogiam. Since its inception, the steel banu has been sepaiateu both in
its physical placement anu its uepaitmental collaboiation fiom the official music piogiam,
which often featuies moie classical Euiopean anu Noith Ameiican musical styles. Ni.
Lewis's class featuies a wiue vaiiety of musical cultuies anu genies:

ln our class we can play an LasL lndlan song, whereas ln Lhe regular muslc program, you won'L
hear Lhem playlng an LasL lndlan song or a reggae song. So ln my sLeel band class we play reggae,
we play pop, we play classlcal, we play callpso, we play folk songs, and uh, we, we lnclude all Lhe
genre of muslc LhaL you can flnd, so sLudenLs can ldenLlfy wlLh someLhlng of Lhelr own and l Lhlnk
because of LhaL Lhey feel more, uh, less lnLlmldaLed and less sLress when Lhey come Lo my class
and less fear and lL's a more frlendly envlronmenL Lo learn, and Lhere's no pressure.
Ni. Lewis wonueis if the conceptions of the aits at Naitelli iaiely incluues the kinu
of uiveisity that he feels is integial to the neeus of his uiveise stuuents. Aftei many yeais of
stiuggling to get the steel banu iecognizeu as an establisheu piogiam, being uenieu funuing
anu shifting classiooms fiom teim to teim, Ni. Lewis has become a iesilient pioblem
solvei to move the steel banu class foiwaiu. Bis iesilience is paialleleu in what he hopes
foi his stuuents anu wheie he sees the iole of the steel banu in ueveloping iesilient
pioblem solveis thiough the aits:
Llfe ls abouL solvlng problem[s] . LhaL's whaL educaLlon ls abouL . and Lhe sLeel band class ls no
dlfferenL because when you come, you're faclng a new lnsLrumenL, you can declde Lo run away.
1he flrsL day when you come, you can declde, Lhls ls Loo hard for me, l cannoL geL lL, l don'L have
Llmlng . and whaL l'll achleve Lhrough Lhe sLeel band program, Lhey'll, Lhey'll learn Lo solve
problems, Lhey'll learn Lo flghL, sLruggle, overcome, feel good, you know, and grow.

* L.I#&,.+? 2H Q"(33#)/#,6 EP+T, Q2>C3#+#3? U2&+" P+F
0n a iainy 0ctobei moining the giey-gieen school hallways at Naitelli seem
unusually husheu, uevoiu of the stuuent eneigy that usually fills the coiiiuois. As teacheis
push thiough the mesh-winuoweu uouble uoois, shaking the iain off theii collapseu
umbiellas, they make theii way upstaiis to the seconu flooi libiaiy wheie they will have
theii monthly staff meeting. The libiaiy quickly fills up with teacheis who stop at a foou
table at the back of the ioom to loau up napkins full of fingei foous anu papei cups of coffee
befoie finuing a seat at one of the iounu tables that fill the libiaiy's cential space. The
cheeiful colouis of stuuent aitwoik contiasting against the beige backgiounu of the walls,
which iemain only half painteu, give the libiaiy a waim, comfoiting feeling that contiasts
to the chilly iainy uay outsiue.
Fiom one coinei of the ioom, Euwin Ball's booming voice cuts thiough the louu
buzz of conveisations. "Lauies anu gentlemen anu those who aie neithei!" he opens,
uiawing chuckles fiom some of the staff as they ieluctantly tuin fiom theii conveisations.
Bis iounu silvei eaiiings spaikle as he conuucts the pioceeuings moie as a Ciicus Ring
Nastei than as a chaii at a meeting. Bis tall statuie seems to be in constant motion making
him captivating to watch. Aftei opening the meeting anu thanking the math uepaitment foi
theii "math uesigneu bieakfast," Ni. Ball tuins the meeting ovei to Bill Bouglas. Walking
fiom his chaii to wheie the auministiatois sit at the fiont of the ioom, Ni. Bouglas caiies a
laige caiu about two feet high, coveieu with expeitly-uiawn uesigns incluuing a sketch of a
smiling miuule-ageu man. Respectful silence fills the ioom as Ni. Bouglas speaks humbly
about the contiibution of this man, Ni. Coopei, who hau ueuicateu thiity-nine yeais as a
teachei at Naitelli, until finally losing the battle to cancei only months befoie. Ni. Bouglas
maue this caiu to celebiate this teachei's contiibutions to Naitelli, anu even though Ni.


Coopei passeu away befoie the school coulu officially honoui him, Ni. Bouglas hopes that
his colleagues will sign it to shaie theii appieciation foi this teachei's woik, anu to let the
teachei's family know how much he will be misseu.
When Ni. Bouglas was himself a young teachei, he hau tiieu out a numbei of
schools, but aftei teaching at Naitelli, he just stayeu. "People seem to settle heie." Be feels
that this is a unique featuie of Naitelli Collegiate, anu a chaiacteiistic that makes teacheis
want to spenu most of theii lives at the school. Nis. Eiin Engel, one of Naitelli's stuuent
suppoit staff, has woikeu foi neaily twenty-five yeais at Naitelli, electing to stay because
of what she uesciibes as a "collegial" enviionment foi staff, anu a "place of stability" foi
stuuents.
Nis. Engel's small office has a winuow facing the uiiveway at the fiont of the school,
fiom which stuuents can be seen tiuuging thiough the newly-ploweu snow on theii way in
anu out of the builuing. She speaks with a waim, low cauence, which immeuiately puts
whoevei she is talking with at ease anu comfoit. Nis. Engel's uesk is stackeu with piles of
papeis anu files, liteiatuie foi colleges anu univeisities, a computei anu telephone, anu
colouiful piinteu sheets of "tips foi stuuent success." A iow of chaiis in Nis. Engle's office
is fiequently occupieu by stuuents, who come in often anu sometimes unexpecteuly to talk
about eveiything fiom couise selection to futuie plans to ciises in peisonal ielationships.
She has seen anu heaiu a lot of things fiom stuuents ovei the past seveial yeais that othei
staff anu faculty membeis have not. The escalating challenges that she has seen affecting
stuuents have conceineu some of the most peisonal elements of stuuents' lives: "Wheie
you woulu have situations, situations that aie occuiiing within families that aie causing so
much uistiess to the stuuents that they can't even focus in school. Anu so, I'm not saying
things uiun't exist like that in the past, but they'ie becoming moie appaient, I think."
The changes in the school's enviionment aie intimately linkeu, Nis. Engel muses,
with some of the changes in the school: "We aie consiueieu soit of an innei-city aiea at this
point wheie a lot of the stuuents that come into this aiea aie fiom immigiant families."
With challenges of an unfamiliai language anu enviionment anu uifficulties finuing
employment without Canauian tiaining, paients aie unuei a lot of piessuie to meet a
vaiiety of neeus foi theii suivival in a new countiy, she uesciibes. Nis. Engel believes that
the aits at Naitelli offei some of the gieatest hope foi these stuuents who aie new to
Canaua. Aits offei that "bieathei couise" that sometimes helps stuuents finu the will powei
to come into school eveiy uay anu fulfill the iequiiements necessaiy foi giauuation.
Bowevei, Nis. Engel is not confiuent that the ielationship between the aits anu success in
one's life is well unueistoou, whethei by paients oi stuuents, oi even teacheis anu
auministiatois: "If you uo uiama, if you uo ait, if you uo music, you uon't make money. So
you've got to finu a job that makes money." Nis. Engel speaks with gieat optimism anu
ueteimination to meet anu oveicome whatevei comes theii way. In fact, at times Naitelli
has voluntaiily accepteu stuuents who aie no longei peimitteu to attenu school anywheie
else.
Sitting in his office aftei hanuling a challenging, if unusual, outbuist fiom a stuuent
that iesulteu in his expulsion, school auministiatoi Nichael Bextei seems suipiisingly

calm. Be uesciibes his peiception of Naitelli: "The kius foi the most pait aie gieat. Anu you
know it takes a while to get to know them, but a lot of kius aie veiy neeuy heie, uh,
economically . many of them come fiom impoveiisheu families." Ni. Bextei believes that
Naitelli offeis stuuents the kinus of suppoit that theii situations uon't always allow them:
"uespite all of that, most of them uo come out of heie, um, in much bettei shape than maybe
they aiiiveu. They come out with a uiploma anu having hau a goou positive expeiience, but
a lot of them aie ieally, ieally neeuy. So that's a challenge."
In the auuitoiium, Kyle Stone awkwaiuly anu caiefully avoius the newly-pieiceu
iing in his uaik biown lips as he eats his ketchup-soakeu fiies befoie ieheaisal. As one of
only two boys in the Nusical Theatie class, he aumits he is not looking foiwaiu to his solo
in the upcoming Chiistmas Assembly. Bis closest fiienus at Naitelli aie two giils, he
explains, because they have the same inteiests. Stuuents uiviue themselves up in uiffeient
ways: "I think that people just giavitate to othei people who aie like them. So theie's like,
what we woulu call the Lankan ciew, then theie's the white ciew" Kyle laughs as he names
the gioups that make up his typology of stuuents at Naitelli, specifically stuuents who
iuentify as Sii Lankan anu white stuuents. "Yeah, the biggest one you'll notice is uivision by
iace. Anu then, the seconu biggest woulu be uivision by inteiest." Kyle states that his
fiienus aie gioupeu by inteiests, which foi him incluue Nusical Theatie, playing the flute in
the school banu, anu the anti-violence piogiam SAv. Kyle uoesn't see violence as a majoi
pioblem at Naitelli, uespite its ieputation:
1here's a loL of Lalk of llke, gangs and sLuff ln our school. 8uL you come here, and unless you're
llke, a parL of lL, you're noL golng Lo noLlce lL, so lL's noL as scary as lL seems . lf someLhlng does
happen, lL's noL durlng school Llme, lL's afLer school, and mosL people leave afLer school. And
sLuff doesn'L acLually happen LhaL ofLen. We haven'L had anyLhlng happen slnce l was here.
Skye 0wens echoes Kyle's sentiments about Naitelli's ieputation as she thinks
about what it is like foi hei to be a stuuent in the Naitelli enviionment: "I woulu say the
enviionment is veiy gieat to be a stuuent because um, like, some people think the school
has a bau ieputation but it's all the people that I know heie aie all geneially quite kinu anu
fiienuly."
The last peiiou of the Naitelli school uay iolls aiounu. 0n the auuitoiium stage, its
euges litteieu with wintei coats anu book bags, Ns. Li's musical theatie class spiings to its
feet as Fiona calls out: "Aliight, in youi lines!" Bisplaying uiffeient levels of confiuence, the
stuuents negotiate the uemanus of the music theatie class with humoui anu ueteimination.
"You guys ieauy yet." Fiona calls out, as Ns. Li piepaies to accompany them at the electiic
piano. "N0!" ieplies a giil in a blue t-shiit anu biown coiuuioy slacks, which aie iolleu up
to ieveal hot pink socks sloucheu uown to hei jazz slippeis. As Fiona uemonstiates a
complicateu seiies of steps anu lunges, Ns. Li asks the fiustiateu uancei why she is
weaiing such a foul expiession. "I wasn't giving you that face, I was giving Fiona's legs that
face. What aie they uoing.!" The entiie class eiupts into laughtei.
Ns. Li invites stuuents to tiy the numbei with top hats, which she iemoves fiom
theii plastic wiapping. She apologizes foi the cheap quality of the piops, explaining that
cost was a seiious factoi. "If I hau one million uollais we coulu put on one heck of a show,"
she jokes. The uanceis ciowu aiounu, exciteu to ieceive theii hats. As they uance, howevei,


the plastic hats ciackle louuly at each movement, uiowning out the sounu of the singing.
Theii attempts to get thiough the numbei aie constantly inteiiupteu as stuuents colliue
anu plastic hats fly in eveiy uiiection. Ns. Li laughs so haiu that she can haiuly keep up
with the piano accompaniment, echoeu by hei stuuents' laughtei as they take on the plastic
hats as a conqueiable challenge.
The school bell buzzes to signal the enu of class, anu stuuents begin to poui into the
hallways. A couple of boys in the hallway kick a soccei ball back anu foith against the metal
lockeis. The stuuents in Ns. Li's Nusic Theatie class, howevei, continue theii ieheaisal
without inteiiuption. "0ne singulai sensation, eveiy little step she takes!" they sing.
0ccasionally, Ns. Li stops hei piano accompaniment so that Fiona can give instiuctions to
the uanceis, befoie staiting up again wheie they left off. Not until aiounu ten minutes aftei
the bell uo the uanceis slowly stait gatheiing up theii coats anu bags anu heauing foi the
uooi, one at a time, to go home at the enu of the school uay.
Piaveen Siii sits on a foluing chaii on the apion of the stage, uiesseu completely in
black. With his pauueu coat anu faux fui lineu hoou, wool gloves, anu a coiuuioy cap
peicheu uelibeiately askew on his shoit black haii, he looks ieauy to walk out into a
blizzaiu, his tall anu skinny fiame piotecteu against the elements. A shauow of a mustache
shows on his uppei lip, anu his ueep-set eyes aie focuseu anu intense. Be seems at home on
the empty theatie stage as he uesciibes the iole of the aits at Naitelli in his life:
ArL ls acLually how l geL ouL of pressure. And lL's um, pressures ln my llfe are malnly focused on,
on famlly slLuaLlons more Lhan anyLhlng 'cause growlng up um, l came here [Lo Canada] ln 1994.
So, baslcally abouL Lwo and a half years we were klnd of preLLy much runnlng low . back Lhen lL
was [usL llke we all may, we only llved on llke a meal a day . my parenLs became abuslve Lo each
oLher, you know, became abuslve Lo me . LhaL llke really puLs me ln a poslLlon where l needed
Lo klnd of geL lL ouL somewhere else, and LhaL's where l chose arL.
As Piaveen tells his stoiy, he emphasizes each point with his hanus, uemonstiating
his passionate ueteimination. Be uesciibes how thiough the most uifficult paits of his life,
the aits piogiams anu teacheis at Naitelli gave him a way to ueal with his family pioblems
anu launcheu him into wiiting anu peifoiming his own songs about life's piessuies anu
social issues. Piaveen uses his music now to ieach othei youth who may be in challenging
situations. 0ltimately, Piaveen sees himself as a social woikei in the futuie, anu hopes to
help othei youth the same way the teacheis at Naitelli have helpeu him:
l acLually connecLed wlLh my Leachers on a very soclal level. Llke, llke Ms. Ll ls llke, ls klnd of llke,
she moLhers me someLlmes. 8ecause we're on LhaL level, llke she knows a loL abouL my, you
know, my hlsLory and my llfe so, you know, she's even sald llke hey, l'll pay for you, lf you wanL
Lo go and Lake vocal lessons. l'll pay." . So, she really, she really Lruly, you know, belleves ln
whaL l do. So, ln LhaL way lL compleLely, lL's compleLely worLh lL.
Q2)13D,.2)
Staff membeis weaiing Santa hats meiiily stioll by ioaming stuuents in the
hallways without so much as a uisappioving glance, even though it is 9:4S, anu stuuents
shoulu noimally be in class. 0ne of the secietaiies weais a gieen iibbon in hei haii anu a
snowflake bioach on hei ieu sweatei, anu she gieets visitois amiust a mountain of gifts

that aie stackeu on the uesk besiue hei. Theie is no question that this is the last uay of
school befoie the holiuays. A boy anu giil piactice a uance ioutine in the coinei, just
outsiue the staffioom, executing an impiessive seiies of steps in peifect unison, clapping,
stepping, anu slapping theii shoulueis oi thighs to a piacticeu ihythm. In the cafeteiia, a
gioup of cheeileaueis weai spanuex shoits anu blue jeiseys that contiast with theii uaik
biown skin, piacticing a choieogiapheu uance ioutine. 0n the flooi besiue them, a small,
seven-yeai olu boy is sitting contenteuly, sometimes bopping along with the music blasting
fiom the steieo next to the cheeileaueis.
Stuuents stait stieaming into the auuitoiium. Nany entei in gioups, sometimes
calling anu waving to fiienus acioss the aisle wheie they have saveu seats, uiviuing
stuuents into gioupings by coloui of skin, style of uiess, age, anu genuei. The ciowu seems
to oiganize itself effoitlessly into highly complex but well-establisheu patteins. While some
teacheis sit among stuuents, many stanu along the walls wheie they can watch ovei the
stuuents, foiming a boiuei of authoiity aiounu the peiimetei of the iowuy mass.
As the houselights uim, anu the steel uiums aie lit up at centie stage. The ciowu
eiupts into ueafeningly louu scieams anu cheeis, setting the volume level of the auuience
foi the entiie show. It quickly becomes appaient that the noise isn't simply in the foim of
cheeis of suppoit between numbeis. Thiough most of the peifoimances, stuuents talk
louuly anu yell both in suppoit anu in ciiticism of the peifoimeis. 0ften, boos aie matcheu
by cheeis, coming fiom uiffeient aieas of the ciowu. A hip hop uance tioupe comes on
stage anu is quickly accompanieu by the fiist thiee iows of stuuents who stanu to uance
along with the music, waving theii hanus in the aii anu cheeiing in suppoit. In the next
numbei, a young man in tiauitional Inuian uiess peifoims a solo in Punjabi. To the ihythm
of the music, a few stuuents wave theii cell phone slowly as if they weie lighteis, anu
slowly the ioom is lit up with LEB scieens. A sense of contagious excitement spieaus
thioughout the ciowu as moie anu moie stuuents holu up theii electionic uevices.
The show continues with giils singing R&B songs in small gioups, salsa ioutines,
anu populai stuuent banus that biing the ciowu to theii feet. It is an eclectic mix, with a
iemaikable numbei of stuuents peifoiming ovei the couise of the entiie show. In the
vaiieu aiiay of stuuent peifoimances that unfolu thioughout the show, stuuents aie joineu
by theii teacheis in theii meiiiment. 0ne of Nis. Engel's favouiite moments at Naitelli is
the annual peifoimance of some of the moie outgoing teacheis:
ln LhaL ChrlsLmas Assembly, Lhere's always a song done by Lhe Leachers . Lhe klds [usL howl
every year. 8uL l can Lell you aL almosL every commencemenL, especlally lf Lhls one Leacher . ls
um Lhe MC, he'll sLarL aL one polnL slnglng: l'm a Lumber[ack" and Lhe klds wlll sLarL Lo llke hooL
and holler and sLuff llke LhaL, buL lL's [usL Lhe Leachers are ouL Lhere dolng Lhe mosL crazy Lhlngs
LhaL you posslbly could do.
Foi Nis. Engel, this moment iepiesents the spiiit of ueuication that the teacheis
have foi theii stuuents, as well as the oveiall uplifting spiiit anu atmospheie of the school:
"Anu it's eveiy yeai . if it wasn't at the Chiistmas Assembly this woulu not be Naitelli,
which sounus bizaiie, but it woulun't."
The peifoimeis also have to negotiate a steauy stieam of technical uifficulties: an
amp blows out; the CB playei cuts; oi the tempeiamental miciophones often stop woiking


in the miuule of a song. The auuience iesponus each time, laughing, cheeiing, oi scieaming
in uisappointment, as yet anothei stuuent is silenceu on stage. About half way thiough the
show, Ns. Li makes an announcement: "Soiiy about the technical uifficulties. It's uue to olu
equipment." She sounus tiieu anu fiustiateu, but ueteimineu to go on. "Yo! Put me on the
tuin tables!" calls out a stuuent fiom the back of the auuitoiium, eliciting cheeis fiom his
peeis. The music theatie class comes on stage to peifoim the opening numbei to "A
Choius Line," ieheaiseu meticulously ovei the past semestei. 0vei the iowuy auuience,
theii voices aie baiely auuible, yet they maintain theii peifoimance faces of smiling
ueteimination. Aftei thiee houis the show finally enus with the Chiistmas movie cieateu
by the small gioup of stuuents fiom Ni. Yolanu's class, uemonstiating sophisticateu filming
anu euiting, anu a cieative anu humoious stoiyline.
As the semestei culminates on this high note of iowuy excitement, the Chiistmas
Assembly appeais to showcase the uiveisity that chaiacteiises Naitelli anu its aits
piogiams. The uiveise paths to success that Naitelli enables its stuuents to puisue, the
uiveise conceptions of the aits piesent at Naitelli, anu the uiveisity of challenges that
Naitelli staff anu stuuents encountei cieate a community that is at once multifaceteu anu
uynamic. While this uiveisity cieates complexity in how it is expiesseu anu expeiienceu,
Naitelli Collegiate Institute is a place wheie uiveisity is seen as an essential pait of life, as
ieflecteu by Skye 0wen's ieflections on hei expeiience at the school:
l feel llke Lhls ls a good school for LhaL [usL because you're such a dlverslLy of people . l Lhlnk l've
sorL of learned a dlfferenL way of seelng school here, because l used Lo see lL only ln Lhe sense
LhaL lL was a place Lo geL an educaLlon, and now l see lL klnd of as a place Lo learn abouL people
as well.


Dannerville Collegiate School for the Arts

Inspiring life- long learning and a desire for
personal excellence:
A positive, safe environment, Working together
to achieve our goals, and A constant battle

Kate Cairns

Heavy traffic rumbles eastwaiu along Stanley Avenue, the bustle of the city
coie ieceuing into the backgiounu as the vast expanse of subuibia unfolus on the hoiizon.
Stiipmalls line the thiee-lane thoioughfaie, accenteu by the occasional neon sign of a fast
foou outlet. 0n this ciisp Novembei evening, cais slow as they pass the massive Campbell
Ciescent Shopping Centie, wheie a Zelleis anu Foou Basics aie visible fiom the ioau, anu
iule in fiont of the useu cai uealeiship at the inteisection of Stanley anu Wellington.
Tuining noithwaiu, the built enviionment tiansfoims abiuptly as iows of small bungalows
emeige on each siue, theii blue anu ieu mailboxes uotting the peiimetei of Wellington
Roau. 0nly a shoit uistance along this iesiuential stietch, the paiaue of vehicles slows once
again, tuin signals pulsating almost in unison. As each cai steeis into the paiking lot of a
mouest biick builuing that is shelteieu by pine tiees, theii scanning heaulights illuminate a
sign on the lawn. "Banneiville Collegiate School foi the Aits," it ueclaies, beaiing the
familiai gieen anu white letteiheau of the uistiict school boaiu. Beneath this glossy
heauing, a message aiiangeu in iemovable letteis announces that tonight is uiaue 8
Paients Night.
Insiue the school's small foyei, piospective stuuents anu cuiious paients peiuse
paintings anu piints uisplayeu on tables, anu scan theatiical images of stuuent
peifoimances posteu on the walls. A few minutes past seven o'clock, two stuuents uiesseu
in black appeai anu spieau theii aims in a uiamatic welcome, thiusting open the heavy
woouen auuitoiium uoois. The ciowu shuffles into the auuitoiium, seizing the oppoitunity
to spieau out acioss the 6Su foluing seats. As each family clustei settles into its own pocket
of seats, the gioup's iich uiveisity becomes visible in the wiue spectium of fashion styles
anu languages being spoken in the ioom.
As the lights uim, the ciowu falls silent anu the heavy ieu cuitain paits smoothly at
centie stage, fiaming the school banu within a ciimson boiuei. Shaiply uiesseu in white
piesseu shiits anu black slacks, the stuuent musicians take theii cue fiom music teachei
Cam Liuule, who plays the uual iole of conuuctoi anu accompanist, his heau nouuing subtly
as his fingeis maneuvei among the fiets on an electiic bass. Seateu at the keyboaiu on
stage iight, a male stuuent giooves along to the familiai Stevie Wonuei tune, his iounu afio
bobbing to the beat. Six beaming tap uanceis shuffle in fiom the wings, theii caiefully
choieogiapheu steps auuing a layei of peicussion to the ensemble as theii biight tops

splash coloui acioss the stage. Finally, the singei appeais, a tall anu slim young man who
sliues confiuently among the uanceis' fliitatious gestuies, comfoitably occupying the
centie of attention in his pink uiess shiit anu jeans. Wieluing a wiieless miciophone in his
iight hanu, he woiks the auuience with his chaiming moves anu tuneful iefiain, "I wish
those uays woulu come back once moie." When the gioup stiikes its final pose the ciowu
eiupts into applause, the youngei membeis of the auuience cheeiing ovei theii paients'
clapping.
Aftei seveial stunning peifoimances, incluuing a beautiful choial aiiangement anu
an eugy stuuent-choieogiapheu uance piece, a seiies of speakeis uelivei impassioneu
sounu bites on life at Banneiville. Auministiatoi Nauine Launei uesciibes the school's
unique "thiee-piongeu" stiuctuie, wheie stuuents fiom the local community shaie
acauemic classes with those who have come fiom out of the aiea to attenu the specializeu
visual Aits anu Peifoiming Aits piogiams. Nancy Quinn speaks waimly of the school's
"baiiiei-fiee facilities" that have eaineu Banneiville its status as a uesignateu site foi
stuuents with physical uisabilities. Stuuent iepiesentatives spoiting matching outfits
auoineu with the Banneiville emblem piomote the many extiacuiiiculai gioups at the
school. Fiom the Stuuent Activities Council to the Poetiy Cafe, each enthusiastic iep echoes
the inclusive mantia emphasizeu on the school biochuie. "So open, thoughtful, inviting," it
ieaus, uesciibing Banneiville as a "safe anu caiing enviionment |thatj inspiies life-long
leaining anu a uesiie foi peisonal excellence." As cuiiiculum leaueis fiom visual Aits, Nath
anu Science, anu English uesciibe the positive leaining enviionment fosteieu within each
uepaitment, they paint a poitiait of a uiveise anu suppoitive school community.

* * *

A glimpse into the woikings of this complex community, this iepoit exploies how
Banneiville stuuents anu staff uesciibe the expeiiences, stiengths anu stiuggles that uefine
theii school. Baving iecently eaineu foimal iecognition fiom the school boaiu as a
uesignateu "school foi the aits," Banneiville has iealizeu a longstanuing institutional goal.
Even as this achievement is celebiateu, the school must face new challenges, anu
continuing to cultivate the sense of community, collaboiation, anu iesilience that have
tiauitionally uefineu Banneiville iemain cential to its futuie. Known foi its cultuie of
openness anu acceptance, staff anu stuuents uesciibe Banneiville as a JC<.,.K0? <*L0
0%K.3C%-0%, wheie uiveisity is welcomeu anu celebiateu. This suppoitive setting fosteis a
climate of ueuication anu collaboiation wheie staff anu stuuents aie DC3B.%I ,CI0,E03 ,C
*HE.0K0 ,E0.3 IC*9<( Yet alongsiue these collective stiengths, membeis of the school uesciibe
* HC%<,*%, #*,,90 to maintain excellence in the face of limiteu iesouices. Banneiville
emeiges at the inteisection of these thiee themes of community, collaboiation, anu
iesilience, anu the paiticulai oppoitunities anu obstacles they cieate.


E* C2,.+.I#O ,(H# #)I.&2)>#)+F
Sitting among a colouiful collection of uilapiuateu seconuhanu fuinituie in the
visual Aits teacheis' lounge, Nichelle Bollanu ieflects upon hei eaily expeiiences at
Banneiville. She chuckles anu aumits that she "hau a lot of cultuial aujustments to go
thiough" as she settleu in at the school.
l remember Lelllng a frlend when l flrsL came here Lo work, l feel llke l'm caughL ln Lhe old
Lelevlslon serles, lame!" l go ouL for a walk [usL Lo see whaL's golng on, rlghL? And Lhey're Lhe
mosL lnLeresLlng Lhlngs because klds are maklng Lhelr own cloLhes, Lhey're dolng L-shlrLs, Lhere's
always someLhlng golng on. And lL's noL only LhaL you geL LhaL feellng from Lhe vlsual arLs
sLudenLs, lL's klnd of a general overall Lhlng. 8lghL? um, Lhe sLudenLs are very, very acLlve.
Nis. Bollanu is not the only one to highlight the eneigy that iesonates thioughout
the school. Stuuents anu staff paint a pictuie of Banneiville as a welcoming space wheie
uiveisity is celebiateu anu inuiviuuals aie encouiageu to be themselves. Woius like
"fiienuly," "laiu back," "open," "accepting," anu "safe" come up fiequently in conveisations
about what sets this community apait fiom othei high schools. In the opinion of Biama
stuuent Keiia Nontgomeiy, who has ietuineu foi a fifth yeai at Banneiville, this is a school
that pioviues stuuents with "the enviionment to, you know, figuie out who they ieally aie."
She says that in some high schools, stuuents "woulun't necessaiily feel comfoitable, you
know, just leaining about themselves," wheieas Banneiville pioviues oppoitunities foi this
soit of "self-uiscoveiy." When askeu how she woulu uesciibe the school to someone who's
nevei been theie, Keiia exclaims, "Amazing!"
As if unable to fully convey hei enthusiasm while seateu, Keiia sciunches hei legs
beneath hei to peich on hei plastic cafeteiia chaii, maneuveiing easily in hei baggy black
sweatpants anu hoouy. "0h, I love it. 0m, I ieally woulun't know wheie to stait. Like, I'm,
iight now I'm getting all flusteieu because I'm like, '0h my gosh! Like, what uo I talk about
fiist.'" Keiia laughs at heiself as she stiuggles to finu woius to captuie hei feelings about
the school. Finally, hei giay eyes wiuen as she settles on a single statement. "I guess I woulu
uesciibe it as, um, a positive, safe enviionment."
Staff anu stuuents at Banneiville see this "positive, safe enviionment" as suppoiting
a uiveise community of leaineis, anu they uesciibe uiveisity along seveial uiffeient
uimensions. As one staff membei explains,
SLudenLs of all, you know, from all dlfferenL soclal backgrounds, all dlfferenL socloeconomlc
backgrounds, you know, a loL of dlfferenL sLudenLs feel very welcome here...l Lhlnk LhaL's even,
you know, as much as how Lhe sLudenLs llke Lo dress and Lhe accepLance of Lhe facL LhaL sLudenLs
may dress very dlfferenLly, LhaL's always been parL of Lhe Lone of Lhe school.
Inuiviuual membeis of the school highlight paiticulai aspects of Banneiville's
welcoming enviionment that aie especially meaningful to theii own iuentities. Nick Cole
uesciibes the school as "an extiemely fiienuly enviionment," anu notes that, as a black
stuuent, he appieciates that "theie's not too much, like, segiegation, theie's not too much
iacial stuff." Be pauses anu aujusts the chunky heauphones aiounu his neck as he consiueis

how best to uesciibe his peispective on iace ielations at the school, then chuckles, anu
says, "It's just, this is like the Canaua of high schools."
0f couise, not eveiyone expeiiences this same uegiee of openness. uiaue 11 stuuent
Fian Boffman uesciibes how she negotiates uiffeient iesponses to hei style, which many
woulu uesciibe as uoth. Fian weais Boc Naiten's black leathei boots, black fishnet
stockings, anu a black "faeiie" skiit with safety pins fasteneu to the siues. Bei blonuish haii
pulleu back into a ponytail, Fian's black eyeshauow sweeps up to hei eyebiows anu ciicles
all the way uown to hei cheekbones, a soliu black line uemaiking hei eyes' euges. Although
some might inteipiet hei appeaiance as the expiession of a haish peisonality, Fian is
polite anu fiienuly, anu offeis a thoughtful analysis of how she is peiceiveu by staff anu
stuuents at Banneiville.
l [usL couldn'L Lhlnk of dresslng any oLher way, [usL LhaL's Lhe way l am. And a loL of people, llke a
loL of sLudenLs, when Lhey flrsL don'L know me, Lhey assoclaLe a loL of negaLlve connoLaLlons wlLh
me...8uL a loL of klds, once Lhey geL Lo know me, reallze l'm noL Lhls creepy, sLupld person.
Fian hangs out with a ciowu of stuuents often iefeiieu to as the "basement kius."
Although most stuuents insist that theie aie no cliques oi hieiaichies at Banneiville, the
basement kius aie often uesciibeu in teims that challenge this pictuie of an inclusive
community. "0nless you'ie a basement kiu, you usually stick above giounu," states one
giaue 11 stuuent, who insists that many stuuents avoiu the aiea of the school wheie Fian
anu hei fiienus hangout. "It's a place you uon't want to go. I mean it's scaiy, it's uaik anu
it's louu!"
Bespite this negative steieotype, Fian seems genuinely untioubleu by the way
otheis in the school uesciibe hei gioup of fiienus. "You know what. We just uon't caie
what you think so we aie going to uo whatevei the heck we want," she says with
confiuence. "That's why I love hanging out with them, 'cuz we've gone past the point of
caiing what anybouy else in the school thinks." So while Fian's expeiience as a so-calleu
"basement kiu" complicates the uominant school naiiative of complete openness, she has
ultimately founu Banneiville to be a place wheie she is able to expiess heiself.
0thei stuuents foiegiounu the school's accepting enviionment as a key factoi in
why they chose to attenu Banneiville. Now in giaue 12, Kiis Nonteio iecalls his own
uecision piocess foui yeais eailiei: "Because it's such an accepting school ... I was just
finuing out that I'm gay, anu it was just bettei, because if I weie to go to |my home schoolj, I
know I'u get pickeu on anu stuff." Speaking at a iapiu pace, Kiis uesciibes Banneiville as a
place wheie he is able to be himself, anu "just kinu of go fiee, you know, not ieally caie
what anybouy thinks." This makes school a welcoming place. "It's easy being heie," he says.
The suppoit that Kiis feels at Banneiville is not only an infoimal aspect of the school
cultuie, but is also actively piomoteu by the uayStiaight Alliance. Accoiuing to Patiicia
Rousseau, one of the teacheis involveu with the uSA, the gioup foimeu foui yeais ago with
two piimaiy objectives:
llrsL of all, [usL Lo provlde a place ln Lhe soclal neLwork for klds LhaL were elLher ouL as gay,
lesblans or Lrans, bl or Lrans. [usL Lo glve Lhem sorL of a safe neLwork Lo be able Lo Lalk abouL
lssues. 8uL also Lo [usL, um, [usL Lo hlghllghL LhaL we are noL golng Lo be LoleraLlng any


homophobla whaLsoever ln Lhls school. So by havlng a vlslble group LhaL ls supporLed by Leachers
and Lhe admlnlsLraLlon Lhen hopefully LhaL has, you know, wlll help combaL homophobla.
Ns. Rousseau sees value in pioviuing stuuents with "conciete infoimation" anu
"piopei language" to be able to engage in a moie "open anu honest uiscussion about sexual
oiientation." As a iesult of this woik, she has seen "a slight shift ovei the past foui yeais" in
teims of fosteiing an enviionment that welcomes uiveise sexualities. Neveitheless, Ns.
Rousseau suggests that the school's cultuie of openness piesents its own challenges foi
combating moie subtle foims of uisciimination.
l Lhlnk parL of lL ls LhaL Lhose LhaL are homophoblc or who wlll ouLrlghL bully, dlscrlmlnaLe, or
Lease klds, Lhey are more cauLlous and more quleL abouL lL because Lhere ls a sense LhaL lL ls less
LoleraLed here and Lhere ls a hlgher llkellhood LhaL Lhey wlll be called on lL, and Lhere wlll be
consequences for Lhelr behavlor, buL lL sLlll exlsLs. And someLlmes Lhose more subLle forms of
homophobla are almosL klnd of more dlfflculL Lhan Lhe overL ones, because lL's almosL as lf you
don'L know where lL ls comlng from.
Thus, even as small successes aie celebiateu, they must be vieweu as steps within a
laigei jouiney, as instances of uisciimination peisist uespite the school's ieputation as an
accepting community.
Alongsiue these effoits to cultivate openness anu acceptance within the school,
Banneiville's "positive, safe enviionment" is also fosteieu thiough an appioach to
cuiiiculum anu peuagogy that embiaces uiveise leaining styles anu stuuents. Seveial
acauemic teacheis uesciibe theii effoits to incoipoiate the aits into theii own subject aiea,
be it math, business oi social stuuies. Beyonu the specific foim anu focus of each lesson,
Benita Rahmani uesciibes how she stiives to cultivate a classioom enviionment in which
"stuuents know that if they have something to say, they've got someone to listen."
Connecting hei own teaching piactice to Banneiville's bioauei leaining community, she
notes that the school pioviues "quite an open enviionment foi stuuents," anu that she
aspiies to tianslate this openness into new anu exciting leaining oppoitunities within hei
classes.
It is because of this openness that giaue 12 stuuent Biie Timmons uesciibes
Banneiville as "the gieatest place in the woilu." The sense of the school as a "positive, safe
enviionment" iesonates thiough this stuuent's confiuent woius:
l acLually wake up and am exclLed Lo come Lo school. l know LhaL llke, no maLLer whaL's golng on,
lf l'm upseL l can come here and l won'L even geL flve sLeps lnLo Lhe school and Lhere'll be elLher
a sLudenL l know or a Leacher l know or Penry Lhe hall monlLor, [usL someone Lhere Lo llke, make
me feel beLLer abouL my slLuaLlon.
Cleaily piouu of hei school, Biie feels that Banneiville's piofile has iisen thioughout
the city in the foui yeais that she has been a stuuent theie. "Like, I can say Banneiville anu
people aie like, '0h ya, I've heaiu of that. Isn't that that little school foi the aits in |the East
enuj.' Anu I'm like, 'Ya, that's the place,'" she says, beaming.

EU2&S.)/ +2/#+"#& +2 (1".#I# 2D& /2(3,F
Nick Cole sits cioss-leggeu in the hallway anu stuuies the uouble uoois that he has
appiopiiateu as his canvas. Be looks comfoitable in his ieu baggy sweatpants, white
basketball jeisey anu ieu plaiu hooueu jacket. Bis black toque seems to uefy giavity, tilteu
siueways on his shoit afio, anu a bulky set of heauphones hang aiounu his neck. Be
examines the caiicatuie figuie in his painting, whose long aim stietches acioss the two
uoois as if it weie an elastic banu. Nick's woik is punctuateu by fiequent inteiiuptions, as
stuuents stop to aumiie his aitistiy, often ieaching uown to give theii fiienu a high five oi a
suppoitive hanushake. With each new aumiiei, the aitist's focuseu expiession eiupts into a
wiue smile, often accompanieu by a ueep chuckle oi a quick line of beatboxing.
Nick believes that his expeiiences at Banneiville have gieatly shapeu who he is as
an inuiviuual. Be says that if he'u gone to anothei high school, "like, the way I woulu be as a
peison woulu be veiy uiffeient." Be continues: "Banneiville kinu of like moulus you into a
ceitain kinu of inuiviuual, so when you go out into the woilu of ait, ei, you'u be piepaieu
foi it." But foi Nick, the puisuit of inuiviuual goals is a collaboiative piocess, anu it is his
close woiking ielationships that uefine his Banneiville expeiience:
My closesL frlends here are very slmllar Lo me cuz Lhey have slmllar goals. And we klnda llke work
LogeLher Lo achleve our goals.... Llke, leL's [usL say my buddy's doln' a pro[ecL and he has Lo draw
hlmself. l'll be llke, you know, 1ouch up Lhe nose. 8rlng lL up, llfL lL. 1weak hls eyes," you know,
whaLever. And Lhen he does lL and lL looks beLLer and he's happy. So my relaLlonshlp wlLh my
frlends aL uannervllle's more llke ... lL's llke we're, we're worklng Loward our fuLure, buL we're
[usL havln' fun wlLh lL.
A few steps uown the hall, Lee Cathan echoes what his fiienu Nick has saiu: "The
thing about being in an ait piogiam is people shaie the same inteiests, so theie's a ieally
gieat sense of almost community." Foi Lee, woiking towaiu his goals means combining his
aitistic skills with his passion foi politics, anu he iecently cieateu his own chaiity selling t-
shiits that featuie his ait aiounu issues of wai anu chilu poveity. The iuea foi the chaiity
actually emeigeu out of a Woilu Issues assignment - eviuence that Banneiville stuuents
uiaw on both acauemic anu ait expeiiences as they uevelop theii peisonal aspiiations.
"Peisonally I ieally think if I'm gonna go into ait ... I hope to be able to uo something
positive," Lee explains.
These stuuents have likely acquiieu some of theii passion foi collaboiation fiom
watching theii teacheis woik closely togethei in theii own aitistic anu piofessional
uevelopment. visual Aits teachei Nichelle Bollanu explains that while "all oui teacheis aie
piacticing aitists," the membeis of the uepaitment excel in uiffeient aieas, so "each teachei
is kinu of like a leau teachei in a way heie." She appieciates how the uepaitment cieates
oppoitunities foi staff to leain fiom each othei, anu notes that hei own skills have
impioveu as a iesult.
l can palnL, l sure can'L palnL llke 8oberL newsom. So 8oberL has really been lmprovlng my
palnLlng. Slnce l've come here l Lhlnk my palnLlng has gone up leaps and bounds...So a loL of Lhe
professlonal developmenL ls acLually peer. lL's noL comlng from ouLslde sources.
Stoiies of the collaboiative puisuit of peisonal goals aie echoeu by stuuents anu
staff thioughout the school. But since Banneiville is a complex anu uiveise space, the


theme of "woiking togethei to achieve oui goals" manifests in a vaiiety of ways, as
membeis of the school community take up this pioject in ielation to theii own ioles anu
aspiiations.
Peifoiming Aits stuuents also highlight coopeiative enueavouis, uesciibing the
impoitance of mentoiship as a coie piinciple of theii piogiam. Foi uiaue 1u stuuent 0livia
Noble, this has meant coming to teims with the fact that "you uon't know as much as the
oluei kius anu like, you'ie leaining fiom them anu like, they'ie youi teacheis." Biie
Timmons ieiteiates this point fiom hei peispective as a senioi stuuent. She says that the
biggest thing she's leaineu thiough foui yeais of the music theatie piogiam is "you have to
be a team playei". She iepeats the mantia so often espouseu by the piogiam's aitistic
uiiectoi, to "leave youi ego at the uooi." As Biie uesciibes the significance of this team
oiientation, she echoes the woius of hei teachei anu mentoi, fiaming collaboiation as a
mattei of aitistic piofessionalism:
l Lhlnk you have Lo be Lhe klnd of person who ls ln lL for Lhe Leam, who ls ln lL for Lhe show, Lhe
group, Lhe producLlon ln general, lsn'L ln lL for, Look aL me, look aL me! l need Lo lead! l wanL
Lhls parL! l need Lo be Lhe maln focus of aLLenLlon." 8ecause lf you're llke LhaL and you have a
lead and Lhen Lhe day before Lhe show you geL cuL llke people always do, Lhen you're gonna go
and be a blg baby abouL lL and go cry and have a hlssy flL when LhaL's, LhaL's noL professlonal aL
all. ?ou couldn'L do LhaL ln Lhe professlonal world.
Stuuents in the music theatie piogiam leain eaily on that being a membei of this
team iequiies immense ueuication, sometimes even saciifice. 0livia Noble uesciibes the
uifficult uecision to stop playing soccei uuiing hei giaue 9 yeai, when she iealizeu that she
just coulun't juggle extiacuiiiculais alongsiue piogiam commitments:
l had Lo qulL Lhe soccer Leam and llke, lL was hearLbreaklng 'cuz llke, l had made a commlLmenL
Lo Lhem and l [usL had Lo llke break LhaL, whlch was hard. 8uL...we have Lo undersLand llke, LhaL
llke, muslc LheaLre does come flrsL.
0livia says that the biggest challenge that stuuents in the music theatie piogiam
face is "the balancing of like, of eveiything." Even though achieving this balance has
iequiieu 0livia to make some saciifices, she ultimately feels that the tiaue-off is justifieu.
"Anu ya, it gets tiiing but like, because we love it so much, like, it's woith it," she explains.
Teacheis have woikeu haiu to establish this sense of collective commitment within
the Peifoiming Aits piogiam. Teachei Isabelle uiaft insists that the staff "ieally team teach
on the stage anu off the stage." Isabelle uesciibes the piogiam as a "fine-oileu machine,"
anu notes that teacheis meet uaily in oiuei to cooiuinate theii evolving scheuules. What's
moie, this collaboiative spiiit extenus beyonu this tightly-knit teaching staff to incluue a
netwoik of piofessionals who aie fiequently inviteu to woik with stuuents. Isabelle
explains that foi this yeai's piouuction of 2.//903 C% ,E0 !CCL, "we'ie hiiing a piofessional
fiuulei to be on stage, so that the kius always iise to the soit of calibie of the piofessional
that's with them." Within the Peifoiming Aits piogiam, the notion of woiking togethei to
achieve collective goals means foiging stiong connections with aitistic piofessionals. "We
collaboiate with each othei anu we also collaboiate with the community," one teachei
states piouuly.

Bespite this emphasis on collaboiation, teacheis within the Peifoiming Aits aumit
that tensions sometimes aiise as a iesult of the level of ueuication that is expecteu of
stuuents in the piogiam. As Chiis Euwaius iemaiks:
l mean [usL Loday aL lunch on my way here l had Lwo Leachers speaklng Lo me abouL a fleld Lrlp,
and Lhen Lhelr ulLlmaLe lrlsbee Leam because some of Lhe klds lnvolved wlLh boLh of Lhose are ln
Lhe speclal rehearsals...1here always has Lo be a blg negoLlaLlon every Llme around Lhls, um you
know, and um we have Lo remlnd Lhem, you know Lhese rehearsals, Lhese performances are
currlcular-lL's parL of Lhe course work, you know as opposed Lo someLhlng LhaL ls exLra-
currlcular.
Isabelle ieiteiates this stiuggle. She notes that stuuents who "auuition to come to
the school aie coming heie foi the peifoiming aits, so at the enu of the uay that usually
takes pieceuence." Yet, she acknowleuges the tension between the piogiam's integiative
philosophy anu the expectation that stuuents will foifeit othei commitments in the inteiest
of the show. "If oui whole philosophy is that it's holistic," she consiueis, "then we shoulu
want the stuuent to be able to play spoits anu to be as uiveisifieu in theii high school
caieei as they can." 0ltimately, though, she sees value in teaching stuuents to "piioiitize
anu unueistanu that you can't uo eveiything." 0n the whole, Isabelle thinks that ielations
within the school have impioveu ovei the yeais, anu that the uiffeient uepaitments have
gotten bettei at negotiating this tension. "It's a challenge, but we have been able to woik
aiounu it," she says.
0theis, howevei, see this issue of balance anu flexibility as a peisistent tension
within the school. Nany acauemic teacheis insist that although they aie expecteu to
accommouate the specializeu piogiams, theii effoits aie seluom met with the same uegiee
of compiomise. "I sometimes feel like we neeu moie suppoit in the sense that, foi example,
we give up time foi the kius to be able to go anu, anu peifoim anu ieheaise. Anu I just feel
that aftei that peiiou of time is ovei, we shoulu maybe get back some time," says Sangheeta
Enuela. She suggests that woiking towaiu this balance neeus to be a community effoit
embiaceu by the school as a whole. Reflecting the tensions inheient in the theme of
"woiking togethei to achieve oui goals," she states, "So I woulu ieally like to see moie
collaboiation, you know, between the uepaitments."
Nembeis of the auministiative anu guiuance teams offei theii own thoughts on the
challenge of maintaining a collaboiative enviionment alongsiue specializeu piogiamming.
"I think if you talk to the acauemic teacheis, they'll tell you one of the biggest stiuggles is
that the kius who go to peifoiming aits aie out of school uuiing show times oi ieheaisal
times," Nancy Quinn explains. "Bow uo you catch those kius up anu how uo you teach youi
iegulai class. ... Anu how uo you keep teaching the iegulai kius in youi classioom with
integiity." These questions illuminate how effoits to accommouate the specializeu aits
piogiams impact all membeis of the Banneiville community, incluuing stuuents fiom the
local aiea whose classes aie often shapeu aiounu the neeus of those in the aits. 0ltimately,
Banneiville faces the challenge of suppoiting the specializeu focus of the aits piogiams
while also auvancing the collective objectives of the school as a whole. Ns. Quinn iaises the
question:


Pow do we provlde speclal programs buL also make sure LhaL Lhe klds are golng Lo graduaLe,
have opporLunlLles when Lhey flnlsh? 1haL we've goL LhaL academlc lnLegrlLy held as well as Lhe
speclal program. And LhaL's a dlfflculL balance, lL really ls.
This shaieu challenge manifests in stuuents' peisonal stiuggles to balance the
specializeu piogiamming with theii uesiie to puisue othei inteiests. uiaue 12 visual Aits
stuuent Noia Taiasick loves uancing anu has taken ballet classes outsiue of school, but has
been unable to stuuy uance at Banneiville. "I haven't hau time," she explains. "Well, not just
that I haven't hau time, it's the fact that um, ait takes up so many cieuits, it's haiu to kinu of
fit in othei things." In fact, Noia's position within the specializeu piogiam has pieventeu
hei fiom taking the couises that woulu best suppoit hei uesiieu futuie as a costume
uesignei, because Banneiville's fashion couises aie not pait of the special seiies. "But
again, that's one of those classes, Fashion, that I can't ieally get into 'cuz it's uuiing this ait
peiiou," she says. Even still, Noia is hesitant to ciiticize the piogiam stiuctuie because she
feels foitunate to have the oppoitunity to uevote so much of hei schooling to ait. "Baving
all that time foi ait is gieat," she says. "It's about two anu a half houis a uay, which is ieally
gieat. Foi something that all these kius heie ieally love, like, it's gieat to have them
spenuing that much time on it."
In light of the uiveise peispectives anu inteiests that make up Banneiville's iich
school community, the theme of "woiking togethei to achieve oui goals" becomes a
challenging enueavoui, even with the immense commitment of staff anu stuuents. This
piocess will iequiie continual negotiation, in oiuei to balance the uual uemanus of
specialization anu well-iounueu euucational expeiiences. Patiicia Rousseau offeis the
ieminuei that "at Banneiville Collegiate School foi the Aits, the collegiate is as big a pait of
us as the school foi the aits is." In the woius of auministiatoi Nauine Launei, this means
iecognizing that "the politics of life heie is that, you know, this is not a theatie company,
this is a school. Anu as a school, we have a iesponsibility to euucate in all aspects."
Nembeis of the school iecognize this challenge, anu many aie optimistic about the
possibilities that aie openeu up by woiking togethei to puisue both specializeu anu
collective objectives.

E* 12),+()+ '(++3#F
In the low lighting of the naiiow, cozy, Peifoiming Aits office, tuckeu aiounu the
coinei fiom the auuitoiium stage, Beveiley Nichols iecounts the enuless financial stiuggles
that have shapeu the piogiam's jouiney. She contiasts the "oiganic" uevelopment of the
Peifoiming Aits at Banneiville with othei specializeu aits piogiams in the city, anu insists
"nobouy thiew money at us, nobouy tolu us to uo it."
All Lhose oLher schools were, had all Lhe rooms, all Lhe everyLhlng. LveryLhlng we've goL, we've
goLLen from Lhe compleLe opposlLe way LhaL all Lhe oLher schools dld. Lvery dance sLudlo, every
new space has been by some prlnclpal flghLlng for us or whaL have you because - and Lhls ls
really lmporLanL - because we're ln a poorer area and we don'L have Lhe docLors and Lhe lawyers
and Lhe whaL-have-yous on as parenLs.

Now a specially uesignateu aits school with a Peifoiming Aits piogiam that uiaws
stuuents fiom gieat uistances, this teachei is piouu to say that meiit, not money, has been
the ioot of Banneiville's success. "We just happeneu to have a gieat piouuct, anu that's
how come oui ieputation staiteu to giow."
Neveitheless, the school's financial stiuggles continue, anu the challenge of
maintaining excellence in the context of scaice iesouices is a souice of both stiife anu piiue
at Banneiville. Besciibing the feat of "iunning a school on a shoe stiing," Nauine Launei
notes wiyly, "at least the shoestiing leaus to cieativity." As an auministiatoi, she has heaiu
countless stoiies fiom staff membeis iegaiuing the cieative tiansfoimations that have
occuiieu ovei the yeais. Fiom tiansfoiming a fitness centie into a uance stuuio, to builuing
an extension on the stage in teacheis' spaie time, each anecuote ieflects the stoiy of the
school's ability to auapt to changing neeus with limiteu iesouices.
Teachei Keith Laikin insists that one of the things he likes most about Banneiville is
the fact that theie's always "ioom foi impiovement." Neveitheless, he aumits that money
iemains a souice of tension within the school. While he is "not piivy to too much of the
uetails," Ni. Laikin has seen his own buuget tighten in the past few yeais, anu uesciibes the
challenge of "tiying to figuie out how to impiove anu spenu less than fifty peicent of what
you useu to." Even when the school accesses neeueu iesouices, like the piovincial funuing
they iecently ieceiveu to builu a laige set uesign space on the fiist flooi, theii own buuget
limitations make it neaily impossible to capitalize on these oppoitunities. At this time, the
one million uollai facility iemains a laige open space since theie is no money foi iesouices.
This absence is most appaient within the mezzanine computei lab, which featuies a nice
new countei, but no computeis. Ni. Laikin laughs as he uesciibes the absuiuity of having
access to such an impiessive new facility but lacking the veiy equipment neeueu to take
auvantage of this space.
The school's financial stiuggles uo not go unnoticeu by stuuents. In one uiaue 1u
Social Science class, Natalie Noiiison leans into the aisle engiosseu in conveisation, a half-
wiitten paiagiaph left foigotten on hei uesk. Bei long blonu haii pulleu back with a
butteifly clip, Natalie blinks hei blue eyes befoie making hei next point, ievealing a coat of
spaikly eyeshauow. "I think the visual Aits aie unuei-appieciateu heie," she states, mattei-
of-factly. Aiguing that Banneiville's Nusic Theatie stuuents get all the attention, Natalie
iefeiences the expensive new ienovations on the fiist flooi. The boy behinu hei pipes in,
lamenting that the "NT kius" get a "2 million uollai ioom," while the spoits teams aie
foiceu to take public tiansit to theii games. The comment piovokes laughtei fiom
suiiounuing stuuents. Seemingly satisfieu, the boy aujusts the golu chain aiounu his neck
anu leans back in his oveisizeu ieu t-shiit anu baggy jeans.
Teachei Leslie Thoinuike aumits that she shaies some of the fiustiations alluueu to
by these stuuents. Peicheu on the euge of a sunken couch cushion in the staff lounge, she
uesciibes the complicateu financial histoiy that has shapeu ongoing tensions aiounu
funuing within the school. "It's an issue at this school because foi a long time we weie
tiying to get uesignation as an aits school," she explains. In Ns. Thoinuike's account, the
staff was tolu that "with the name was supposeu to come extia funuing," anu so foi yeais,


acauemic uepaitments tighteneu theii belts because they "weie basically suppoiting the
specialty aieas." Bowevei, Ns. Thoinuike says that in the thiee yeais since Banneiville
gaineu foimal iecognition as an aits school, nothing has changeu but the name. "So my
buuget hasn't gone up in ten yeais, which is iiuiculous!" she says. In auuition to cultivating
fiustiations among acauemic teacheis who feel slighteu by what they see as a piolongeu
pattein of unfaiiness within the school, Ns. Thoinuike suggests that these funuing
uispaiities mean that Banneiville can baiely pioviue stuuents with the minimal iesouices
neeueu to suppoit theii leaining.
l've had Lwo overhead pro[ecLors dle because Lhey're llke LwenLy years old... And buylng Lhose
have wlped ouL my enLlre budgeL. . So money ls a blg lssue because l Lhlnk LhaL puLs us behlnd
ln our programs, our academlc programs, whlch ls frusLraLlng because Lhe conLenL we Leach ls
exacLly Lhe same as any oLher school.
Ns. Thoinuike leans back against the oiange couch cushion anu sighs. "Theie's not
veiy many negatives about woiking at this school," she insists. "It's a ieally nice place to
teach. That woulu be the one issue I have. Anu if it wasn't, if we weie funueu enough, I
woulun't caie what they uiu."
The uesks in the uuiuance office aie coveieu with piles of blue, white anu yellow
foims, making it appeai as though those woiking theie aie liteially buiieu in woik. While
those in uuiuance woik closely with the auministiatois, theii combineu woikloau coulu
easily waiiant multiple uepaitments. Aumitting that the team is oveibuiueneu, Nancy
Quinn expiesses hei concein that as a iesult of the auministiative uemanus of the
specializeu piogiams, they aie unable to pioviue auequate suppoit to those stuuents who
neeu it the most. She anu otheis involveu in suppoiting stuuents,
consLanLly Lalk abouL how we wlsh Lhere were Lhlngs we could be dolng for klds ln Lerms of
supporL and counsellng and Lracklng Lhe aL-rlsk klds ln our bulldlng, wheLher Lhey're ln any
program, doesn'L maLLer. 8uL we have so much of Lhls admlnlsLraLlon klnd of sLuff Lo do LhaL
unforLunaLely, someLlmes we don'L have Lhe Llme we'd llke Lo be spendlng wlLh Lhe aL-rlsk klds.
Nancy lists a few of the challenges that Banneiville stuuents face, incluuing poveity,
uepiession, anu abuse. She notes that, although not always the case, these issues aie often
most seveie among stuuents fiom the local neighbouihoouthe veiy stuuents who aie
sometimes oveilookeu by the focus on specializeu piogiamming. She envisions "a faiiei
woilu" in which Banneiville woulu hiie "auuitional staffing in uuiuance to help with the
auministiation suppoit of this piogiam," fieeing up moie iesouices foi counselling
seivices. But as a piagmatist, she knows this piospect is unlikely, anu is ueteimineu to
pioviue the gieatest suppoit possible with what the auministiation can offei:
So Lhls has been a consLanL baLLle. 1he, you know, we rarely, we're here long, long days ... And lL
sLlll, you always feel llke you're noL dolng whaL you'd really llke Lo be able Lo do for klds. So lL ls a
frusLraLlon.
When askeu if theie is anything about the school that he'u like to change, uiaue 12
visual ait stuuent Lee Cathan pauses, anu sciuffs up his alieauy messy biown haii as he
thinks. Aftei a moment, he concluues, "the only thing I guess, moie funuing anu bettei
ieputation." Lee suggests that because the school is locateu in the city's east enu, it is
sometimes "misiepiesenteu" in the meuia, uespite the fact that "it's an excellent school." In

teims of funuing, he aumits that he uoesn't know the ins anu outs of the school's finances,
but unueistanus that "we always go, ah, ovei buuget, appaiently." Quick to uefenu this
piactice, he auus, "but we uo, we spenu it well, ceitainly." Lee laments that although
Banneiville is "just as goou, if not bettei" than othei schools, it hasn't ieceiveu the same
iecognition as othei specializeu aits piogiams in the city. Looking aheau, though, he sees a
piomising futuie foi the school:
l Lhlnk, ah, our repuLaLlon ls slowly lncreaslng, geLLlng, ah, we're geLLlng ouL Lhere. And ah, Lhere
are people LhaL are way furLher ouL of Lhe area, mlnd you, LhaL come here...and Lhey keep
comlng here, so LhaL goes Lo show you LhaL Lhey're dedlcaLed. um, we're deflnlLely up Lhere.

V22S.)/ H2&M(&A
Biane Rempel enthusiastically uesciibes hei involvement in Banneiville's vision
Committee, which is uiafting a plan foi school initiatives in the coming yeais. Now in the
eaily stages of "vision casting," Nis. Rempel is woiking towaiu asking questions that will
facilitate ieflection. "You know, what uoes Banneiville uo best anu what uoes it want to uo
bettei, oi how uoes it want to uo things uiffeiently, anu how aie we gonna get theie." In a
school as uiveise anu complex as Banneiville, this piocess involves consulting vaiious
uepaitments anu cohoit iepiesentatives in oiuei to ensuie that all voices aie heaiu.
Biinging hei past expeiiences with aits euucation in a vaiiety of contexts, Nis.
Rempel offeis some insight into the challenges piesenteu by Banneiville's unique
auministiative stiuctuie. In paiticulai, she suggests that the "school within a school"
mouel, seiving stuuents fiom the local community as well as those within specializeu
piogiams, can be uifficult to maintain without a faculty liason whose job is to "ease the
stiesses that kinu of come up between the aits anu non-aits pait of the school." Nis.
Rempel is also quick to highlight the school's many stiengths, incluuing the 12-cieuit visual
aits iequiiement that allows senioi stuuents to spenu half of theii school uay in the stuuio.
"This is something you ought to be just piomoting like ciazy," she insists. The vision
Committee aims to iaise the school's piofile thiough incieaseu communications, as well as
to foige new anu innovative paitneiships with local oiganizations. 0ltimately, Nis. Rempel
sees these effoits as stiengthening Banneiville's alieauy vibiant community anu pioviuing
gieatei suppoit anu oppoitunities foi staff anu stuuents. "I'm hoping that the woik that
we'ie uoing will be unifying to the school, anu will also give people some uiiection...things
to pin theii wish lists to anu some, some ways of iealizing some of those wishes."
As teacheis uiaft theii own wishlists, iesouices consistently pose a foimiuable
obstacle. Isabelle uiaft uieams of the uay when Nusic Theatie can hiie live musicians to
accompany ieheaisals, but aumits that the piospect is unlikely when they can baiely
finance piogiam necessities. "So I think it woulu piobably go back to money," she aumits.
Auministiatoi Nauine Launei iecognizes this sticking point. She sees the vision Committee
as a means of "ueveloping netwoiks anu sponsoiship, commitments fiom outsiue people to
come anu help us anu to inciease oui piofile in the community, but also as a way of getting
bettei iesouiceu fiom the community." Leaning foiwaiu to iest hei foieaims on the table,
hei blue eyes wiue anu iounu, she emphasizes the significance of these new funuing


initiatives foi the futuie of the piogiams. "If we want this to continue, then we've got to
ueciue that that's got to be pait of oui focus."
Baviu Lee iecognizes that the school's challenges extenu beyonu the task of secuiing
moie iesouices, anu into the complicateu issue of achieving an equitable suppoit system
acioss uepaitments. "I uefinitely think that the school has been woiking haiu to suppoit
oui special piogiams," he begins, thoughtfully. "Anu you know, we aie ieally hoping that
we can continue to finu, I guess, the iight kinu of balance between suppoiting those
piogiams as well as all of oui othei piogiams as well. I think that it's a uifficult balance to
holu." Consiueiing this challenge fuithei, he aumits that the issue of balance involves moie
than just money, anu also uemanus "iecognition of stuuents in soit of all the aieas of the
school as well," incluuing acauemics, athletics, anu extiacuiiiculais.
Banneiville stuuents' visions foi the futuie ieflect these uiveise elements of theii
euucational expeiiences. Some have been uiawn to the school's specializeu piogiams
because of uieams to entei the piofessional aitistic community, whethei as animatois,
actois, costume uesigneis oi uiiectois. 0theis speak piouuly of the school's iigoious
acauemic piogiams. uiaue 11 stuuent Sawsan Khan has begun taking business couises anu
hopes to puisue a caieei as an investment managei. Beyonu these specific acauemic
piepaiations, Sawsan sees value in the uiveise expeiiences anu ielationships that she has
founu at Banneiville. "Ny communication skills have gotten bettei," she explains. "0nce
you giauuate fiom high school you'ie going into the outsiue woilu, so being in this school
actually helps me out with that because, like, theie's a lot of uiffeient people in this school,
uiffeient types which you will finu outsiue of school too."
Sitting in the hallway outsiue the uance stuuio, Sitaia Bayes caiefully stuuies the
sciipt foi this yeai's show, wheie she will peifoim hei fiist leau iole. Bei long Inuian skiit
is spieau out on the flooi aiounu hei, its eaith tones matching the beautiful biown, yellow,
anu beige scaif that wiaps aiounu hei haii, accentuating hei uaik tanneu skin. Sitaia plans
to attenu univeisity in Inteinational Bevelopment Stuuies next yeai, anu hopes to stait hei
own non-piofit oiganization some uay. She aumits that otheis sometimes question hei
choice to attenu a specializeu aits piogiam:
A loL of people ask me LhaL, llke Why are you ln drama focus, ln muslc LheaLre lf you're, you're
noL even gonna pursue lL?" 8uL lL's Lhe sLuff LhaL you learn ln performlng and belng a parL of a
group and Lhe breaLhlng exerclses, even Lhe smallesL Lhlngs can affecL you and you can Lake lL
wlLh everyLhlng LhaL you do. lL's [usL, Lhey lnsLll so many lmporLanL Lhlngs LhaL don'L [usL have Lo
do wlLh performlng, [usL flndlng yourself and dlfferenL Lhlngs llke LhaL whlch are so valuable.
Foi Sitaia, paiticipating in the Nusic Theatie piogiam has pioviueu hei with the
feeling of "being pait of something that is biggei than youiself." While she is exciteu about
the many new expeiiences that await hei aftei high school, Sitaia aumits that she will miss
the suppoitive community that she founu at Banneiville. "It's like a family," she says,
smiling. "It's been a fantastic expeiience."


Sherwood Secondary Academy

Its Wonderland and its Free Admission:
The Cherry on the Ice Cream, The People are
what Makes it Great, and The Best of Both
Worlds

Rubn A. Gaztambide-Fernndez, Elena VanderDussen,
& Yuko Kawashima.

On the north end of what is now consiueieu pait of the Toionto coie, the
spaikling new facility of Sheiwoou Seconuaiy is buffeieu fiom a bustling commeicial
uistiict by a few blocks of quiet anu well-kept iesiuential neighbouihoou. Stuuents jay-
walk fiom mall to school, foiuing muuuy pathways with theii "0gg" boots anu Conveise
sneakeis in the snow. The polisheu anu alluiing physical spaces of both the mall anu the
school shaie similai aichitectuial chaiacteiistics in theii uesign, with high ceilings that
extenu up seveial stoiies, anu laige iounu spaces anchoieu with staiicases that spiial up
anu uown. Walking into the laige anu aiiy thiee-stoiy fiont foyei of Sheiwoou Seconuaiy,
it can be easy to foiget foi a moment that you aie in a high school. "It's a beautiful school, it
looks like a mall!" one teachei uesciibes, iecalling his fiist impiession of the place.
The cential impoitance of the aits at Sheiwoou is eviuent in eveiy uiiection upon
enteiing the spacious school foyei, suggesting the stiong piesence of the Richaiu Nonette
specializeu aits piogiam. Light fiom the many winuows on all siues floous the main hall,
illuminating a iow of uisplay cases on the south wall, each of which featuies one of the five
majois of the specializeu aits piogiam. Coiiiuois on the main flooi leau towaius the uance,
uiama, anu music uepaitments, with the fiont-most section of the school ueuicateu to an
ample ieception aiea foi peifoimances. The iefuibisheu auuitoiium, with a seating
capacity upwaiu of five hunuieu, is all that iemains of the oiiginal Sheiwoou Collegiate
builuing stiuctuie, which was uemolisheu to make way foi an entiiely new state-of-the-ait
facility a few yeais ago. Piofessional uance stuuios with spiung floois neighboui "black
box" styleu theatie spaces on the giounu flooi, biiugeu by the highly equippeu set-builuing
caipentiy shop. Laige aiiy stuuios on the seconu flooi aie foi the visual anu scieen aits
specializeu classes, filleu with bianu new supplies. Apple Nacintosh computeis line the
wall of one scieen aits ioom, while technical equipment hangs fiom giius on the ceilings
aiounu uiffeient paits of the ioom. While the aits occupy the laigest anu most centiic
spaces at the school, acauemic couises aie houseu piimaiily on the peiipheiy, with social
stuuies classes filling in the naiiow classiooms on the thiiu flooi, mathematics iooms
acioss the walk-way to the fai west wing, anu physical euucation in the basement.

Balconies suiiounu the cential foyei space, exposing the hallways on each level
wheie visual ait can be seen hanging fiom the walls, anu a giant staiicase connects the
floois towaius the foyei's enu. A bell iings, anu suuuenly Sheiwoou comes to life as a high
school; stuuents floou the staiicase as they move fiom one class to the next. School
auministiatoi Cail Cioss uesciibes that it is the stuuents that make the place thiive:
1he klds LhaL are ln Lhese programs almosL brlng a llfe Lo Lhe school . Lhls school seems Lo pump
more, lL's goL more of a beaL. l'm noL sure lf LhaL's from Lhe 8lck MoneLLe program, or lf LhaL's
Lhe Lype of kld LhaL goes Lo school here . when l walk ln Lhe hallways, and you can see someone
dolng a dance or Muslc or urama or pracLlclng or someLhlng llke LhaL. So lL has LhaL splrlL Lo lL.
1here's deflnlLely more splrlL ln Lhls school. Cf all Lhe schools l've been ln 1oronLo, acLually, l
would say Lhls school has Lhe mosL splrlL.
Nost stuuents anu faculty expiess excitement about being pait of the Nonette
piogiam at Sheiwoou. They expiess the sense that being pait of this school is a gieat
piivilege, anu that it is a place wheie gieat people come to take auvantage of gieat
iesouices in a context in which the aits play a majoi iole in shaping stuuent expeiience.
These expeiiences manifest thiough thiee themes that aie exploieu in this iepoit; fiist, the
impoitant iole of the aits in shaping what happens at the school anu the sense that the aits
aie what one teachei uesciibeu as "the cheiiy on the ice cieam," the thing that makes
Sheiwoou Seconuaiy stanu out anu shine as a unique anu phenomenal place to teach anu
leain; seconu, the sense that what makes the place thiive is the calibei anu enthusiasm that
stuuents anu teacheis biing to the piogiam anu the qualities that make these stuuents anu
teacheis exceptional; anu thiiu, the notion that Sheiwoou in geneial anu the Nonette
piogiam in paiticulai pioviue iesouices anu oppoitunities foi eveiybouy.
Encompassing aits anu acauemics, the "eniicheu cuiiiculum" of the Nonette
piogiam pioviues an alluiing enviionment of choice anu oppoitunity foi stuuents anu
paients in Toionto, cultivating an atmospheie that is highly competitive, socially uynamic,
anu uiiven foi success.
The combination of acauemic anu aitistic excellence is ieflecteu in the mission
statement of the Richaiu Nonette Piogiam:
1he 8lchard MoneLLe ArLs rogram ls a dual LhrusL program of arLs and academlcs for audlLloned
sLudenLs ln Crades 9 Lhrough 12 wlLhln Sherwood Secondary School. lL offers an enrlched
currlculum for sLudenLs wlLh speclal lnLeresLs and LalenLs ln uance, urama, Muslc, Screen ArLs
and vlsual ArLs. AudlLloned sLudenLs speclallze wlLh an arLs Ma[or focus along wlLh elecLlve arLs
courses ln an aLmosphere of creaLlvlLy, arLlsLlc and academlc excellence.
Sheiwoou is an impiessive school, both in its physical appeaiance anu its polisheu
peifoimances. It gives the impiession of fun, of liveliness, of eneigy, anu even luxuiy. At the
same time, it's a public school, with fiee access piemiseu on openness, anu an expiesseu
commitment to offeiing ioom foi anyone with a talent anu uiive. This combination of
public access to an euucation maikeu by the piesence of the aits wheie eneigy anu
enthusiasm keep the school abuzz leaus one teachei to uesciibe what it is like to be at the
school: "the Nonette kius aie jumping on the tiampoline, bouncing aiounu, you know what
I mean. It's just anothei uay at the paik. It's Wonueilanu anu its fiee aumission."


E!"# Q"#&&? 2) +"# P1# Q&#(>F
"Is Sheiwoou Seconuaiy youi fiist choice oi youi seconu." Two anxious stuuents
talk while waiting in the line maikeu "BRANA" on the Richaiu Nonette Specializeu Aits
Piogiam auuition uay at Sheiwoou Seconuaiy. "I uon't know," hei companion answeis.
"It's my fiist choice," says the fiist giil, smiling with ceitainty. At 7:4S, on a colu moining in
}anuaiy, most schools in the uistiict aie vacant as stuuents have a few uays off at the enu of
the semestei. The glass-walleu ieception hall at Sheiwoou Seconuaiy, howevei, is packeu
with stuuents, some holuing laige poitfolios anu canvases; otheis uiesseu in leotaius oi
uangling ballet anu jazz shoes in hanu. The volume seems to climb with the excitement as
the time ticks closei to 8:uu, when auuitions officially begin. "I wanna huil!" Anothei Rick
Nonette hopeful tells hei fiienu as she checks in with iegistiation foi hei nametag anu
auuition mateiials. Bei neivousness seems to echo the eneigy of all of the stuuents theie,
waiting to see if they will become membeis of the Rick Nonette piogiam of the Aits.
The ieputation of the Rick Nonette Specializeu Aits piogiam is pieceueu by twenty-
five yeais of aitistic excellence. Bouseu at the Sheiwoou Seconuaiy School, uiama teachei
Ns. Ellen Biiggs uesciibes the Rick Nonette piogiam as "the cheiiy on the ice cieam" of an
alieauy well-ieputeu anu high-achieving school:
1he school as a whole has hlgh LesL resulLs. 1he school ls a beauLlful bulldlng so Lhe faclllLles are
gorgeous. 1he school has very llLLle problems ln crlme, whaL some of Lhe oLher schools are
known Lo have. So, we have hlgh academlcs, nlce space, very few problems, so l Lhlnk all of LhaL
creaLes an lmpresslon. And l Lhlnk Lhe arLs school ls Lhe cherry, you know on Lhe lce cream . lL's
Lhe deslgner label.
Sheiwoou Seconuaiy uiu not always have the glowing ieputation that it uoes touay.
Teacheis anu auministiatois iecall that befoie the Rick Nonette Piogiam, the school was
known foi its pioblems with uiugs anu violence. 0ne auministiatoi uesciibes that since
the initiation of thiee specializeu piogiams at Sheiwoou Seconuaiy, the school anu local
community have unueigone a noticeable tiansfoimation:
8lck MoneLLe came ln here, Lhe ClfLed program came here, and Lhe ClfLed ALhleLe came here. So
Lhree speclallzed programs ralsed Lhe sLandard of Lhls school, because you goL Lo aLLracL oLher
sLudenLs from oLher areas. 1hen lL changed Lhe dynamlcs of Lhls nelghbourhood . l Lhlnk
because of Lhls school, Lhe houslng around Lhls area has changed. 8ecause you'll see a loL of
small homes and Lhen huge homes. So people have chosen Lo buy properLy ln Lhls area, Lear
down LhaL small home and bulld Lhls humungous manslon ln order for Lhe chlld Lo come here.
The physical tiansfoimation of the iesiuential community suiiounuing the school is
miiioieu in the physical tiansfoimation of Sheiwoou Seconuaiy's physical space. While the
gifteu anu athletic specializeu piogiams weie ielocateu to othei schools, the Rick Nonette
piogiam has giown anu flouiisheu, iequiiing a ieuesign of the school's physical space. The
olu school builuing was "completely wipeu out" to make ioom foi the school's new
"beautiful bianu new mouein spaces."
0ne way that the aits "shine theii light" on the school is thiough the enthusiasm anu
"school spiiit" that stuuents in the aits piogiam emanate thioughout the school space.

Stuuents in the Rick Nonette piogiam confiim uesciiptions of an eneigizing school spiiit at
Sheiwoou Seconuaiy. Iiis Kelly uesciibes hei fiienus in the piogiam:
we geL really um, exclLed and hyper LogeLher, llke we feed off each oLher's energy and llke, lL's
klnd of, l don'L know. Pave you ever seen Lhe movle ()*+? lL's klnd of llke LhaL llke, all Lhe Llme,
llke Lhere's always somebody danclng ln Lhe hall, and we're always llke, comlng up wlLh new
ldeas for llke, shows llke, we can do. And we [usL have a loL of fun LogeLher.
Biittany Bughes, an eleventh giaue stuuent in the newest of the piogiam's five
specializeu aits majois - the Film Aits piogiam - suggests that the school's spiiit fosteis a
"goou uynamic" of suppoiting each othei's stiengths, "not in a competitive way." Ninth
giauei visual Aits majoi Kylie Neichant, howevei, has founu the tiansition to high school
to be somewhat oveiwhelming in the specializeu aits piogiam. While she has been able to
auapt to its iigoui, she suggests that otheis finu the piogiam to be "too much:"
Llfe here ln Lhls school ls really hecLlc and lL's overwhelmlng because so much [ls] golng on all Lhe
Llme . Lhere's so many people, llke you're walklng around Lhe halls, you don'L even know llke,
half Lhe people LhaL you see and lL's, lL's really llke, lL's llke a mlnl, llke lL's llke a mlnl clLy ln Lhe
school and l, lL's, lL's really, lL's really good, llke for me some people, l Lhlnk Lhey flnd lL Loo much.
Llke, l know a few people have acLually lefL from vlsual arLs because lL was Loo much for Lhem.
Ns. Naiilyn Boskin, an expeiienceu uance teachei at Sheiwoou, suggest a uiffeient
inteipietation of the spiiit of the school in compaiison to when she fiist aiiiveu as a
teachei:
l remember lL was ()*+. 1hls school was ()*+, lL's noL now. lL's a very dlfferenL school, Lhe
school l sLarLed ln, and Lhe reason l came was because lL was an arL school, lL was all Lhe dance
ma[ors wanLed Lo be dancers. now, you geL maybe one ouL of LhlrLy who say l wanL Lo be a
dancer," Lhe resL wanL Lo be docLors and lawyers. Whlch ls flne, buL lL's a dlfferenL feellng.
A change in the stuuent population ovei the yeais, Ns. Boskin suggests, has iesulteu
in a uiffeient feeling to the school anu a uiffeient meaning of the puipose of the aits. Nusic
Teachei Ni. Anthony Beig offeis a uiffeient inteipietation of the changes he has seen ovei
the yeais, suggesting that the aits teacheis have biought a new shape to the piogiam:
lL cerLalnly has changed, and a loL of lL has Lo do wlLh Lhe Leachers who are dellverlng Lhe
currlculum. . ln Lhe Len years LhaL l have been here Lhe changes LhaL have happened, Lhe
changes have been drlven by Lhe Leachers who are ln fronL of Lhe classrooms. And, yeah, l am
sure LhaL some of Lhem are poslLlve changes and some of Lhem are noL poslLlve changes. 8uL, l
Lhlnk LhaL we have a sllghLly dlfferenL program now Lhan we dld Len years ago. And l Lhlnk lL has
everyLhlng Lo do wlLh Lhe Leachers who are ln Lhls place.
Ni. Keith Bell, an auministiatoi at Sheiwoou, is uifficult to keep up with as he moves
quickly thiough the halls, always with a cleai sense of uiiection anu ueteimination.
Passing thiough the woou shop, which is filleu with laige inuustiial machines, seveial
stuuents woiking on a woou caiving assignment stop him to ask a question. Ni. Bell seems
to holu answeis to the many questions that come his way iegaiuless of uepaitment oi
location in the school, uemonstiating his intimate ielationship with the woikings of the
Rick Nonette piogiam. At Sheiwoou Seconuaiy, Ni. Bell sees his iole as one of auvocacy
foi the aits:
l'm advocaLe for Lhe program and make sure LhaL Lhe new vlce prlnclpal or prlnclpal doesn'L
change Lhe program, or dlsrupL Lhe program, or wanL Lo puL Lhelr sLamp on Lhe, and change Lhe


dlrecLlon of Lhe program, or dlsmanLle Lhe program. So LhaL Lhe lncomlng vs would undersLand
whaL Lhe program ls abouL. And LhaL's one of Lhe blggesL Lhlngs Lo me ls maklng sure LhaL Lhey
undersLand LhaL.
Auministiatois suggest that opeiating a school with a specializeu aits piogiam like
Rick Nonette neeus to be hanuleu uiffeiently than at a iegulai school, both because of how
the aits shape the spiiit of the school as well as its impact on auministiative aspects such as
scheuuling. As pait of the Rick Nonette piogiam, the school iequiies its stuuents to obtain
an auuitional cieuit each yeai to the stanuaiu eight, the logistics of this accommouation can
be uaunting. "Theie aie 21uu kius in this school anu 2uu kius contiol the timetable
because it has to be stiuctuieu aiounu that ninth cieuit," one auministiatoi explains. The
impact of this auministiative challenge also shapes the school in othei ways, howevei, as
Ns. }uuith Chalke suggests:
lL creaLes problems, and l Lhlnk lL creaLes Lhls ellLlsL aLLlLude. 1he oLher parL of LhaL ls LhaL Lhese
8lck MoneLLe klds do Lhelr ArLs buL Lhen Lhey also do Lngllsh LogeLher and Lhey belleve lL's
LaughL llke an enrlched Lngllsh. So LSL klds cannoL be ln 8lck MoneLLe, klds who are applled level
cannoL be ln 8lck MoneLLe. So lL creaLes Lhls ellLlsL, you know, because lL's noL open Lo
everybody, really. l mean, Lhey presenL lL as lL ls, buL lL really lsn'L because wlLh Lhe LlmeLable Lhe
way lL ls, because you've goL Lo flL ln LhaL nlnLh credlL, you have Lo have anoLher sub[ecL LhaL ls
wllllng Lo Lake Lhe 8lck MoneLLe klds.
As a paient, Rachel Nichaels uesciibes the buiuen of the heavy Rick Nonette
scheuule as one of the majoi ieasons why hei uaughteis ueciueu not to puisue the Rick
Nonette piogiam, uespite theii keen inteiest in the aits:
boLh my daughLers are more lnLeresLed ln Lhe sclences, and we were Lold LhaL, leL's say you
wanLed Lo go lnLo medlclne, hypoLheLlcally, and you had Lo carry, ln your Crade 11 and 12 years,
Lhree sclences, Lwo maLhs, Lngllsh. lL's almosL a guaranLee LhaL you have Lo go Lo summer
school Lhen Lo flL ln a ma[or ln an ArL Lhrough Lhe 8lck MoneLLe program. 8ecause Lhere's noL
enough courses ln Lhe schedule Lo geL everyLhlng. So you elLher have Lo be prepared Lo do flve
years of hlgh school or else Lake a couple of credlLs ln Lhe summer. And we [usL dldn'L wanL Lo
have LhaL as a glven when we enLered Crade 9.
The auministiative aspect of integiating such a complex aits piogiam as Rick
Nonette piesents challenges that affect eveiy aspect anu constituent of the school. Bespite
these challenges, howevei, auministiatois speak to the fiuitful influence of the stuuents of
the Rick Nonette piogiam anu how well they inteiact with the iest of the school:
lf you're a MoneLLe or noL a MoneLLe, or whaL, you know . l don'L see Lhe Lenslon aL all. . l
haven'L had anyone [say] Ch Lhls ls a confllcL wlLh Lhe MoneLLe klds," or Lhls ls a confllcL
beLween Lhe MoneLLe's and Lhe non-MoneLLe's" and sLuff llke LhaL. 8uL lL's sheer numbers, Loo.
robably LwenLy, LwenLy-flve persenL of our klds are 8lck MoneLLe klds, rlghL? l mean, LhaL's a
really blg percenLage when you Lhlnk abouL lL. And Lhese klds are Lhe ones LhaL are performlng
and dolng. 1he oLher klds are Loo, l mean, lL's noL llke Lhe oLher klds are noL lnvolved.
Rounuing a coinei on the main flooi, lockeis tiansition into change iooms that leau
into a ioom full of wall-length miiiois anu upiight pianos fiaming an empty cential space.
A gioup of stuuents in uance leotaius anu pink ballet shoes claim theii teiiitoiy on the
mailey spiung floois, some aie spiawleu out to foim an ambiguously ciiculai shape with
the othei stuuents, who appeai to be talking at the same time, as if tiying to pioject theii

voices ovei the otheis. 0ne giil yells out "guys, listen to Nelanie!" peihaps in an attempt to
gain oiuei. Anothei young woman with hei haii tieu into a neat bun anu weaiing a black
top anu giey sweat pants iolleu up above hei ankles piactices uance moves, seemingly
oblivious to the vocal chaos aiounu hei. The teachei in the ioom stanus on the siuelines,
explaining that they aie having a uiscussion of a piece of choieogiaphy that they aie
woiking on collaboiatively.
Biittany Bughes feels that she has a special ielationship with hei aits teacheis in
that "they feel moie like fiienus," which she suggests is impoitant foi cieating the kinu of
teaching anu leaining enviionment that aits stuuents neeu. She uesciibes hei teacheis as
"veiy inteiesteu in inuiviuuals' cieativity iathei than like, you have to meet this
cuiiiculum." Biittany compaies teaching anu leaining in the specializeu aits piogiam to
hei moie acauemic classes:
ln a maLh class or someLhlng, lf l'm noL geLLlng lL, and Lhe Leacher's llke why you aren'L geLLlng
lL? l'm Leachlng lL Lhls way." 8uL llke, llke ln an arLs class, lL's llke, oh, you're noL really
undersLandlng lL? Why don'L we Lry someLhlng else, or lf Lhls doesn'L, lf Lhls pro[ecL doesn'L flL
you, why don'L you Lry dolng lL llke Lhls?" And lL's sorL of, l feel more . Leachers are really
responslve Lo llke, Lhe dlfferenL levels of creaL- noL levels of creaLlvlLy, buL dlfferenL, Lhe
dlfferenL sLrengLh and weaknesses. 1hey're really ln Lune wlLh Lhe sLudenLs.
Aits teacheis also speak to the impoitance of "being in tune with the stuuents,"
which some attiibute to theii iuentification as aitists. visual aits teachei Ns. Salma Novell
explains how being an aitist influences hei piactice as a teachei:
everyLhlng LhaL l pracLlce ln my own work ls comlng ouL ln my Leachlng. um, and l, and l Lhlnk
LhaL everyone here ls llke LhaL. ?ou know, lf you are a concepLual arLlsL you wlll brlng a loL more
of sorL of concepLual ldeas Lo Lhe Lable for your sLudenLs, lf you're flguraLlve arLlsL your pro[ecLs
are golng Lo be more flgure based. um, so LhaL, all of Lhose Lhlngs LhaL l klnd of hone ln, ln my
own work lnadverLenLly comlng ouL ln Lhe way LhaL l Leach Lhe klds, and Lhe way l demonsLraLe
for Lhem.
Negotiating ioles of teachei anu aitist alongsiue the uemanus of the manuateu
cuiiiculum anu Rick Nonette piogiam's mission can leau to tensions of philosophy in how
aits euucation is caiiieu out within the school. Ns. Nona Snow, a uance teachei in the Rick
Nonette piogiam, uesciibes one of these tensions as a contiast between cieativity veisus
technical focus:
1he sLudenLs here are noL as creaLlve because Lhey focus a loL on Lechnlque. Lven when Lhey
creaLe Lhelr own work, Lhey sLlll worry abouL how hlgh Lhey can klck, and how many Lurns Lhey
can do raLher Lhan whaL Lhey're acLually creaLlng and whaL Lhey're Lrylng Lo say wlLh Lhelr plece.
Whlch ls someLhlng LhaL l flnd really dlsappolnLlng. lLs really hard for me Lo geL Lhem Lo creaLe .
all LhaL klnd of sLuff LhaL you don'L see as much here because Lhey are so focused on Lralnlng
excellenL dancers.
While teacheis in the Rick Nonette specializeu aits piogiam aie appieciateu foi
theii iuentifications as aitists, stuuents also negotiate iuentifications not only as aitists, but
as teacheis themselves. A new club at Sheiwoou Seconuaiy School is ueuicateu to
extenuing the value of an aits euucation beyonu the boiueis of the school to less-piivilegeu
elementaiy schools aiounu the city. Winnie Tam, a music stuuent in the Rick Nonette


piogiam, uesciibes why she feels that shaiing aits with otheis is an impoitant pait of hei
aits euucation:
A loL of schools lack arLlsLlc courses, llke elemenLary schools, llke Lhey have no muslc program or
someLhlng. So, Lhey're very llke, Lhe flrsL Llme we meL Lhem, Lhey were so llke, graLeful for us,
and Lhey were llke Learlng, oh l was llke, lnLensely emoLlonal. 8uL yeah, llke lL should be, a loL of
people have dlfferenL sLrengLhs, and some people have sLrengLh ln arLs. So, Lhey probably learn
beLLer, lf Lhey have. l don'L know . probably llke lf Lhey have more varleLy and dlfferenL courses,
llke lf Lhey geL closer Lo Lhe arLs, Lhey mlghL llke lL. lL mlghL help Lhem Lhelr fuLures career paLh, l
don'L know.
The iange of possibilities that the aits biing to the school is a ciucial pait of how the
aits shape the teaching anu leaining atmospheie at Sheiwoou Seconuaiy. Even as stuuents,
teacheis, anu auministiatois uesciibe the challenges that the piogiam piesents, they
geneially uemonstiate eageiness anu enthusiasm about engaging these challenges anu
about the piospects foi success that the piogiam enables. At the same time, they all
iecognize that is not the aits alone, but the people - the stuuents anu teacheis - who make
the piogiam thiive.

E!"# C#2C3# (&# M"(+ >(S#, .+ /&#(+F
While the piesence of the Richaiu Nonette piogiam biings a paiticulai quality to
the school cultuie at Sheiwoou, foi many of those inteivieweu, it is the people who inhabit
the school that give it its chaiactei. Foi senioi visual ait majoi Limin Wong, it is the
stuuents that make the piogiam:
1hey Lake lnlLlaLlve, Lhey are leaders and Lhey are very well, well-organlzed, Lhey are well-
grounded ln a sense LhaL Lhey can do academlcs buL aL Lhe same Llme, Lhey are very lnvolved ln
arLs, and usually, Lhey are very lnvolved ln exLra currlcular programs, llke some people, Lhey are
[usL sporLs, some people, Lhey mlghL be lnLo llke oLher Lhlngs, you know. 1he 8lckles, Lhey can,
Lhey have aspecLs of everyLhlng, Lhey are noL [usL, Lhey don'L [usL do Lhls.
The "Rickies," as most people iefei to the stuuents in the specializeu ait piogiam,
aie vaiiously uesciibeu as "gifteu," "talenteu," "engaging," "haiu woikeis," "empoweieu,"
"coloiful," "cieative," "piivilegeu," anu "piofessional." Foi Cail Cioss, who began woiking in
the auministiative team at Sheiwoou only a few yeais ago, "the kius aie what makes it
gieat." Be explains, "I often will walk the hallways when kius aie uoing stuff, oi they'ie
selling stuff, anu they'ie uancing, anu they'ie playing theii music. You know. They'ie nice,
they'ie goou kius."
With few bieaks in between, Rickies aie always abuzz with activities, moving along
the spacious builuing with high eneigy anu uynamism. Nost of the stuuents uesciibeu
being involveu in many activities not only within, but also beyonu the school, fiom pait-
time jobs to ieheaisals with the Youth City 0ichestia, uance lessons, oi piofessional stage
piouuctions, stuuents uesciibe lives of incessant activity. visual aits majoi Baniella Ingiam
states that the haiu woik is a goou thing. She says, "when you aie uone, you'ie like so
piouu of youiself. Anu, anu actually |itsj a ieally iewaiuing feeling." She also believes that
haiu woik piepaies hei foi the futuie. "If you woik haiu in this school, then, if you leain

how to stuuy anu woik haiu in the futuie, . like, you leain how to hanule uiffeient
situations, anu it helps you."
Besiue hei aumiiation foi how haiu the stuuents woik, }uuith Chalke offeis that kius
aie always having fun anu have an encouiaging anu suppoitive attituue towaiu each othei,
something she finus unusual fiom hei peispective as an auministiatoi. Recalling a iecent
school-wiue peifoimance, she uesciibes the atmospheie:
1hey were havlng fun, Lhey were encouraglng oLhers poslLlvely, you know, Lhe acLs were greaL,
. Lhere was no boolng, none of LhaL sLuff llke, Lhey [usL supporL Lhemselves. And l LhoughL,
Wow!' normally Lhls could be llke a very dlfflculL nlghL, buL you [usL waLch Lhe klds and Lhey're
havlng fun wlLh lL
Ns. Chalke aumiies the woik that the teacheis uo with the stuuents, noting that
when teacheis aie in fiont of the peifoimance event, the quality is extiemely impiessive
anu "theii level of pioficiency is up theie." Yet, she believes stuuent oiganizeu events, such
as the annual coffee house, show "the tiue chaiactei of the kius, when we'ie all sitting back,
anu they'ie taking owneiship . anu they'ie veiy goou with each othei." Even when some
stuuents tiy to uo things that they aie not pioficient at, otheis aie suppoitive. Ns. Chalke
explains: "some of the kius, wheie they woulu uefinitely be booeu off the stage at othei
schools, you know, foi what they weie singing - I'm not saying all schools aie like that - but
these kius seem to have that, they know what to uo, they know how to iespect." She
continues, "the kius heie have a level of piofessionalism about them, I ieally have to say
that. They take owneiship of the school in a positive mannei anu they uo things that I've
nevei seen kius uo befoie. Anu it's quite amazing to watch it."
While most teacheis aumiie anu some uesciibe feeling piivilegeu to woik with such
stuuents, foi some, theii level of expeitise can tianslate into a paiticulai attituue towaiu
the teacheis. "When I fiist got heie," says Ns. Chalke, "the kius tolu me that teacheis
coulun't teach them because they knew moie than the teacheis, . that they weie all
biilliant anu that theie was nothing foi them to leain.
Noie than one teachei shaieu the expeiience of feeling challengeu by the stuuents,
some times in a positive anu otheis in a negative light. Foi Ni. BeigV the euucation that
stuuents ieceive outsiue of the classioom is one ieason that stuuents uo not necessaiily
take the teacheis seiiously. Be explains that some stuuents, "won't necessaiily just accept
what I say at face value, just because I am stanuing up in fiont of the classioom." Be
uesciibes how some stuuents will challenge his instiuctions by saying, "Well, my, my othei
teachei saiu this," oi "Bow come I was taught all this stuff." But foi Ni. Beig, while this can
be "a little uaunting," it is also a goou pait of teaching at Sheiwoou, "because it often leaus
to othei uiscussions, anu we can uelve into the ueepei meaning of things." The stuuents
high level of tiaining also means that the teacheis can choose high levels foi the iepeitoiie,
"at least a college level if not a univeisity level," explains Ni. Beig, as he concluues, "it's
challenging anu also iewaiuing at the same time."
Still, Ni. Beig notes that uealing with stuuents' egos can be challenging. Be feels that
some stuuents "have been tolu by many, many people - because of theii natuial ability oi
because of theii eaily stuuies - that they aie veiy goou, phenomenal, wonueiful, uou's gift
to music!" Be unueiscoies each uesciiptoi with a ceitain cynicism mixeu with fiustiation:


"it is haiu foi them to accept ciiticism of theii playing." Teachei Salma Novelle calls Rickies
"I-know-kius." She explains that "I-know-kius" aie the stuuents who, "as a pait of theii
expeiience as a stuuent, they have been pumpeu up to think that they uo know anu they
can" anu who have "people at home that aie constantly ieinfoicing the fact that they aie
somehow, you know moie elevateu somehow than the aveiage kiu."
Foi visual aits teachei Nelinua Wateis, being accepteu to the Nonette piogiam
unueiscoies the stuuents' sense of entitlement. "I think that they'ie veiy empoweieu,
because just to get in to the school, they've alieauy been saiu they'ie goou enough to get in,
so they'ie empoweieu, they have a iole alieauy in giaue nine." She feels that stuuents aie
"coming in with a step up" feeling that they have "a goluen pass to be heie." Biama teachei
Ellen Biiggs feels that the sense of entitlement encouiages stuuents to become complacent
with theii own woik. She feels that stuuents woulu maintain theii level of commitment if
they weie iequiieu to uemonstiate theii pioficiency moie iegulaily. "I think I woulu
almost like to see auuitions, have them iepeateu aftei giaue ten, so in oiuei to stay in the
piogiam, the kius woulu have to ie-auuition." She believes this woulu keep the stuuents
"hungiy" foi success anu foi the oppoitunities the piogiam affoius them. Recalling a
conveisation with a colleague, she notes that stuuents have been "iaiseu on a uiet of
uesseit. So, Nonette is not special foi them anymoie."
Echoing the foou metaphoi, teachei Bienua Knight notes that many teacheis look
foiwaiu to woiking with Nonette kius, as opposeu to othei Sheiwoou stuuents who aie not
in the specializeu aits piogiam. She uesciibes that foi many teacheis, "collegiate" stuuents
"aie not the uesseit, they aie the meat anu potatoes," a metaphoi that also echoes the fact
that the laige majoiity of stuuents at Sheiwoou aie not in the Nonette piogiam. "They |the
collegiate stuuentsj aie soit of the bieau anu buttei, until we get the classes with the goou
stuuents," she explains anu auus hesitantly, "it sounus awful, but it's what you have to put
up with to get the gieat kius . as a Nonette teachei, |collegiate stuuentsj aie not much of a
high piioiity." Inueeu, only some of the piivileges affoiueu to the Nonette stuuents aie
shaieu with the othei stuuents at Sheiwoou. Ns. Wateis uesciibes the position of collegiate
stuuents at the school anu says, "they have less of a voice, anu I think that they feel like
they'ie less incluueu."
The lack of inclusion is felt beyonu the limits of the Nonette piogiam. Foi instance,
while both teacheis anu auministiatois piaiseu the stuuents foi theii leaueiship, some feel
that, whethei by uefault oi by uesign, only the Nonette stuuents take up these
oppoitunities. Pointing to the peiception that Nonette stuuents uominate classioom
uiscussions as well as extia-cuiiiculai activities, Rachel Nichaels offeis the annual stuuent
Fashion Show as an illustiation:
ln lashlon Show, for example, LhaL Lhey [usL had, you Lry ouL Lo be Lhe models, and lL's noL [usL
abouL your flgure, you have Lo be able Lo dance or choreograph Lhe Lhlng or whaLever. l'm sure
80 percenL or more of Lhe people ln lashlon Show have been from Lhe MoneLLe program. ln
facL, my daughLer dldn'L even Lry ouL because of LhaL. She sald Ch, all Lhe dancers from
MoneLLe wlll geL Lhe parLs," even Lhough she's Laken dance for Len years!
As a paient, Ns. Nichaels notes the iiony that while Nonette stuuents aie only about
2u peicent of the school, "when we have meetings oi heai about things, you'u think it was

8u peicent of the school." Some stuuents echo this obseivation. Bance majoi Noina }acobs
points out that school anu stuuent piouuctions in geneial, anu the populai Fashion Show in
paiticulai, aie "almost Nonette iun." "I feel like if I came to the school, like not in the
Nonette piogiam, I woulun't enjoyeu it. . I feel like, that theie'ie a lot of things that if I
wasn't in the Nonette piogiam, I'u be like, 'oh, I wish I coulu uo that.'"
Awaie of the appaient inequality between "collegiate" anu "Rickies," the school
initiateu the Equity Coalition uioup as a way to auuiess the pioblem anu uevelop
stiategies, such as expanuing peifoimance oppoitunities foi all stuuents at Sheiwoou.
Besiues the expansion of peifoimance anu leaueiship oppoitunities, Ns. Nichaels says that
the Equity Coalition has biought "just an awaieness that theie coulu be talenteu kius in the
collegiate piogiam, anu they have to be open-minueu about it." Still, some stuuents feel
that theie aie cleai uistinctions between the two gioups of stuuents at Sheiwoou. Foi
Limin Wong, "the school a lot of times is pietty like, kinu of segiegateu between the
collegiate kius anu the aits kius. Anu like, foi a ieason, because the aits kius, they have a
ceitain piogiam to stick to. But a lot of the time, it is like, um, we uon't ieally mix as much."
This is not to say that stuuents uon't cioss the appaient bounuaiy between the two gioups
of stuuents. Yet, the veiy fact that stuuents uesciibe ciossing that bounuaiy unueiscoies
the peiception that one exists.
This bounuaiy is accentuateu piogiammatically. 0nly stuuents aumitteu to the Rick
Nonette piogiam aie able to paiticipate fully in the couise offeiings offeieu thiough the
aits piogiam. Bowevei, collegiate stuuents aie able to take specific aits couises that aie
offeieu as electives, pioviueu that they fit on theii scheuule. The offeiings vaiy fiom one
uiscipline to anothei, anu while some teacheis - paiticulaily in the visual aits - feel that
theie aie no uiffeiences between the way they teach uiffeient classes baseu on what
stuuents aie in it, otheis feel that the uiffeiences between collegiate anu Nonette stuuents
aie too significant to ignoie. This is paiticulaily eviuent when stuuents anu teacheis talk
about the few stuuents fiom ethnic minoiities at Sheiwoou.
Bance majoi Chanya Anueison explains that the fiienus she uesciibes as "uiban,"
most of whom aie not in the Nonette piogiam, uon't typically hang out at the school,
piefeiiing insteau to spenu theii fiee time at the neaiby mall. Chanya makes a uistinction
between hei "aitsy" anu hei "uiban" fiienus, anu she comments that many of hei "uiban"
fiienus, also think of Rickies as "snobs," anu often note that she was not like most Nonette
stuuents. Spenuing time outsiue the school, it becomes eviuent that theie aie many moie
visible minoiity stuuents at Sheiwoou than theie aie within the Nonette piogiam, with the
sole exception of the laige numbei of stuuents fiom Asian countiies in the music piogiam.
Accoiuing to the school auministiation, theie is also a laige gioup of Peisian stuuents who
aie iecent immigiants anu who aie not Nonette stuuents. These stuuents aie only visible in
veiy specific spaces insiue the school - unuei staiiwells oi in small hallways on the seconu
flooi, away fiom the main aieas of the school - anu outsiue the school, wheie they can
often be founu hanging out on the siuewalk oi walking towaiu the mall.
Teachei Bienua Knight, who has hau the oppoitunity to teach some of these
stuuents, feels that theie aie "some Peisian kius anu theie aie some Black kius who aie
pooiei, anu I think they aie maiginalizeu in school to such a uegiee that lately they have


become pushy, vocal, aggiessive, anu so on." She feels that this is "something we shoulu be
actively seaiching out ways to negotiate," noting that while "we talk about
multicultuialism, anu that's a veiy pietty woiu, . we uon't talk about what it means when
a Black kiu anu a Peisian kiu have a conflict in the school anu have the iepeicussions, you
know, tiickle thiough." She continues, "we uon't talk about the Peisian kius sitting
togethei, anu the black kius sitting togethei, anu the Asians, anu so on. We'ie not going
theie as a school." Ns. Knight confiims that these stuuents aie less visible in the school
because they tenu to leave the school when they aie not in class:
1hey are noL here for any school acLlvlLles, when Lhey have lunch l belleve Lhey go sLralghL Lo Lhe
mall, [usL Lo geL off school properLy . Lhey come back for afLernoon classes and Lhen Lhey [usL
go. 1hey have no connecLlons, Lhey aren'L dolng Lhe acLlvlLles, Lhey aren'L dolng Lhe sporLs, noL
dolng Lhe clubs, noL dolng whaLever for flnanclal reasons or whaLever, lL's such a flnanclal ouLpuL
Lo exlsL ln Lhls school.
Ns. Knight's concein foi the well-being of all the stuuents at Sheiwoou is also
eviuence of the ueuication that the teacheis at the school biing to theii woik. Inueeu, if the
eneigy anu enthusiasm that stuuents biing to the school aie what fill the schools with
"spiiit," eveiyone believes that it is the teacheis that make the piogiam excellent. Teacheis
in the Nonette piogiam in paiticulai aie iegaiueu as special because of theii backgiounu
in the aits anu theii impiessive level of skill in theii paiticulai uiscipline. Nany of the
teacheis in the aits, in fact, continue to woik as piofessional aitists. As one auministiatoi
puts it, "you've got teacheis who aie so talenteu that they can also biing the kius to that
level anu they can let the kius go with that cieativity anu encouiage it." She iemaiks on the
selectivity of the faculty, "it's not anyone who can teach in that piogiam."
Some of the teacheis in the Nonette piogiam iuentify stiongly as aitists. Foi music
teachei }oseph }oigsten, "seventy peicent of my woik, I feel myself being an aitist, anu a
conuuctoi, anu a musician." When stanuing in fiont of an ensemble, Ni. }oigsten explains,
"it is not much of the feeling of teachei to stuuent, it is a feeling of conuuctoi to musician."
Be auus, "the task of teachei is veiy much on the siue." Foi visual ait teachei Salma Novelle,
hei teaching piactice is wiappeu in how she thinks of heiself as an aitist: "When I uo
uemonstiations foi them, you know, uemonstiations that I'm uoing as an aitist not as a
teachei on the blackboaiu."
Stuuents value theii teacheis' aitistic backgiounu anu iuentify them as such. As a
visual aits stuuent explains:
Lhe Leachers . are noL Leachers. 1hey are arLlsLs, rlghL? 1hey began ln dolng arLs by Lhemselves.
1hey were llke, began wlLh Leachers, Lhen, Lhey wenL Lo arLs. So, a loL of Llme, lL ls noL llke class,
classroom sLrucLure, lL ls noL as llke, lL ls noL llke, hello, Loday, we are golng Lo do Lhls," and Lhey
are gone Lo Lalk, lL ls noL llke LhaL. lL ls a loL of more absLracL, lL ls a loL of more lndependenL.
1hey [usL come around and klnd of gulde you. So, you goL Lo really LreaL Lhem noL as a Leacher
buL as companlon, llke as frlend Lo help you ouL.
Some teacheis aie ambivalent about whethei they woulu call themselves aitists,
qualifying theii iesponses. Nusic teachei Stephen Astoi suggests that theie aie no
stiaightfoiwaiu answeis to the question, saying that "it uepenus on how you want to uefine
it |aitistj." Be auus, "I piobably have |calleu myself an aitistj, but I uon't think of myself as

a piofessional playei, not at all, no." Foi visual ait teachei Nelinua Wateis, "it's tiicky
sometimes, we useu to say 'I make ait,' you know, I'm - I uon't say I'm an aitist, I make ait,
so I think it's uiffeient."
Whethei oi how they think of themselves as aitists, most of the teacheis iecognize
that the association with the label is an impoitant status maikei within the context of the
Nonette piogiam. Foi Ni. AstoiV being a piofessional playei is impoitant. Speaking about a
colleague whom he consiueis a piofessional playei anu who "eveiybouy iespects . eveiy
move he makes," he explains, "when you see somebouy who knows what they'ie uoing,
they can, you know, can uominate the situation just by the viitue of that." By contiast, he
obseives that stuuents aie less ieceptive to - anu sometimes less iespectful of - teacheis
who aie not iecognizeu as piofessional aitists. Ns. Wateis laughs about the question of
whethei teacheis aie aitists oi not; "It's so funny, it's all kinu of about ego too, it's ieally
funny."
Whethei aitists oi not, teacheis in the Nonette piogiam have a iange of views about
the puipose of an euucation in the aits. "Eveiy teachei will have theii own inteiests,"
explains Keith Bell, "so theii inteiests will uiive wheie the cuiiiculum, oi how the
cuiiiculum is being ueliveieu." 0ne impoitant way in which teacheis uiveige is on whethei
they focus on the aitistic piocess oi on the piouuct. Foi instance, uance teachei Nona Snow
uesciibes the "olu school ballet" that some teacheis engage as "veiy stiict," noting that
things "must be this way, anu must be that way, anu theie is just no movement theie." By
contiast, foi uiama teachei Chailie Byei, the piouuct "ieally seems to be almost
seconuaiy." 0bseiving that many of the Nonette stuuents "alieauy have the talent to uo the
piouuct," he explains, "if they go uiiectly to the piouuct, then they aie ielying on what they
alieauy know, wheieas the piocess intiouuces new iueas anu possibilities . that's ieally
wheie the leaining takes place." Likewise, foi Bonnie }ohnston, uance shoulu be about
moie than acquiiing skills:
uance educaLlon ls someLhlng LhaL everyone can beneflL from. !usL ln Lerms of healLh, and [usL
geLLlng acLlve, and feellng comforLable wlLh your body, and looklng aL your body ln a dlfferenL
way, and seelng whaL lL can do, and marvelllng ln LhaL. Seelng how you can Lake an ldea or a
LhoughL, and how you can express LhaL Lhrough movemenL, and seelng how rlch of a vocabulary
dance really can be.
While teacheis may uefei on whethei anu how they consiuei themselves aitists oi
on theii visions of the puipose of euucation in the aits, all teacheis in the Nonette piogiam
shaieu anu spoke abunuantly about theii commitment to theii woik as aits teacheis. These
commitments sometimes tianslate into a sense of woiking too haiu. In oiuei to meet the
high expectations they have put on themselves, teacheis woik extiemely haiu anu long
houis. As a new teachei, Bienua Knight uesciibes:
l'm dolng 33-63 hour weeks. l work every day. l'm here by mosLly elghL ln Lhe mornlng, and l
don'L usually leave 'Lll abouL flve-LhlrLy, slx. lf l'm lucky, l Lake home Lwo or Lhree hours of work
aL nlghL. l work aL leasL one day on Lhe weekend, usually Lwo, so l do an addlLlonal slx, elghL, Len
hours on Lhe weekends.
These uemanus sometimes leau teacheis to feel exhausteu anu oveiwhelmeu with
the heavy woikloau. "This job can eat you up," explains Ns. Chalke, noting the impoitance
of "finuing a balance" anu leaining "to let go anu iealize that you'ie not going to get


eveiything uone when you want it uone." Foi Ns. Knight, the woik haiu woik is iewaiuing
on the shoit iun. "I am fascinateu with it," she explains, "I love the kius." But she is not suie
that she can commit to the woik in the long teim. As she contemplates hei futuie, she
notes, "theie is no way I can give the output that it uemanus, theie is no way."
Foi some teacheis, the iewaiu foi theii haiu woik is uelayeu until stuuents ietuin
anu aie able to iecognize how much they leaineu anu how they appieciate theii effoits. "I
think often times I have to keep ieminuing myself that it's a piocess, anu sometimes the
iesults that we aie all seeking uon't happen oveinight," explains Ni. Beig, "you have to let
the kius giow." Be obseives that the iewaius sometimes come unexpecteuly; "sometimes it
takes a few yeais foi that happen . I think that's the haiuest pait of being a teachei, is that
you have to iealize that eveiyone is giowing at a uiffeient pace anu you have to be patient."

E!"# '#,+ 2H '2+" M2&3A,F
Sheiwoou Seconuaiy is houseu in a lavish $Su million builuing, which was built in
1996. The builuing has thiee floois anu a basement, foi a total of S1u,uuu squaie feet. The
oiiginal school was built in the 192u's, but it was uemolisheu to make way foi a new
builuing, with the exception of uaiunei Ball, the school main stage. This is impoitant,
because it symbolizes the centiality of aits to the school, as uesciibeu eailiei. The builuing
was uesigneu with the aits piogiam in minu anu it was stiuctuieu aiounu the neeus of the
aits piogiam: five iooms ueuicateu to music, as well as a seiies of piactice iooms; thiee
visual ait stuuios, as well as a photo lab anu photogiaphy ioom; a black box theatie, anu
two uance stuuios, aie among some of the auuitional iesouices available to stuuents in the
Nonette piogiam as well as to Sheiwoou stuuents who aie able to take aits electives. The
iange of iesouices is in pait ielateu to the sheei size of the school, which is one of the
laigest in the system, but it is also specifically ielateu to the iemaikable investments maue
by paients, the school boaiu, anu othei community suppoiteis to the aits piogiam. Foi
instance, in auuition to the $1uu,uuu assigneu to each specializeu piogiam in the boaiu, the
school has also establisheu a Sheiwoou Founuation foi the expiess puipose of iefuibishing
the laige main stage. In auuition, Nonette stuuents pay an annual fee to covei expenses
ielateu to mateiials anu auuitional iesouices.
The sense that the school pioviues a wealth of iesouices anu oppoitunities is
eviuenceu in the way teacheis, stuuents, anu auministiatois alike uesciibe the place. This is
a place with many iesouices wheie theie aie oppoitunities foi eveiyone. In uesciibing
Sheiwoou anu the Nonette piogiam as a mall, stuuents anu teacheis communicate the
sense that it is a place wheie theie is something foi eveiyone, anu eveiyone has multiple
choices. Senioi uance majoi uietchen Biown says that she anu hei paients weie exciteu
about the iange of oppoitunities available at Sheiwoou. "I'm kinu of a ieally big neiu," she
explains, "anu I ieally like math anu science anu |my paientsj thought it woulu be ieally
goou oppoitunity foi me to take, like some like, take aits in school because I also ieally like
aits." uietchen says she is not suie whethei she woulu be taking any aits couises if she
weie not able to majoi in one aits uiscipline.

Baniella Ingiam is finishing hei fiist yeai at Sheiwoou as a visual aits majoi, anu
she is exciteu about the iange of oppoitunities she will have in the coming yeais.
nexL year, l'm allowed Lo Lake a phoLography elecLlve so, l'm exclLed abouL LhaL. And [usL, um,
Lhls year, l dldn'L really Lake full advanLage of llke, all Lhe clubs and counclls l can be ln. l am ln
qulLe a few, buL l would llke Lo do even more nexL year. And [usL llke volunLeerlng ln dlfferenL
Lhlngs, um, slnce l Lhlnk l'm gonna have more Llme nexL year because um, grade 11 and 12 ls
really hecLlc because LhaL's when you're really Lrylng Lo geL really good marks Lo geL lnLo a good
unlverslLy. 8uL grade 10, of course, l wanna geL good marks, buL l Lhlnk l'll have more Llme Lo [usL
llke, enrol myself llke vlsual arLs councll, arLs councll and llke, dlfferenL Lhlngs, llke fronL of house
and all Lhose volunLeer clubs, so, l wanna do LhaL.
The laige stuuent population biings the school to life with its vivacious eneigy,
filling viitually eveiy coinei of the school. Weaiing the latest styles anu bianu names,
stuuents oiganize themselves spatially by aits majoi, giaue, language, genuei, anu
ethnicity, cieating complex oiueis of cliques that aie only easily uecipheiable to those who
have become a pait of the Sheiwoou school cultuie. Stuuents in the Richaiu Nonette
specializeu aits piogiam aie known foi theii high uegiee of acauemic as well as aitistic
excellence, anu special eniichment sections of couises such as math anu English aie offeieu
to "Nonette kius only." With theii piivate tutois, anu extia-cuiiiculai tiaining, some
teacheis suggest it is no suipiise that the Nonette kius uo well. "All those kius aie high
achieveis," says }uuith Chalke, "if they'ie in Rick Nonette, they aie often caiiying moie
cieuits, anu they'ie committeu, anu they'ie tiying haiu, anu that's piobably a gioss
geneialization too, . so, they'ie goou kius."
Well awaie of the social context of the school, Ns. Chalke also auus nuance to hei
aumiiation foi the stuuents, noting that while the kius aie "veiy, veiy goou kius, high
acauemic," this is at least paitly ielateu to theii socio-economic status:
WhaL does Alfle kohn say, you can see how successful klds are golng Lo be based on Lhe slze of
Lhe houses ln Lhe area, rlghL? And Lhls ls a very affluenL area, and Lhe klds do well . we have
very [few] applled level secLlons here. now, mlnd you, LhaL's parLly because Lhe parenLs won'L
allow Lhelr klds Lo plck applled level courses, rlghL? 1hey're golng Lo be docLors, lawyers,
englneers.
Anothei teachei in the music uepaitment uesciibes the Nonette music stuuents as
"well paienteu:" "I feel that these, the bulk of oui stuuents aie veiy well paienteu. What I
mean is that theii paients aie veiy well involveu in theii lives anu they aie veiy conceineu
about um, about theii euucation in geneial anu about theii music euucation in paiticulai."
With a 98 peicent iate of univeisity aumission post-giauuation, Sheiwoou
Seconuaiy seems to meet the conceins of piofessional paients anu stuuents who aim foi
well-iounueu success. The school has been ue-semesteieu to allow foi the cieative neeus of
the Nonette classes, so that talents can uevelop ovei the couise of a full yeai iathei than
iestiicteu to five-month blocks.
School auministiatoi Cail Cioss obseives that the "type of kiu that goes to school
heie . |seemsj to be involveu in lots of things anu it seems to be veiy cool to be involveu."
This is pait of the spiiit that teacheis anu auministiatois say chaiacteiizes the school, a
place wheie stuuents aie eagei paiticipants in the iange of oppoitunities available to them.
Some stuuents even seem to want moie. When askeu what she woulu change about the


piogiam, Biittany Bughes explains: "have it all aits, I guess!" She wishes she uiu not have to
choose one aits majoi in giaue 9 anu wants "moie oppoitunities to, to expeiience like, all
of the aits."
While stuuents aie limiteu in theii ability to exploie the aits beyonu theii chosen
majoi, they uo have many oppoitunities to exploie a iange of expeiiences within theii
uiscipline. Nusic majois have a wiue iange of peifoimance ensembles to gain expeiiences.
As music teachei Anthony Beig puts it, Nonette "is ceitainly a veiy exciting piogiam. Theie
is ceitainly, if the stuuent chooses to, theie aie many, many oppoitunities to uiscovei music
in all soits of levels, in all soits of genies. It is again, veiy exciting." Biama teachei Ellen
Biiggs uesciibes the many oppoitunities that paitneiships with outsiue aits oiganizations
biing to the piogiam. "We staiteu off at high enu," she explains. "We went to Shaw Festival
anu Stiatfoiu. We aie now going to Soul Peppei, so smallei anu moie intimate." As a
teachei, she wants uiama stuuents to unueistanu that theatie is not all glamoui. "We have
so much money heie," she notes, as she highlight the impoitance of stuuents getting a
iange of peispectives on uiama woik:
We are Lhen golng Lo be golng Lo Lhe lacLory, whlch ls a llLLle blL more dlvey. And l wanL Lo Lake
Lhem Lo a real dlve. l wanL Lo Lake Lhem Lo one of Lhose renLed almersLon 1heaLre or whaLever.
l wanL Lhem Lo geL a sense, because Lhey [usL Lhlnk ,)**) ,#), Lhose blg 8roadway
producLlons . l wanL Lhem Lo see LhaL maglc sLarLs small and LhaL Lhese are arLlsLs who are really
hungry and wlll do whaLever lL Lakes.
Bance majoi Beathei Stewait notes that the quality of the uance peifoimances is
not the only thing that is impiessive about what happens in the uance piogiam at
Sheiwoou. She comments on the "stuuent input," noting that theie aie "a lot of
oppoitunities foi the stuuents, anu like some shows like, stuuents can choieogiaph."
Beathei also appieciates the impoitance that the school places on the balance between
acauemics anu the aits. Now in giaue 11, she is "impiesseu by the, like the output in what
the stuuents have leaineu, anu just a lot of people I've talkeu |toj have ieally positive
feeuback, anu they've likeu the piogiam, like it auapts well foi them, like they get to uance
anu also they get all the acauemics at the same time. So, it's like the best of both woilus,
almost."
The "almost" iesonates with the way Baniella's paients feel about acauemics at
Sheiwoou. Bespite being iecognizeu foi the high acauemic achievement of its stuuents,
Baniella says hei paients "think that the acauemics aien't ieally stiong enough foi them."
She feels that hei paients expect hei to "woik ieally, ieally on acauemics anu stuff." While
she says she uoes caie about acauemics, she has a cleai sense about hei futuie:
l know whaLever l do, when l grow up, wlll be arLs-relaLed, so, l Lend Lo focus on LhaL more. 8uL
my parenLs Lhlnk lL's llke, rlghL now aL Lhls age, Lhey really wanL me Lo do well ln sclence and
maLh, and all Lhe sLuff. So, l guess for Lhem, llke Lhey'd raLher make LhaL llke harder buL Lhey're
happy LhaL l am happy.
Paients have a gieat ueal of influence on the iange of iesouices anu oppoitunities
available to Sheiwoou stuuents. Paients contiibute though theii involvement in seveial
paient oiganizations, incluuing a veiy active paient council anu the Sheiwoou Founuation.
The majoiity of stuuents in the aits piogiam supplement theii tiaining with classes outsiue

of the school, mostly in piivate stuuios, but also thiough aits oiganizations in the city, such
as the Toionto Symphony Youth 0ichestia, a veiy selective anu piestigious youth gioup.
Bespite the sense of being in a iesouice-iich school, some teacheis, paiticulaily
those who have hau the oppoitunity to woik with both Nonette stuuents as well as
Sheiwoou stuuents who aie not in the aits piogiam, oi "Collegiates" as they aie often
calleu, obseive the limitations. 0ne teachei notes that Nonette stuuents have a sense of
entitlement to the iesouices available to them: "they aie special because they get tolu they
aie special . anu I pull iesouices anu eneigy anu effoit into them." Yet, she notes with a
sense of appiehension, "my giaue 9 applieu kius weie special too, they just uiun't get any of
that stuff." This sense that Nonette stuuents have piivilegeu access to iesouices anu
oppoitunities is eviuent also in some of the auministiative challenges that the piogiam
piesents. Foi auministiatoi }uuith Chalke, it manifests in the challenge of scheuuling. "It
causes so much woik," she explains, "because the timetable is contiolleu foi 2uu kius," yet
it has consequences foi all stuuents. Foi Ns. Chalke, the inequality is ielateu to the fact that
while some stuuents aie only at Sheiwoou foi the acauemics, the Nonette stuuents benefit
the most fiom the iesouices of the aits piogiam. She explains,
MoneLLe klds do Lhelr ArLs, buL Lhen Lhey also do Lngllsh LogeLher, and Lhey belleve lL's LaughL
llke an enrlched Lngllsh. So LSL klds cannoL be ln MoneLLe, klds who are applled level cannoL be
ln MoneLLe. So lL creaLes Lhls ellLlsL, you know, because lL's noL open Lo everybody, really.
Keith Bell is ueeply committeu to the futuie of the piogiam anu woulu like to
envision "new uiiections" anu a wiuei souice of iesouices. As a teachei in the Nonette
piogiam, he is well awaie of the kinus of initiatives that othei aits high schools aie taking
to exploie new oppoitunities, anu he wishes Sheiwoou hau the iesouices to take a moie
piominent iole in innovation: "basically just being the leauei in the aits in teims of new
uiiections . that's wheie we fall in behinu in teims of new uiiections." Foi Ni. Bell, the
uemanus of an alieauy successful piogiam anu the expectation to keep an attiactive
acauemic piogiam place limits on theii ability to innovate:
Cne of Lhe lssues LhaL we've been, you know, you are always, you are always advocaLlng for
sLafflng, more money, more anyLhlng, rlghL? 8ecause you flnd LhaL Lhey've cuL back everyLhlng
on Lhe lasL number of years. . 8ecause we are hlgher academlc school we have a hlgher sLafflng
raLlo over all Lhe oLher schools. l mean LhaL hurLs us ln a sense. All of our classes have Lo be large,
even ln Lhe arLs, . we are Lrylng Lo keep, keep a cap aL LwenLy-flve. 8uL Lo make lL really work we
are puLLlng up Lo LhlrLy, LhlrLy-Lwo someLlmes, ln classes.
The size of the school also iaises conceins about isolation foi some teacheis anu
auministiatois. Yolanua Kumani feels a ceitain uistance fiom the stuuents in hei
auministiative iole. "The kius almost count on the fact that they aie anonymous in this
builuing," she explains:
ln oLher schools, klds usually feel LhaL Lhey wanL Lo have some connecLlon wlLh admlnlsLraLlon.
[Sherwood sLudenLs] llke Lo be lnvlslble Lo us. 1hey'll come Lo us when Lhey need cerLaln Lhlngs,
buL lL's a dlfferenL klnd of dynamlc where Lhey respecL you ln your admlnlsLraLlve role, . buL
Lhey don'L wanL Lo esLabllsh Lhose alllances unless lL ls LhaL reference leLLer Lhey need from
Lhere, or lf Lhey're ln dlfflculLy or ln Lrouble. Well, l can say ln oLher schools, Lhere's a qulcker
connecLlon Lo klds, even when you worked aL Lhe admlnlsLraLlve level.


Foi Ni. Bell, the futuie of the piogiam may uepenu on its ability to establish close
links with the business community, something he says othei similai schools have uone
effectively. While he is not suie whethei the cuiient leaueiship of the piogiam can take on
this task, he suggests that this might be an impoitant futuie step. 0thei schools, he says,
have so much ln Lerms of lndusLry, or Lhe arLs lnvolved ln Lerms of money comlng lnLo Lhe school.
. A loL of lL ls prlvaLe fundlng, noL LhaL Lhey have Lo glve back dlrecLly Lo Lhelr fundlng. So Lhey
do a loL of fund ralslng ln Lhe buslness communlLy Lo develop a program. l Lhlnk, LhaL's where lL
goes. . [Some schools] have a webslLe where you can go and you can see Lhey've, Lhey've seL lL
up llke, you know a buslness Lype of Lhlng.
Along with some of the piogiam auministiatois, Ni. Bell envisions the possibility of having
a Boaiu of Biiectois foi the Nonette piogiam, maue of community auvisois that woulu
"give you soit of opinions about uiiections of the piogiam in teims, fiom the aits
community, anu stuff as a whole."

!"# L#,./)#& V('#3
The enu of the Fall teim anu the beginning of the school vacation is punctuateu with
the Boliuay assembly. Bespite the laige size of the main stage, two assemblies aie
necessaiy to accommouate not just the sheei numbei of stuuents, but the long list of
peifoimeis. The space is abuzz with the combineu excitement of seeing eveiyone peifoim
anu the thought of two weeks without school. The piogiam is a uiveise mix of iock, punk,
anu alteinative banus, solo peifoimances, scieen aits piojects, anu stuuent
choieogiaphies. Eailiei in the week, the stiing oichestia peifoimeu holiuay music in the
school's main foyei, anu the visual aits stuuents iotateu the woik in uisplay in the ait
galleiy. As the seconu assembly concluues, the stuuents have alieauy begun to leave foi
theii school vacation. Stuuent bouies aie spaise in the hallways, which seem unusually
litteieu with notebooks anu sciaps of lunch unwanteu left behinu. The maintenance staff
assesses the woik aheau as some iemaining stuuents anu auults lingei behinu. Ellen Biiggs
walks uown fiom the Rick Nonette office towaiu the school main office, noting the shifting
atmospheie of a school at the veige of vacation, anu comments, "it keeps changing!"
Nusic teachei Anthony Beig uesciibes his view of the iuea behinu the Richaiu
Nonette piogiam:
l Lhlnk Lhe ldea behlnd 8lchard MoneLLe, Lhe phllosophy behlnd 8lchard MoneLLe ls an
opporLunlLy for arLs mlnded sLudenLs Lo explore Lhelr parLlcular crafL, and maybe even oLher arLs
dlsclpllnes, aL a very profound level, so LhaL Lhey can acLually conLlnue Lo pursue LhaL ln a posL
secondary educaLlon. Cr Lhey can Lake LhaL educaLlon lnLo whaLever fleld, whaLever fleld Lhey
choose Lo sLudy. l Lhlnk LhaL's Lhe general phllosophy of 8lchard MoneLLe.
This "geneial philosophy" is uiiectly ielateu to the stiong piesence of the aits at
Sheiwoou anu the sense that the Nonette piogiam is the "cheiiy on the ice cieam," as a
school that is well iesouiceu to offei oppoitunities foi eveiyone. It is also what attiacts the
ueuicateu faculty anu the talenteu stuuents that biing life anu excitement to the school.

visual aits teachei }eff Bowell explains that the quality of the stuuents is ielateu to
the attention that paients anu stuuents pay to theii school choices. "0sually paients anu
stuuents aie uoing theii homewoik, they know about this school. This school has
appaiently a ieputation anu a goou ieputation. Anu so, anu paients shop, you know. So we
get goou stuuents." Ni. Bowell comments that some paients see Sheiwoou as an
alteinative to expensive piivate schools. "If they'ie not going to a piivate school," he notes,
"they like to senu them heie." Ns. Biiggs echoes the sense that the ieputation of the school
biings in paients anu stuuents that aie veiy conscious about the quality of the school.
"Theie's no uoubt in my minu that when you look at test iesults, it ieflects the
socioeconomics of the neighboihoou." She explains that this is paitly why the stuuents aie
so successful: "The kius tenu to be biight anu euucateu, anu have taken theii music lessons
anu have hau uance lessons anu so on anu so foith," anu she auus, "I think a lot of the
paients use this as a piivate school . moie of a status symbol." The sense that the school
pioviues a goou piouuct anu that its name caiiies impoitant weight foi stuuents' futuies is
expiesseu in the iuea that the school is "the uesignei label."
0f couise, the glossy image of the school as "wonueilanu" is also filleu with the
complexities of a school seiving one of the laigest stuuent populations in one of Noith
Ameiican's laigest anu most uiveise metiopolitan aieas. The layeieu uynamics that biing
life to this "wonueilanu" aie filleu with inspiiation anu tensions, challenges anu
oppoitunities, anu the lustie as well as the messiness that comes attacheu to any
euucational enueavoui. Bespite its ieputation, Sheiwoou anu the Rick Nonette piogiam
aie always in tiansition, even changing. Foi Keith Bell, this is the biggest challenge facing
the piogiam. Be wonueis if as the school will be able to "ensuie that what we uelivei is in
fact a ieally stiong ueliveiy of piogiam . not just the status quo." Be iecognizes the
accomplishments anu the ieputation of the school: "I woulu think Toionto is piobably one
of the most piogiessive boaius in this piovince anu that, anu that we have been pietty,
well, the leauei within the boaiu. . We tenu to uelivei moie. So you aie always tiying to, in
all the aits piogiams tiying to get the people to uo something that goes beyonu just the
iegulai piogiam in teims of the aits."


York Vocational School

Trying to Make a Statement About the World,
A Matter of Emphasis, and Like Separate
Worlds

Zahra Murad & Sarah Switzer

The sprawling campus of Yoik vocational School is situateu at a busy
innei-city inteisection anu houses aits, tech, vocational, anu acauemic piogiams. The
school houses the oluest specializeu aits piogiam in the Toionto Bistiict School Boaiu,
which focuses only on the visual aits. The piogiam is houseu in a sepaiate builuing acioss
fiom the school's main builuing, wheie most othei classes aie helu. Bue to this physical
anu symbolic uiviue, the aits builuing has uevelopeu a cultuie anu a histoiy all of its own,
connecteu to but also apait fiom the iest of Yoikvoc. Cuiiently, Yoik's ait piogiam is at a
uefining moment in its histoiy. As foui out of six of its establisheu aits faculty stanu on the
veige of ietiiement, the question of Yoik's appioach to ait, aits peuagogy, anu the
community of aitists it has cieateu becomes immeuiate anu fiaught.
As a iesult, the teacheis anu stuuents at Yoik's ait piogiam aie constantly engageu
in a piocess of meaning-making aiounu concepts of the aitist anu what it means to belong
to a community of aitists oi ait stuuents. What kinus of stuuents anu what kinu of ait is
piomoteu at Yoikvoc is ueteimineu by iueas of what constitutes ait anu who is ueemeu an
aitist. Biawing on the uata collecteu thiough inteiviews anu obseivations at this school,
this section will exploie impoitant ways in which uiscuisive conceptions of ait, the aitist,
anu communities of ait stuuents combine to shape the climate anu the eveiyuay
functioning of the ait piogiam.
This section of the iepoit is uiviueu into two sections: Pait 0ne - The Piouuction of
the Aitist, anu Pait Two - Community Tensions. While both sections weie composeu
sepaiately, each section speaks to the othei. Foi example, section one pioviues context foi
the community tensions uesciibeu in section two. In fact, such tensions woulu not exist if it
weie not foi ambivalent unueistanuings about who constitutes an aitist within the Yoik
community. 0ui expeiience at Yoik was maikeu by moie teachei than stuuent engagement
with the pioject. While we weie foitunate to inteiview the majoiity of ait teacheis, we only
inteivieweu a hanuful of stuuents. As a iesult, any uiscussion of stuuent themes within

Yoik must be vieweu as being paitial - both because ieseaich is always paitial, but also
because we weie not able to gain access to a uiveise sample of stuuents. In fact, uue to
seveial constiaints on oui ability to collect uata at Yoik, this chaptei has a somewhat
uiffeient chaiactei fiom otheis in this iepoit, which aie moie uesciiptive anu contain moie
vaiieu voices. Nonetheless, we feel that we weie able to collect enough uata to tell an
impoitant stoiy that auus nuance to the oveiall impiession of uiban aits high schools this
iepoit pioviues. We ask that you keep this in minu as you ieau the following pages.

E* >(++#& 2H #>C"(,.,F 8 !"# 4&2AD1+.2) 2H +"# *&+.,+6
The office of the Assistant Cuiiiculum Leauei foi the aits seives as the main office
foi the visual ait piogiam at Yoik. It is a laige ioom with high winuows anu stacks, piles,
anu clusteis of ait. The ioom feels ciammeu as the ait faculty join foi a meeting to
intiouuce the ieseaich pioject. They accommouate themselves into the available space
between stacks of canvas, ait equipment, anu geneial office uebiis. As we intiouuce the
ieseaich pioject to the staff, the teacheis speak about the quality of Yoik's visual ait
piogiam, about the piocess of gaining official status as an aits piogiam, anu about the fact
that most of the teacheis aie piacticing aitists. It becomes cleai that who oi what an aitist
shoulu be - oi, moie specifically, DEC C3 DE*, *% *3,.<, <EC"9/ C3 H*% #0 ,*"IE, ,C #0 - is a
souice of tension, uebate anu possibility within the piogiam.
The teacheis at Yoik, whethei they iuentify as aitists who teach oi as teacheis of
ait, must contenu with the messy anu complicateu notion of what the teims "ait" anu
"aitist" mean in ieal anu immeuiate ways. Inueeu, if the teacheis uiu not follow a peisonal
philosophy with iegaius to this giey aiea, theii jobs woulu be impossible. As a teachei at
Yoik, it seems impossible to escape the awaieness that teaching ait means teaching a
<J0H.L.H *JJ3C*HE to ait. Buiing an inteiview, Saulei Langley, a sculptuie anu painting
teachei notes: "it's not a mattei of one thing oi the othei, it's a mattei of emphasis."
Biffeient teacheis at Yoik - as euucatois anu as aitists - have uiffeiing iueas of anu
piioiities foi the outcomes of ait euucation. These uiveigent iueas tuin upon foui
oveilapping points of specific tensions iegaiuing the meaning anu manifestation of the
constiuction of the aitist anu the ait they piouuce. These incluue: (1) the aitist anu ait as
existing foi aits' sake alone, veisus existing in oiuei to fulfil a social function; (2) the aitist
as outsiue of oi countei to the noims of social behavioui anu iegulation; (S) the aitist as
pait of a long tiauition of skill anu technique, veisus as pait of a cuiient political moment;
(4) the aitist as someone nuituieu anu taught, veisus as someone whose skills anu
inclinations aie innate.
Teacheis seemeu to holu fiimly to one oi anothei "siue" of each of these foui points
constituting the uefinition of "aitist." All of the teacheis anu stuuents who spoke to what
they believe an aitist to be, howevei, uemonstiateu a measuie of unceitainty oi tension
within theii uefinition, even when theii thoughts weie passionately helu anu caiefully
consiueieu.


Foi example, Ni. Langley's woius illustiate seveial stiong connections between his
iueas of the aitist, stuuent, anu teachei that weie consistent with othei teacheis anu
stuuents. Ni. Langley spoke in uetail about his peiceptions of what kinu of an aitist aits
euucation shoulu be looking to piouuce, anu of the challenges that this kinu of aits
euucation faces touay. Biscussing tienus in teaching, he speaks to points one anu two of
what makes a goou aitist anu goou aits euucation:
uh, l Lhlnk LhaL l, l'm old school. ln Lhe sense LhaL l came from a, a background where Lhere's
crafL and, uh, hands-on klnd of hard Lralnlng and deslgn Lralnlng. 1oday lL's more, Lhe whole
Lhlng ls much more academlc, lL's more abouL ldeas, conLenL-orlenLed uh, raLlonale, raLher Lhan,
you know . Lhey're Lrylng Lo Leach you how, whaL an arLlsL ls as opposed Lo how Lo make arL.
And, uh, so . all Lhe people of my generaLlon sLlll have LhaL groundlng and sorL of Lake on lL.
Whlle Lhe new generaLlon young people comlng ln . Lhey're much more geared Lo narraLlve, you
know, sLory, and . Lrylng Lo uh solve Lhe problems of Lhe world Lhrough palnLlng, or maklng arL,
or dolng some klnd of arLlsLlc-somewhaL acLlvlLy, Lhey're Lrylng Lo make a sLaLemenL abouL Lhe
world conLrlbuLe Lo LhaL. ?ou know . Lhere ls a LranslLlon ln LhaL klnd of language, rlghL, l'd say
LhaL conLemporary modern Leachers won'L have a, won'L have a vocabulary uh, formal
vocabulary, Lhey'll have a vocabulary of l - of whaLever, Lhe academlcs sLudy, programs ln arL,
soclal hlsLory, pollLlcs all LhaL, LhaL's Lhe language Lhey'll be wanLlng Lo speak.
Ni. Langley woiks haiu to keep his opinion value-neutial, stating a few times
thiough the inteiview that theie is no iight way to be an aitist. The uefinition he is
uiawing heie is about who is anu who is not an aitist, anu about what he sees as an
evolving notion of ait anu the aitist. Be feels stiongly about a ciaft-baseu, skills-oiienteu,
ait-foi-aits-sake appioach that simultaneously situates the aitist outsiue of iegulai anu
iegulateu society anu aligns them with skilleu laboui such as might be founu in tiauitional
tiaues. The uistinction he makes between content anu piouuct, between being an aitist
anu making ait, suggests that he feels it is possible to act in a value-neutial mannei, oi to
teach value-neutial ciaft, to which meaning can be asciibeu aftei the point of action iathei
than befoie oi thioughout. This implication, combineu with his emphasis on skill suggests
an aitist situateu as an obseivei, a skilleu labouiei, a pait of an histoiic tiauition anu a
community unto themselves. This view is consistent with the initial histoiy of the ait
piogiam at Yoik anu the fact that it is still houseu within a vocational school.
Bowevei, although Ni. Langley makes a cleai uistinction between what he views to
be acauemic, which he links to a lack of hanus-on skill anu to geneial abstiaction, anu what
qualifieu his piefeiieu appioach to ait, he also asseits that goou stuuents make goou
aitists:
Cur besL vlsual arLs sLudenLs also happen Lo be our mosL lnLellecLually orlenLed and, you know,
Lhey're good wrlLers, lL usually all goes LogeLher. ?ou do, and . l have seen, and l have
excepLlonal vlsuals arLs sLudenLs wlLh excepLlonal skllls ln arL, buL because Lhey have no
lnLellecLual curloslLy, no uh, no, no real llfe of Lhe mlnd so Lo speak, uh, lL doesn'L really Lake
Lhem very far.
Ni. Langley believes that a goou aitist will likely also be a goou acauemic stuuent.
Although he may imagine an aitist as stanuing outsiue some foims of social iegulation, he
believes aitists must have intellectual cuiiosity. In keeping with the alignment between ait
anu the technical tiaues, Ni. Langley also notes: "I can take the most basic peison anu teach

them something, you know. You can always leain." This implies that ait itself is a skill anu
not an innate capability that one eithei uoes oi uoes not have. Anu yet, at the same time, he
uesciibes the inability to acquiie any paiticulai ait skill as a possible leaining uisability.
Rathei than aiticulating the inability to acquiie skills as linkeu to an innate lack of aitistic
ability, Ni. Langley uesciibes this as a lack of capacity, saying "some people will nevei leain
it, 'cause they have an actual leaining uisability that uoesn't allow them to leain it."
Ni. Langley is not the only peison to make a cleai uistinction between ait anu
acauemics. Seveial of the teacheis uesciibe, albeit in uiffeiing ways, ait euucation as a
unique enueavoui in teaching. Centeiing on theii appioaches to the foui oveilapping
points of fiiction in the constiuct of the aitist, many teacheis anu stuuents expiess a sense
of tension, incompatibility, oi unceitainty aiounu the teaching of ait in tiauitional
classioom settings. The ambivalence aiounu what an aitist shoulu be ieveals itself most at
the site at which the aitist, stuuent, anu teachei meet: the classioom.
Ni. Langley iemaiks fiimly that he sees himself as an aitist, anu not as a teachei. Be
says he woulu nevei consiuei teaching any othei subject anu auus that he is uninteiesteu
in his stuuents as anything othei than aitists. Expanuing on his iuentity as an aitist anu his
appioach to ait euucation, Ni. Langley iemaiks, "|mjy view is that what you make youi ait
about is a peisonal thing, it's not something I shoulu be teaching you, its something you
shoulu, you have to figuie out foi youiself." Ni. Langley uesciibes euucatois as people who
aie, to vaiious uegiees, inteiesteu in guiuing theii stuuents as people. As an aitist who
teaches, howevei, he feels uisinteiesteu in this puisuit, anu focuses insteau on passing on
his knowleuge of his ait as ciaft.
Avital Stavi also expiesses the belief that teaching ait is unlike teaching in othei
uisciplines. She explains that a "big pait of the - oui lessons aie going to be on feeuback
that involves somehow the teachei actively uemonstiating theii iueas . thiough uoing. So,
I think that you'ie able to uo that as a teachei only if you piactice youiself." Like Ni.
Langley, she views the aitist as closely ielateu to a skilleu labouiei oi piofessional. She
views ait as an enu in itself, anu so is auamant about the neeu foi teacheis of ait to be
aitists, anu not simply tiaineu in teaching ait:
?ou see, Lhese people are professlonals ln Lhelr flelds and Lhls ls whaL, one Lhlng LhaL we are
looklng for, noL [usL a Leacher LhaL wenL Lo, leL's say posL-secondary, unlverslLy, goL Lhelr
unlverslLy degree and . maybe noL even ma[ored ln arL, necessarlly buL has some arL credenLlals.
So Lhen Lhey chose Lo Leach arL, one of Lhelr Leachables as vlsual arL. ?ou know, we're looklng
for - mosL of Lhe Leachers LhaL come, came . pracLlclng as arLlsLs, as phoLographers, as, as
archlLecLs, as, uh, you know, graphlc deslgners uh, and Lhen came Lo Lhe school, and Lhrough Lhe
Lechnlcal sLream uh, Lhey goL Lhelr Leachlng cerLlflcaLe. 1he same ways LhaL, leL's say, a plumber
who wanLs Lo Leach plumblng would geL, or a consLrucLlon worker or you know, people LhaL are
noL necessarlly comlng from, uh, academlc flelds.
Like Ni. Langley, Ns. Stavi sees aitists as nuituieu iathei than natuial, as membeis
of a tiauition of ait, anu as an evolving entity. Like hei colleague, she notes: "I think, foi ait,
now they'ie looking foi moie aca- foi acauemics, iathei than . people that aie coming
fiom a piofessional fielu, anu I think that that's not a goou uecision." Ns. Stavi anu Ni.
Langley both expiess theii unueistanuing of ait euucation as skill-acquisition. In
uesciibing the neeu foi ait teacheis to be piacticing aitists, Ns. Stavi uesciibes the


impoitance of leaining "how to uiaw thiough obseiving the piocess of uiawing." She
suggests a iight way to acquiie anu apply a skill thiough this aigument. Ns. Stavi sees ait
anu acauemia as sepaiate entities, but uoes not view ait as unquantifiable anu without
means of evaluation. Bei conception of the ielationship between ait anu euucation is closei
to one of appienticeship than of an acauemic puisuit.
Ns. Stavi has auuiesseu the manifestations of these tensions in uebates among the
faculty. In hei inteiview, she mentions a meeting iegaiuing the intiouuction of some
"newei" iueas in ait anu ait euucation into the cuiiiculum, but says the teacheis involveu
in the meeting chose to maintain the tiauitional Bauhaus appioach at the school. This
uiscussion, anu the tensions aiounu ait piactice anu what kinus of ait piactice shoulu be
taught, stem fiom uiffeiing uefinitions of the aitist as apolitical, value-neutial, anu steepeu
in tiauition, veisus the aitist as an entity actively engageu in society, iesponuing to cuiient
events, anu expeiimenting with new foims. It also stems fiom a uiffeient unueistanuing of
oi peispective on the tensions, incompatibility, oi unceitainty of teaching ait within a
buieauciatic euucational stiuctuie.
Abby Noigan feels veiy uiffeiently about the aitist than Avital Stavi anu Saulei
Langley, but she too notes a ceitain uniqueness in anu tension aiounu the piactice of
teaching ait in the classioom. Ns. Noigan is a ielatively new auuition to the Yoikvoc
faculty. She uefines aitists implicitly thiough hei inteiview anu, in many ways, uoes so
with an opposite unueistanuing to Ni. Langley anu Ns. Stavi. In hei inteiview, Ns. Noigan
uiscusses being a stuuent oi teachei anu being an aitist as sepaiate anu sometimes
conflicting occupations:
um, Lhere are some sLudenLs who l Lhlnk are absoluLely wonderful, fanLasLlc arLlsLs. ShlLLy
sLudenLs. And Lhen Lhere are some people who are [usL amazlng sLudenLs, llke Lhey're really on
Lop of Lhelr game . um, Lhey're [usL really greaL academlc sLudenLs LhaL don'L have uh, sklll . Lo
really be a good arLlsL.
Although Ns. Noigan uoes not explicitly imply that being a goou stuuent piecluues
being a goou aitist, she sees them as sepaiate occupations, anu ones that uo not necessaiily
have an impact on one anothei.
Although theie is not necessaiily a uiiect link between one anu the othei, Ns.
Noigan's sepaiation of stuuent anu aitist is telling anu ieveals a peiception of the aitist
that is uiffeient than Ns. Stavi's oi Ni. Langley's. Ns. Noigan's conception of the aitist is
subtly anti-acauemic, but in a iejection of the constiictions aiounu acauemic unueitakings,
not in iejection of acauemic iueas themselves. In uesciibing what uefines a goou stuuent,
she lists: "they'ie eaily foi eveiy class; they hanu in eveiything on time; they uo theii
wiitten pait that goes with the painting pait." This uesciiption implies that being a goou
stuuent is laigely a mattei of uiscipline anu effoit. Being an aitist, howevei, is about having
a skill oi inboin ability - being the iight type.
Bowevei, Ns. Noigan is not consistent with this element of hei uefinition of the
aitist, stating latei in hei inteiview that even "having a huge uiive anu a uesiie to uo
something, anu not any instiuctions, you know, you'ie not gonna get the skill level that
somebouy, you know, as the same level as you woulu at a youngei age." This seems to

imply that aitists can be nuituieu, but the tensions anu unceitainty eviuent in these
uesciiptions suggest that both aie possibilities. Regaiuless of whethei ait is natuie oi
nuituie, howevei, to Ns. Noigan, as with hei colleagues, an aitist anu a stuuent aie not the
same thing. Bowevei, unlike hei colleagues who imply that although uistinct, success as a
stuuent enables success as an aitist, Ns. Noigan uiscusses the neeu to talk to "high school
stuuents a lot about balancing, being a goou aitist to being a goou stuuent." This implies
that these occupations might come into conflict with one anothei at times. She expanus
when she explains:
l rely on Lhose people over Lhere [Lhe maln school bulldlng] hoplng Lhey Lralned Lhem Lo be a
good sLudenL, rlghL? And Lhen Lhey come over here and l leL Lhem loosen up a blL . l ofLen have
a saylng, llke l'll say, llke, okay, so l'm Lalklng Lo you as an arLlsL, l'm Lalklng Lo you as an arL
sLudenL, know, llke, geL your shlL LogeLher, hand ln your pro[ecL, because lL's due on Lhls daLe."
1hls ls arL sLudenL Llme, rlghL? When you're acLually palnLlng, LhaL's when you're an arLlsL, so
LhaL's klnd of a Lrlcky llne Lo draw for Lhem Loo, because, you wanL, llke l sald, you wanL Lo ralse
culLure-fuckers anyways, rlghL? Llke you wanL Lhem Lo go agalnsL Lhe graln, LhaL's whaL arLlsLs do,
Lhey quesLlon, Lhey push, you know, Lhey're avanL-garde, means Lhey're on Lhe cuLLlng edge,
you're Lrylng someLhlng new. As a Leacher ln Lhe school sysLem, ooh, do l really wanL Lo be
encouraglng Lhls? ?ou know, because, and l mean, Lhe lrony ls, l used Lo Leach Clvlcs Loo, rlghL,
so lL's llke, oh boLh sldes, ln Lhls class l'm saylng, go ouL Lhere, ralse some hell." ?ou know, and
ln Lhe oLher class l'm, be a good clLlzen, boys and glrls. ?ou musL obey Lhe laws." ?ou know, so
as a Leacher, l'm ln Lhe school pro-, ln Lhe school sysLem, as an arLlsL as well, lL's Lough Lo klnd of,
and l Lhlnk we klnd of geL away wlLh a loL here . lL's a llLLle blL dlfferenL Lhan normal.
Within the nuances of acting simultaneously as teacheis oi stuuents anu as aitists,
Ns. Noigan lays out hei peiceptions of what an aitist is. 0nlike Ns. Stavi anu Ni. Langley,
she sees aitists specifically as politically engageu people, as "cultuie-fuckeis," anu as
society's "avant-gaiue." Ait anu aitists, theiefoie, exist not foi the sake of the ciaft alone
but to fulfil a specific social function. It is inteiesting to note that among the teacheis who
uisagieeu with Ns. Noigan, feeling that ait was an enu in itself, was Achim Wellei, who hau
a unique inteipietation of his ielationship to uominant peiceptions of the aitist. Ni. Wellei
explaineu that he uoes not consiuei himself an aitist because, as he explains:
l'm a deslgner, a phoLographer. lL's noL LhaL whaL l do can'L be consldered arLlsLlc, buL l - Lhe
Lhlngs l creaLe have purpose as opposed Lo, l don'L even wanna say decoraLlve, because LhaL's
demeanlng Lo arL, buL, buL noL purely for Lhe sake of Lhe plece. ?ou know, lL's, Lhere's, Lhere's a,
lL has Lo flL lnLo a larger need.
Ni. Wellei's bouy language anu tone in answeiing this question - pulling back,
speaking moie quietly - suggests that he feels some stiain in his uefinition of ait, anu his
positioning with iegaius to it. In contiast, Ns. Noigan's views on ait as active anu engageu
seem peihaps less populai among faculty at Yoikvoc, anu hei appioach to the conceptions
of ait anu what it means to be an aitist aie in many ways unique among the view fiom
Yoikvoc's aits teacheis.
0nlike Ns. Stavi anu Ni. Langley, Ns. Noigan uoes not uesciibe aitists as an
evolving categoiy, but speaks of them as people natuially constiucteu with ceitain
pioclivities. An aitist is not punctual, oiganizeu, complicit, quiet, oi easy to iegulate. As
stuuents, inuiviuuals must embouy some oi all of these chaiacteiistics, but as aitists they
can ielax fiom fitting into these categoiies anu exploie the possibilities of theii iole as


social commentatois. Because of these uiffeiences - anu the coiiesponuing uiffeiences in
what she might wish to encouiage as an aitist veisus as a teachei - Ns. Noigan makes a
uistinction between hei iuentity as a teachei anu as an aitist, though foi uiffeient ieasons
than Ns. Stavi anu Ni. Langley.
Ns. Noigan's peiceptions of ait as sepaiate fiom anu fieei than acauemic schooling
anu Ni. Langley's anu Ns. Stavi's unueistanuing of ait as a skilleu piofession aie ieflecteu
in some stuuents' uesciiptions of theii expeiiences in the classioom anu, coiiesponuingly,
theii impiessions of what it is to engage in ait oi be an aitist. Inueeu, teacheis weie not
alone in theii ambivalence aiounu the iole of ait in the classioom; peihaps picking up on
theii teacheis' tensions on the topic, stuuents too seemeu unsuie about the iole of ait, anu
theii iole as aitists.
The stuuents we inteivieweu noteu uiffeiences in teaching styles between faculty in
the builuing. They aiticulateu these uiffeiences by uesciibing a paiticulai teachei's
pioclivities in assigning laigei oi smallei woikloaus, anu - peihaps moie impoitantly -
theii level of "stiictness" oi uesiie to see the fabiication of "coiiect" ait piouucts. Kassia
Waue, a stuuent in giaue ten, echoeu hei teacheis' sentiments conceining the sepaiation of
aits anu acauemia. "I think it's goou to still be leaining the acauemics of like, science anu
English anu math, anu also get to, soit of, ventuie off into aits, anu soit of lets you get a feel
foi what you like to uo moie, so, that's goou." Although Kassia uoes not aiticulate feeling a
tension between being a stuuent in one builuing anu being an aitist-in-tiaining in anothei,
she uoes note a uiffeience. Bei language implies that "ventuiing off into aits" might be
lookeu at as moie exploiatoiy, peihaps fieei, while being an acauemic stuuent is moie
about ieceiving infoimation. She says,
?eah, Lhe academlc Leachers really llke Lo, l don'L know, maybe Lhey llke Lo mark work or
someLhlng, Lhey're always glvlng you all klnds of homework, and work Lo do ln class, and Lhey're
really busy, l flnd. um, whereas Lhe Leachers here [ln Lhe arLs program] are sorL of more abouL
[usL Leachlng how Lo do Lhe skllls, so Lhen you can do lL on your own. um, ln Lhe maln bulldlng,
lL's sorL of, lL's more academlc, so lL's all abouL dolng work and marklng work, and
lmprovemenLs. Where, lL's llke LhaL here Loo, buL, lL's sorL of more busy over Lhere, you geL, you
geL a loL of work ln Lhe arL deparLmenL Loo, buL, l don'L know.
Kassia's comments ieflect a sense of confusion aiounu what exactly hei iole as an
aitist oi as a stuuent, oi as a combination of both might be. It seems cleai in hei
aiticulation that theie is a uiffeience between acauemics anu ait, but just what that
uiffeience is, is uifficult to pin uown. Like hei teacheis, Kassia names this ambivalence
thiough expeiiences in the classioom, uesciibing ait both as fieei anu moie self-guiueu
than acauemic classes anu yet, in the same inteiview, auuing,
robably my LoughesL classes would be my arL classes, 'cause lL ls a speclallzed program, so you
do have Lo meeL Lhe requlremenLs and everyLhlng, um, and [usL geLLlng your pro[ecL done ls a
really long process, 'cause you have Lo keep checklng lL over and maklng correcLlons. A loL of
people would Lhlnk LhaL lL's [usL arL, lL's noL LhaL hard, buL really lL ls, lf you um, wanL Lo llke,
please Lhe Leacher, and do lL correcLly, and learn Lhe skllls, lL's preLLy hard.
Like Kassia, giaue eleven stuuent Chiis Elliot spoke to the tensions existing between
ait as a fiee-flowing piactice, stemming natuially fiom within a stuuent, anu ait as a

leaineu skill, with an objectively unueistanuable "iight" anu "wiong" way of being uone.
Chiis compaies his ceiamics anu photogiaphy classes. In ceiamics, Chiis says, "you can
kinu of pietenu you'ie uoing something when you'ie not anu then just, have fun anu goof
off moie but like, still be leaining." 0n the othei hanu, "photogiaphy is like a whole bunch
of steps that you have to follow like, piecisely but, like. it all has to like, woik, otheiwise
you sciew up foi you anu that's a uiag." It woulu be too simple to uismiss these
uistinctions, which inuicate a piefeience foi the fieei enviionment of ceiamics, as meiely
stemming fiom laziness. The uiffeiences Chiis notes as impoitant between these classes as
baseu on the neeus of two uispaiate meuiums aie echoeu in latei comments about teaching
styles anu appioaches to ait itself. But while Chiis expiesses that photogiaphy is tiicky but
"all iight," he is quite cleai about the uesiiability of one appioach to ait tiaining ovei
anothei. Talking about the teachei's appioach in life uiawing, a class he says he uislikes, he
says,
She made us draw a whole bunch of Lhlngs and Lhen . she's llke '"okay, you're dolng lL
compleLely wrong." And lL's llke, whaL?! . l mean, l guess LhaL's gonna help us learn. l mean,
obvlously lL ls buL, . she's always on your back, llke, maklng you do dlfferenL Lhlngs and Lhen,
when you Lhlnk you're dolng lL rlghL, you're dolng lL wrong. . lL's noL llke lL hurLs your feellngs,
buL lL's llke okay, okay, okay, okay!" And Lhen llke, she'll, you'll be llke drawlng and you'll see
her comlng around, slowly comlng Lo you, and Lhen you're llke all Lrylng Lo do lL how you're
supposed Lo.
It is inteiesting to note the similaiities between the teacheis that stuuents iuentifies
as being contiolling oi smotheiing in theii appioach to aitistiy, anu the teacheis who
iuentifieu ait anu teaching ait as a tiaue iathei than an acauemic subject. These
uiffeiences of appioach may be the logical iesults of uiffeient appioaches to the foui majoi
points of tension playing out in the classioom, anu being ieceiveu by stuuents with gieatei
oi lessei uegiees of fonuness. Regaiuless, it is cleai that foi both teacheis anu stuuents, the
classioom is a site of anxiety oi piessuie, as theoiy is tuineu into piactice anu ait meets
euucation.
Whethei it is outiight tension oi the subtle uneasiness of uoing-without-ieally-
knowing that is being felt by teacheisaitists oi stuuentsaitist-in-tiaining, theie is a sense
of inuecision that maiks the caiiying out anu ieception of the ait cuiiiculum at Yoik
vocational. This opeiates on teacheis anu stuuents in many ways, both positive anu
negative. It cieates a space in which the question of who oi what is an aitist, is constantly
being askeu; a space in which what it is to be an aitist is an evolving concept. Bowevei,
teacheis anu stuuents aie not engageu in this piocess of meaning-making on equal teims.
Eveiybouy has theii appioach to what it means to be an aitist, but some voices anu
opinions aie heaiu anu acteu upon, while otheis aie uismisseu oi tuneu out. In the context
of an ait piogiam, embouying what it means to be an aitist can mean inclusion in the
community cieateu aiounu that teim. But what happens if stuuents oi teacheis uo not
auequately embouy notions of the aitist ueemeu "iight" oi "bettei" within the context of
the school. Anu how uo vaiious social factois, such as iace, class, anu genuei, guiue oi
ueteimine both the ways in which teacheis anu stuuents iesolve theii uefinitions of what it
means to be an aitist anu the way in which stuuents aie iecognizeu oi iejecteu as aitists.
The following section will attenu to these questions by exploiing how teacheis anu


stuuents iesuiiect genueieu, iaceu, anu classeu bounuaiies when uiscussing the Yoik
vocational aits community.
EV.S# ,#C(&(+# M2&3A,F 8 Q2>>D).+? !#),.2),
Fiom speaking with teacheis anu stuuents, the theme of community emeigeu as a
cential theme in the ieseaich. Community, howevei, uiu not exist without tension.
Teacheis often uesciibeu the stuuent community as a "mixeu bag," while stuuents offeieu
commentaiy on an inclusive community that uiu not always coiielate with what was moie
eviuent thiough obseivations of the school. Foi example, teacheis' uesciiptions suggesteu
that ceitain stuuents weie moie valuable to the community than otheis, thus cieating an
exclusive school cultuie, piemiseu on iacial anu class hieiaichies, as well as neolibeial
piinciples of meiitociacy anu success. Neanwhile, when stuuents uesciibeu theii peeis,
they eiecteu similai bounuaiies, maiking out ait stuuents fiom the laigei Yoik vocational
School community in ways that mappeu onto pie-existing iacial anu class hieiaichies. The
following section maps out the tensions aiounu who constitutes "community" within the
Yoik vocational ait piogiams.
When askeu to uesciibe the stuuent community at Yoikvoc, teacheis uesciibeu
stuuents, anu the stuuent bouy, in vaiious ways. Neil Foicanu, foi example, iefiaineu fiom
making inteipietive comments about the stuuents, iathei choosing to uiscuss stuuents'
engagement with the aits, via futuie caieeis anu acauemic paths. Beie, all stuuents weie
uesciibeu as succeeuing. As Ni. Foicanu notes,
1he sLudenLs LhaL uh, come Lo ?orkvoc come here Lo uh, cerLalnly uh, hope Lo leave and go off Lo
a school . LhaL deals wlLh vlsual arLs. uh, lL could be a place llke CCAu, 8yerson, Sherldan, or
even ?ork [unlverslLy] or uh, uh, Cueens or unlverslLy of 1oronLo ln some cases. And, uh, Lhey go
off lnLo professlons from commerclal arL Lo Leachlng Lo uh, worklng as flne arLlsLs Lhemselves,
and Lhey uh, come here ln a hope Lo develop a porLfollo whlch ls sLrong enough and skllls LhaL
are sLrong enough LhaL wlll glve Lhem access Lo Lhe school Lhey wanL Lo go Lo.
Similaily, the piincipal Petei Lockley, ielays a geneiic unueistanuing of aits piogiam
stuuents, expiessing that stuuents:
have a passlon for arL and Lhey're sLrlvlng Lo geL beLLer. um, you know, l Lhlnk many of Lhem are
hoplng Lo, Lo expand and be able Lo be- become successful. And you know, l Lhlnk some of Lhem
are looklng down Lhe road, Lo perhaps golng Lo medla and medla relaLed uh, [obs as Lhey move
forward as well. ?ou know, l Lhlnk Lhey, y'know, preLLy commlLLed Lo LhaL program.
Bowevei, othei teacheis ielayeu moie uesciiptive oi inteipietive impiessions of
the stuuent bouy. Some teacheis chose to uiscuss stuuents alongsiue theii ability, oi
engagement, speaking to shifts in uemogiaphics, anu the piocess of stuuent selection in the
piogiam. These uesciiptions usually iefeienceu, eithei uiiectly oi inuiiectly, a uivision
between two gioups of stuuents: those who weie engageu - who weie often seen as
stuuents commuting to school; anu those who weie not engageu - stuuents who weie often
seen as stuuents fiom the local aiea. Beie, the implieu iefeience seems to be the stuuents
who seek the piogiam out, veisus the stuuents who fall into the piogiam by uefault of
geogiaphy. When uesciibing stuuents, teacheis comments eithei echoeu piaise oi uisuain,
oscillating between the successful, engageu stuuent, oi the unengageu anu often

"uestiuctive" stuuent, oi, as one teachei put it, the "elements we uon't want." These
comments ieflect conceptions of success, as well as selection oi exclusion piocesses; how
to keep ceitain (successful) stuuents in, anu ceitain (unsuccessful) stuuents out.
Fiist, to succeeu in the ait piogiams at Yoikvoc, a stuuent must have skill anu an
"intellectual oiientation." As some of the teachei quoteu in the pievious section suggest,
acauemic skills aie integial to success. Foi example, in ielaying his uieams foi futuie
Yoikvoc ait piogiam initiatives, Neil Foicanu speaks about an iuea he imagines as
changing futuie ielations between the main builuing anu the aits builuing. Be uesciibes a
piogiam in which it might be possible foi Yoik aits stuuents to team up with stuuents in
the technical stieam, taking shop classes, woouwoiking, anu othei similai couises. Ni.
Foicanu imagines that this teaming up will iesult in the oppoitunity foi his aits stuuents to
woik on uesigns uestineu to be tuineu into mateiial things, anu foi the tech stuuents to
piouuce the objects of the ait stuuents' uesigns. Beie, his imagineu ait stuuents aie imbueu
with the ability to uesign anu cieate concepts, the kinu of intellectual woik that is not
assigneu to the technical stuuents within the main builuing.
This uivision between the intellectual ait stuuents anu non-intellectual technical
stuuents emeiges in othei inteiviews, wheie teacheis eiect bounuaiies aiounu who
constitutes a successful ait stuuent. Foi example, in uesciibing class piojects such as
"images of who we aie," Ni. Wellei explains that wheieas "kius that have hau a lot of
acauemic anu ieauing unueistanuing aie ieally goou at concepts," those stuuents that uon't
have uifficulty continuing with the woik. Similaily, Ni. Langley notes:
Cur besL vlsual arLs sLudenLs also happen Lo be our mosL lnLellecLually orlenLed, and, you know,
Lhey're good wrlLers, lL usually all goes LogeLher. ?ou do, and we have, l have seen, and l have
excepLlonal vlsuals LhaL sLudenLs wlLh excepLlonal skllls ln arL, buL because Lhey have no
lnLellecLual curloslLy, no uh, no, no real llfe of Lhe mlnd so Lo speak, uh, lL doesn'L really Lake
Lhem very far.
Teacheis feel that not all stuuents aie "intellectually oiienteu." In fact, Ni. Langley
suggests that "people aie getting stupiuei, oi people aie getting moie anu moie skill-less as
we go along. It's incieuible, the uiffeience." Neanwhile, Ni. Wellei peiceives "the skill level
of stuuents uescenuing slowly ovei the yeais . oui kius aien't that goou on concept,
wheieas an acauemic kiu is." Be attiibutes this uownwaiu shift to a iesult of time: "Again,
because we uon't get as much time with them." Bowevei, when Ni. Wellei compaies
Yoikvoc with anothei school he uesciibes as being locateu in an "affluent, subuiban
neighboihoou," he notes theii manuate foi aftei-school involvement anu minimum
aveiages. Be note that with the population of stuuents at Yoik "that's not possible."
Both teacheis attiibute what they peiceive as stuuents' uiminisheu output, as
connecteu to the iise of "Special Eu" oi "special neeus" stuuents in the classioom.
Accoiuing to one teachei, these stuuents aie often "uysfunctional kius." Ni. Langley notes,
Cne of Lhe Lrends ls more and more speclal ed klds. uh, and uh, LhaL's been a Lrend ln Lhe
deparLmenL. We've always had LhaL . lLs always been a parL of us. 8uL lL seems Lo be lncreaslng,
maklng a larger porLlon, ln our speclallzed program, whlch ls for people who have a speclal
lnLeresL ln arL and hopefully a speclal klnd of a sklll ln lL, or apLlLude for lL . LhaL Lhey wanL Lo be
ln arL, Lhey come here, whlch ls a good Lhlng. A loL of Lhose people, a loL of Lhose sLudenLs Lhe


speclal ed ones, some of Lhem, uh, are noL approprlaLe for Lhe program . my feellng ls LhaL
Lhey're baslcally dysfuncLlonal klds.
Ni. Langley accieuits this "tienu" to auministiation, oi "the people in euucation"
that "uon't ieally unueistanu the aits" foi "thiow|ingj" stuuents into ait if they have
uifficulty with language skills. Ni. Wellei also iecognizes the laigei numbei of "special
neeus" stuuents in the piogiam, which he attiibutes to the laigei school's uemogiaphic, of
"high in special neeus, anu ESL." Be attiibutes stuuents' lack of "acauemic" skills to theii
socio-economic backgiounu: "When you typically see what they'ie against, theii socio-
economic backgiounu is, anu theii, you know, they'ie not a lot of them pushing foi that
|acauemicsj. In, in the same thing you woulu get in, in an affluent subuiban
neighbouihoou." In tiacing this logic, these teacheis associate "special eu," "special neeus
stuuents," anu ESL stuuents with "uysfunctional stuuents," who iepiesent the local
community, oi the laigei uemogiaphic of Yoik vocation, which is piimaiily immigiants anu
othei minoiities. While such connection may not be teacheis' intentions, the unueilying
assumptions about local stuuents biush up against laigei classeu iueas about who
constitutes a goou ait stuuent, anu hence, futuie aitist. Bespite the ielatively cleai
aiticulation maue by many teacheis between language neeus anu the ability to succeeu in
school, the aits piogiam's uiiectoi affiims that theie aie no aits teacheis tiaineu in ESL
teaching.
The notion of "bettei stuuents" as "involveu" oi "committeu" emeiges as the seconu
attiibute oi chaiacteiistic of the successful stuuent. This involvement is not tieu to aptituue
but iathei, inteiest, engagement, anu involvement. The stuuents who aie "moie infoimeu,"
aie "the ones that tiuly unueistanu that they want ait." Avital Stavi explains that when she
"staiteu to woik heie, the stuuents that we got weie way, veiy, veiy ex - veiy motivateu.
Anu also somehow acauemically stiong. veiy stiong." She suggests that stuuents'
involvement oi commitment may have uwinuleu as a iesult of cutbacks. While, accoiuing to
Ns. Stavi, implementing auuitions foi entiy to the piogiam has yielueu an inciease in
committeu stuuents, issues aiounu commitment anu motivation continues to be an issue,
as mentioneu by the majoiity of teacheis inteivieweu.
Teacheis attiibute involvement anu motivation to vaiious factois. Age is fiequently
iefeienceu, as stuuents aie peiceiveu to become moie involveu anu committeu as they
matuie. Foi example, accoiuing to Ni. Langley, giaue 1u stuuents "tenu to be pietty lazy,"
anu not veiy "uiiecteu oi thoughtful." 0i, as Ni. Wellei explains,
MosL of Lhe problems wlll be ln Lhe early years: Lhe 9s and 10s because Lhey're sLlll noL sure whaL
Lhey wanL Lo do, and Lhey haven'L qulLe boughL ln, Lhey're sLlll Lrylng Lo feel Lhelr place wlLhln
Lhe whole school. um, Lhey elLher sLarL Lo en[oy whaL's here and buy ln, or Lhey say nah, Lhls ls
noL me" and move on. 8y 11 and 12, lL's a phenomenal seL of sLudenLs.
Anu yet, Ni. Wellei's othei comments suggest that he uoes not ieally believe all his
stuuents aie phenomenal, oi that the "pioblems" iion out aftei giaue nine. In iesponse to
an obseivation about absenteeism in his class, he comments:
1here's a core, and when you came ln, LhaL's Lhe core. 1hey wlll be here everyday. 1hose are Lhe
beLLer sLudenLs, more lnvolved sLudenLs, and Lhen, Lhe ones you saw dropplng ln laLe, or ln
second perlod, well Lhose are Lhe ones LhaL aren'L golng Lo make lL for whaLever reason. And

we've Lrled rescue sLraLegles. . ?ou know many of Lhem are qulLe capable. lL's aLLlLude, and unLll
Lhey manage Lo declde LhaL Lhls ls lmporLanL Lo Lhem, lL's noL golng Lo change.
Bespite his obseivation about the uiffeiences between giaue 9s anu giaue 12s, he
feels that attenuance uoes not necessaiily coiielate with giaue lines. Rathei, attenuance
anu tiuancy aie connecteu to classioom uynamic. Be explains:
1haL's why lL would be nlce Lo be able Lo ldenLlfy LhaL early and move Lhose people [Lhe ones
who don'L show up] lnLo a place LhaL's beLLer sulLed for Lhem, oLherwlse noL here. And flll Lhe
space wlLh people who are more lnLeresLed ln arL, or even, have smaller classes. 8ecause Lhe
class dynamlc Lhen ls sLronger, and lL malnLalns Lhe aLLendance beLLer.
Although Ni. Wellei says that "eithei |stuuentsj stait to enjoy what's heie anu buy
in, oi they say 'nah, this is not me' anu move on," teacheis' comments suggest that a
stuuent's uecision to simply "move on" may not be iepiesentative of the school climate.
Rathei, incoming iueas about the aitist, anu built-in selection piocesses attempt to secuie
the ait builuing fiom the main builuing anu its stuuents. The uistinction between "ait
stuuents" anu othei stuuents is also maue cleai by stuuents, who see themselves as
belonging to a veiy uiffeient community fiom the iest of the school.
Teacheis also attiibute involvement anu motivation to socio-economic anu familial
factois. Teacheis note, foi example, that stuuents who must woik to maintain family
finances, foi example, uo not have the time to commit extia houis to homewoik. Bowevei,
sometimes links weie moie explicit. Ni. Wellei notes that "theii commitment level veiy
much uepenus on theii #*HBI3C"%/." Be explains that when he talks about backgiounu, he
means "theii, theii family backgiounu":
?ou know, l see very LalenLed klds here LhaL, LhaL sorL of crulse and coasL Lhrough, Lhlnklng LhaL
Lhey goL all Lhe LalenL and Lhey don'L need Lo do anyLhlng more. uh, you know, and, when, Lhe
work eLhlc ln Lhe famlly LhaL were a llLLle dlfferenL, Lhey, Lhey would change Lhe aLLlLude, or LhaL
Lhe aLLlLude would be dlfferenL, and l look aL my reporL card, - kld's reporL card - and you know,
we Lalk abouL how Lhey geL cerLaln marks. l don'L Lhlnk LhaL's happenlng a loL ln you know, many
of our kld's sc-homes.
While this comment uoes not explicitly connect the uncommitteu stuuent to a
paiticulai socio-economic status, Ni. Wellei's latei comments suggest that the comment,
"many of oui kiu's sc-homes" is filleu with iueas aiounu class anu iace. Foi example, the
same teachei latei connects stuuent involvement to iace oi ethnicity, anu neighbouihoou,
sepaiating stuuents who seek out the piogiam, fiom stuuents fiom the "local" community.
Be uesciibes this local community as affecteu by immigiation waves:
lL flucLuaLes, buL yeah, we have waves dependlng whaL Lhe laLesL, laLesL lmmlgranL wave ls. l
mean, we've goL a huge populaLlon of 8usslan klds for a whlle, we've had, uh 1amll, Lhere's an
CrlenLal populaLlon now. lL depends whaL comes lnLo Lhls area, um, agaln, we're a magneL
school, so qulLe ofLen, uh, we're a mlx of uh, Lhere are some klds LhaL are very lnLeresLed ln arL,
and wlll come Lo Lhls school, and Lhey're Lyplcally Lhe, Lhe ones LhaL know enough Lo research
Lhe sysLem and make lL here. And Lhere's a loL of local.
The stuuents who aie "veiy inteiesteu in ait" live outsiue the local community,
wheieas the "local" stuuents exist as a sepaiate categoiy, a sepaiate stuuent community.
Be continues, noting that some ethnic communities aie moie committeu to the aits than
otheis.


And agaln, by populaLlon, lL depends on whaL arL means Lo LhaL populaLlon. um, for lnsLance, we
had a loL of hlllpplno sLudenLs because, uh, Lhelr parenLs were lnvolved ln arL and arL ls parL of
Lhelr culLure, whereas, uh, an CrlenLal populaLlon, Lyplcally Lhey don'L see LhaL as parL of an
educaLlon. 1hey, Lhey have oLher needs for Lhelr educaLlon, because Lhey wanL Lhelr klds Lo geL
lnLo hlgh school, uh sorry, lnLo unlverslLy.
While Ni. Wellei was the only teachei who was explicit in his views, he was not
alone. The iuea that "committeu" - anu thus, uesiiable - stuuents commute is echoeu by
othei teacheis. Stuuents fiom outsiue the aiea aie peiceiveu as moie committeu by viitue
of the uistance it takes foi them to tiavel to school. Ns. Stavi tells us of "one gieat stuuent
that lives, oh, gou knows, she takes thiee buses, I uon't know, gets up at five in the moining.
But they aie veiy committeu, anu yes, it uoes also take the stuuents fiom the local aiea."
The piincipal also tells us of the gieat lengths stuuents commute in oiuei to bolstei the
impiession of the school. This sepaiation of the local stuuents fiom those who commute is
also iefeienceu by stuuents.
In oiuei to keep "committeu stuuents" in, uncommitteu stuuents have to be pusheu
out. The views expiesseu above, about who constitutes a successful ait stuuent, likely
influences teacheis' piactice within the classioom. Inueeu, uuiing obseivations in
classiooms, it is appaient that some teacheis spent moie time with what they peiceiveu to
be "committeu" stuuents. These stuuents weie also often White, anu, like the commuting
stuuents with the knowleuge to puisue a specializeu piogiam, weie moie likely to be
miuule oi uppei-miuule class. When local stuuents aie uenieu assistance foi whatevei
ieason, they may ostensibly choose to leave, but aie in effect being pusheu out.
Absenteeism anu tiuancy was an issue noteu by all the teacheis. Bowevei, because
the successful anu uesiieu stuuent is the stuuent who "buys in" anu is "involveu," theie
seemeu to be veiy little that teacheis uiu to pievent absenteeism. Yet, as Ni. Wellei
continues, "if, if you see that theie's a stuuent to be iescueu you uo the papeiwoik, but," he
pauses to ieflect, anu auus "you know, it takes caie of itself." Bence, by not auuiessing
absenteeism (a iesult of not "buying in," anu hence, not becoming involveu in the
community), teacheis ensuie that the stuuents who stay aie those who aie always
involveu, always committeu, anu always commuting, thus pushing out local stuuents who
may not feel as welcomeu in the fiist place.
Push-out mechanisms also functioneu at an institutional level. Although weaiy of
"iunning too fast to be specializeu," Ns. Stavi notes that iecent poitfolio iequiiements anu
inteiviews have ensuieu that incoming stuuents have a "stiongei sense of commitment."
This is in contiast to stuuents who think the piogiam is an "easy iiue," Accoiuing to hei,
these stuuents:
don'L really wanL Lo be here, . so l hope LhaL more and more wlLh Lhe lnLervlew sys - er, Lhe
lnLervlew sysLem wlll - because, you know, lf Lhey don'L wanL Lo be here, lL's noL good for Lhem.
lL's noL good for me, and lL's deflnlLely noL good for Lhe oLher sLudenLs, because l flnd LhaL Le -
sLudenLs LhaL are noL fully commlLLed Lo Lhe program, Lhey are Lhe ones LhaL are desLrucLlve and
dlsengaged, and Lhey affecL Lhe whole class.

Teacheis also note that inteiviews anu poitfolios ieuuce the numbei of spots
available foi auministiation to "thiow" stuuents into ait if they aie having uifficulty in the
conventional piogiam.
Thus, the pievalent mentality is one that suggests a piefeience foi suiveillance anu
maintenance of community bounuaiies. Keeping the ait piogiam "full," a challenge also
iefeiieu to by Ni. Foicanu, means moie than high numbeis. Anu, accoiuing to Ni. Wellei, it
also means iiuuing the piogiam of what teacheis see as unwanteu "elements":
As much as lL's a cholce Lo come here, Lhe blg school Lends Lo be Lhe place where people can
move Lo. lf we can keep lL full, LhaL doesn'L happen. 8uL, when, when a kld geLs bumped from
anoLher school, Lhey sLlll have Lo be schooled somewhere, and you'd llke Lo be able Lo say you're
full, buL qulLe ofLen, because we're a blg school, Lhere's always room. And, you know, so qulLe
ofLen we're forced Lo Lake elemenLs LhaL, LhaL really you wouldn'L wanL aL your school. um, Lo
brlng Lhem lnLo Lhe arL, Lhey need Lo have some ablllLy, and so we're spared LhaL and LhaL's qulLe
ofLen why Lhls reLalns lLs communlLy.
Like the oiiginal comment above, which links "special eu" stuuents with
"uysfunctional kius" with minimal aitistic ability, heie, the stuuents with "ability" aie
piesumeu to be well-behaveu. In oiuei to avoiu an uncommitteu stuuent - "ones that aien't
going to make it" - it become necessaiy to have committeu, successful stuuents filling up
the piogiam. The same logic opeiates when teacheis speak about Yoik vocational's
ieputation, oi oveiall school climate. Yoikvoc is simultaneously woise than othei schools
(in affluent, subuiban neighbouihoous) anu bettei ("you know, we'ie lucky"). These
contiauictions exist in oiuei to iesuiiect bounuaiies, as teacheis navigate what the ait
piogiam is, anu whom it seives in a time of tiansition.
Within this logic, the contiauictions make sense. Foi example, as seen above, Ni.
Wellei fiequently compaies his challenges at Yoik to moie "affluent" oi "subuiban"
neighbouihoous, stiessing that "we uon't have the same uemogiaphic as a, you know,
subuiban school" wheie such challenges (e.g., acauemic iigoui, motivation, etc.) aie
piesumeu to be non-existent. But latei, when uesciibing challenges he notes: "anu I mean it
seems like it's bau heie, but then you go to the subuiban schools anu suipiisingly it's the
same stoiy theie, so you know, maybe it's pait of the system." Stuuents also useu similai
bounuaiies in speaking of theii peeis, maiking out ait stuuents fiom the laigei Yoikvoc
community in ways that map onto pie-existing iacial anu class hieiaichies. While stuuents
weie nevei explicit in theii iepiesentations of a uiviueu Yoik community, theii comments
about Yoik's "accepting" enviionment often contiasteu with unueilying iueas about the
"goou kius," oi the stuuents fiom the main builuing.
While stuuents uiu not seem to be as affecteu by some of the tiansitional tensions
vocalizeu by the teacheis, they uesciibeu the ait piogiam as physically anu symbolically
uistinct fiom the main builuing. This incluueu how stuuents uesciibeu the physical space,
as well as the stuuents. Foi example, each stuuent inteivieweu implieu, eithei uiiectly oi
inuiiectly, that the aits enviionment was inclusive, oi even "moie accepting" than the main
builuing. Foi instance, two giaue 11 stuuents explaineu that within the aits piogiam
eveiyone gets along, with one stuuent noting that hei classmates weie hei "buuuies." Anu
yet, obseivations anu inteiviews with othei stuuents suggesteu that this was not always
the case. As stuuents stiesseu the inclusiveness of the aits space, they iesuiiecteu


bounuaiies between people, suggesting fiagmenteu social gioupings, oi bounuaiies
between who belongs within the aits piogiam anu who uoes not. These iefeiences weie
often maue in tanuem with comments about stuuents fiom the main builuing.
Stuuents often contiasteu the main builuing with the aits builuing, positioning the
aits builuing as a positive space, anu the main builuing, in contiast, as negative. Foi
example, Kassia Waue uesciibes the main builuing as having a lot of "sciibbles anu stuff in
the staiiwells." She continues, "I can see wheie some people can get the iuea that this
school is full of mean people, maybe, because some of the wiiting on the walls is not veiy
nice. Some of it is even iacist, but most of the school is not ieally like that." In contiast, she
implies that within the aits builuing, "theie's a lot of acceptance heie I finu, anu just this
builuing, I woulu say, soit of have a uiffeient feel because it's not as taggeu up as the othei
builuing, anu because it's soit of nice to see people's ait eveiywheie, anu yeah."
The uistinction between "tagging" anu ait speaks to the uispaiate sets of
expectations against which both gioups of stuuents aie measuieu. Similaily, the iuea of the
ait builuing as "clean" was also voiceu by Sonia Baviuson, when she uiscusseu stuuent
gioups such as the "gangsteis." Sonia notes, "even when like, the gangsteis come into oui
builuing, they seem to be moie iespectful because like, theie's aitwoik anu stuff like that, I
guess. So, they uon't like ieally thiow gaibage oi uo anything of that, so it seems to stay
pietty clean." In auuition to alluuing to ait as a civilizing piesence, Sonia affiims the
uivision between the "clean" ait builuing anu its implieu contiast, the main builuing.
Because of stuuent uemogiaphics, this statement is also ueeply iacializeu anu contiibutes
to much of the bounuaiy woik that goes on between stuuents.
Kassia anu Sonia aie not the only stuuents who uesciibe the uiviue between the ait
anu main builuing by iefeiiing to theii physical spaces. Canuice Cheung says she piefeis to
"stay in the ait builuing with my fiienus, eat, lunch, that's all." Canuice explains hei
piefeiences foi wheie to hang out. "This |the aitj builuing is okay, I think, but like in |thej
school builuing because they aie scaieu, afiaiu that the bugs anu iats will go aiounu the
class, that's why, I unueistanu that, so. But in ait builuing its moie comfoitable to stay in,
'cause when you go outsiue it's too colu iight now." With continueu piobing, Canuice notes
that the stuuents who aie not in the ait builuing iemain in the main builuing uuiing lunch,
iathei than go to the main builuing's cafeteiia. Baniel Yu, a non-aits stuuent eniolleu in an
ESL-stieameu ait class explains that theie was a lot of mysteiy suiiounuing the aits
piogiam. Even though he was taking a class within the builuing, he was unfamiliai with the
aits piogiam anu the builuing it was houseu in.
Thioughout the inteiview piocess, stuuents often spoke of the aits piogiam, oi
Yoikvoc as inclusive, anu lacking cliques. Anu yet, in othei moments, stuuents weie able to
speak to the vaiious gioups within the school with ease. When speaking of the school
climate as inclusive, stuuents often maue iefeience to the "uiffeient people heie" anu being
"open-minueu." Foi example, Kassia notes how Yoikvic as a whole makes hei "moie
accepting" as a peison. Bowevei, uespite stuuents' insistence that Yoikvoc anu the ait
piogiam lacks cliques, each stuuent is ieauily able to name uiffeient gioups.

When askeu uiiectly about cliques, Kassia notes "Yeah, I uon't finu theie's much of a
uiviue, but theie is some, yeah." Also, when uesciibing the school space, she notes that she
"hang|sj out eveiywheie pietty much." Because uiffeient aieas of the school aie home to
uiffeient gioups, hanging out "eveiywheie" also means with "eveiyone." While she speaks
of Yoikvoc as a whole, hei uesciiption of uiffeient gioups, spaces, anu how gioups move
anu shift as they change yeais, ieveals a complex anu vast web of social stiatification.
Similaily, Chiis also notes that "this school isn't cliquey." Bowevei, in expanuing on
this statement, he voices a contiauiction. Be iefeis to Yoik as having "a lot moie gioups to
choose fiom if you'ie tiying to finu one." Like Kassia's thoughts, this iesponse ieveals that
uespite his insistence on inclusiveness, Chiis can easily call up the school's many gioups.
Anu, within this list, the ait stuuents aie vieweu as a sepaiate categoiy. "Yeah, theie's like,
smokeis, obviously, anu then, potheaus, gangsteis, ait people." Be claiifies what he means
by "ait people within the ait piogiam." "Theie's me anu then theie's oui giaue 11 class,
anu then the giaue 12s also. A couple of them hang aiounu each othei." Chiis suggests that
stuuents within the ait piogiam aie a gioup in anu of itself. Bowevei, he uoes not iefei to
all ait stuuents. Rathei, only ceitain stuuents aie consiueieu "ait people." This is echoeu
by Sonia, who uesciibes hei closest fiienus at Yoik: "I hang out with like, ait people, anu
like my fiienus fiom ait classes." She qualifies hei statement: "0m, I know eveiybouy in the
class. I uon't hang out with eveiybouy in the class. . I hang out with the ICC/ kius fiom my
giaue eleven class, like, some of them." These "goou" kius, aie the same kius that Ni. Wellei
uesciibes eailiei as "the coie." Anu, as his inteiview anu Sonia's woius suggest, they aie
vieweu as "goou stuuents," apait fiom the local stuuent community.
0nueilying iacial anu class maikeis fiame stuuent conceptions of the Yoikvoc ait
stuuent community. These iueas often paiallel teacheis' comments. When Chiis Elliot lists
gioups of stuuents who congiegate within the school, he suggests that the "ait people" aie
%C, "smokeis," "potheaus," oi "gangsteis." This list paiallels Sonia's uesciiption of the
school community:
um, well lf you look aL our school, lL's preLLy uh, gangsLa, Lhere's a loL of people, l dunno, so l [usL
LhoughL LhaL, buL LhaL was mosLly 'cause of Lhe maln bulldlng, because of llke who's around Lhe
maln bulldlng and sLuff, so, llke, Lhe geL, Lhe gangsLer people llke, hang ouL ouLslde Lhe maln
bulldlng and Lhe arLsles sorL of people hang ouLslde Lhe arL bulldlng, and llke, l dunno, lL sorL of
feels llke Lwo separaLe worlds. lL's llke, Lhere's an arL bulldlng whlch you're llke ln all Lhe Llme, or
Lhere's llke Lhe maln bulldlng whlch you're acLually llke, ln all Lhe Llme.
Like Chiis, Sonia implies that aits stuuents ("aitsies") cannot be "gangstei people,"
anu "gangstei" people cannot be "aitsies." Bei uesciiption also uiiectly links Chiis'
comments about social gioups to the physical uivision between builuings. Sonia aumits that
theie aie stuuents in hei ait classes that she woulu uesciibe as being gangsteis, yet she
notes, "but they'ie goou at ait." Although Sonia stiuggles to uefine hei teims, piobing
ieveals hei meaning to be iaceu anu classeu. Even when she notes that "gangstei" stuuents
aie eniolleu in the ait piogiam, she sees them as an exception. She uesciibes "gangstei" as
linkeu to "how you uiess, how you act" oi "how you like, poitiay youiself"; in contiast,
"aitsy kius" aie "like, just iegulai people. . Like, if you uiun't go to this school, I woulun't
know you went to this school, like." This suggests that Sonia sees the aits stuuents as


exceptions to the school community, who aie not iegulai, while being membeis of a laigei
community of people in the woilu who might be consiueieu "iegulai" oi noimal.
Chiis also iefeiences "gangsteis" in his inteiview. Be laughs as he uesciibes his
fiienus at the school, suggesting that peihaps they aie simply "noimal. I uon't know." Be
pioceeus to uesciibe his fiienus, some of whom aie in the ait piogiam:
Llke, l don'L know aL ?ork lL's a blL dlfferenL Lhan my oLher school 'cause llke, Lhey llke, Lhey come
from, llke, 'cause [my oLher school] ln Lhe [affluenL area of Lhe clLy] was my flrsL hlgh school, and
Lhen llke, everyone's preLLy much whlLe and llke, rlch . And um, hearlng abouL llke, Lhelr [?ork
sLudenLs'], llves lL's llke, woah LhaL's crazy" - l never would have ever LhoughL LhaL could
happen. Llke, Lalklng abouL llke robblng people and sLuff, noL llke, frlends, buL llke some frlends,
and um, yeah, lL's a loL dlfferenL from Lhe [affluenL area] 'cause lL's a loL of dlfferenL experlences
and llke, a couple llve aL [a poor parL of Lhe clLy] - or l don'L know. 1hey llve aL sLaLlons LhaL are
really rough and llke skeLchy Lo walk ln.
Besciibing his fiienus fuithei, he auus:
1he blggesL word LhaL comes Lo mlnd ls [usL llke gangsLa" 'cause of llke how Lhey dress, and
Lhen, you can, 'cause gansLas usually llke, Lhey um, Lhey acL how Lhey dress, so llke, you buy a
hoody and baggy [eans and 1lmberlands, shoes, lf you're gonna llke, do drugs and llke, rob
people. Llke you don'L see Lhe people have llke 90s and llke, go Lo class everyday wearlng huge
baggy [eans.
Like the teacheis who speak about stuuent communities above, Sonia anu Chiis
eiect classeu anu iaceu bounuaiies between the stuuents fiom the main builuing (the local
community) anu stuuents fiom the aits builuing. As a way of unueistanuing anu gaining
contiol ovei shifting staff anu stuuent uemogiaphics, stuuents anu teacheis cieate
bounuaiies to uefine which stuuents "belong" within the iueal aits-school community anu
as aitists in the woilu at the same time as teacheis negotiate what it means to be an aitist,
oi to teach ait. That iueas ciiculateu about what constitutes "goou" ait anu successful ait
stuuents map onto pie-existing class anu iacial hieiaichies, as well as coiiesponuing iueas
about geogiaphic location. Neanwhile, selecteu stuuents within the aits piogiam iuentify
the stuuent space as "accepting" anu inclusive, even as they note uemaicateu bounuaiies
between stuuents, anu between the ait builuing anu the main builuing.
As teacheis anu stuuents coue theii language thiough these seemingly-apolitical
social maikeis, they make visible the ways in which ait anu the aitist aie classeu anu iaceu,
anu, subsequently, how the aits space at Yoik vocational is also classeu anu iaceu. Within
this logic, teacheis view ceitain stuuents as moie woithy of the specializeu aits tiaining
than otheis, as they holu fiim to entiencheu conceptions of what it means to teach ait
within a specializeu aits piogiam. At the same time, select stuuents natuialize uivisions
between aits stuuents anu non-ait stuuents, piefeiiing to see themselves as an exception
to the laigei Yoikvoc community. Because this ieseaich was conuucteu uuiing a time of
change at Yoik vocational, iegaiuless of the types of bounuaiies eiecteu, stuuents anu
teacheis weie paiticulaily investeu in bounuaiy woik. They felt the neeu to ueteimine who
counteu anu what counteu as the aits as they tiieu to asseit themselves as inuepenuent
fiom the laigei school community. In a school tiansitioning, what hopes might one have foi
theii futuie iole in tiaining young aitists.


Key Challenges and Future Implications

Rubn Gaztambide-Fernndez, Chandni Desai, & Lia Gladstone

On November 9
th
, 2009, the piincipals of two of the seconuaiy
schools involveu in this ieseaich, Naigaiet Keii anu Baiiie Sketchly, joineu two membeis
of the ieseaich team, Rubn uaztambiue-Feinnuez (Piincipal Investigatoi) anu Lyuia
Nenna (uiauuate Reseaich Assistant), along with a iepiesentative fiom the Toionto
Bistiict School Boaiu, Chiistine }ackson (Piogiam Cooiuinatoi foi the Aits), anu special
guest Linua Nathan (Co-Beaumastei, Boston Aits Acauemy) to uiscuss the lessons leaineu
fiom this ieseaich anu piesent implications foi futuie ieseaich, policy, anu piactice. The
iich uiscussion that ensueu thiough the panelists' piesentations anu thiough questions
fiom the auuience pioviueu impoitant feeuback anu was a souice of iueas foi implications
emeiging fiom this woik. In this section we piesent a set of implications foi futuie
ieseaich as well as aieas foi consiueiation with iegaius to policy anu piactice in uiban aits
high schools. These implications aie baseu on analyses fiom the uata, themes aiticulateu in
this iepoit anu uiscussions fiom panelists.
This section is oiganizeu along the foui uimensions exploieu in the iepoits:
Community, }ouiney, Leaining anu Teaching, anu Auministiation, which weie uiawn fiom
pievious woik on aits euucation oiganizations, such as community aits centie (Bavis,
199S), anu pievious ieseaich on aits high schools (Bavis, 2uu1).

;&BB9)(/=

The notion of community is a cential aspect of how schools ueeply influence the life
of stuuents anu teacheis. In uiban aits high schools, the iuea that schools aie welcoming,
suppoitive, anu accepting communities is wiuespieau. It echoes thioughout this iepoit anu
is piesent in pievious ieseaich on this topic (Bavis, 2uu1, 2uuS). Foi example, in uesciibing
theii time at Cheiiyhill oi in iecalling theii initial impiessions of the school, stuuents often
ielay memoiies of a "welcoming," "accepting," "caiing" community that just "feels like
home." (see p. 8) Similaily, at Banneiville most staff anu stuuents uesciibe the school to be
a positive, uiveise anu safe enviionment. As one staff membei explains, "Stuuents of all,
you know, fiom all uiffeient social backgiounus, all uiffeient socioeconomic backgiounus,
you know, a lot of uiffeient stuuents feel veiy welcome heie" (see p. 44).

The question of whethei anu in what ways specializeu aits piogiams geneiate a
sense of community that is welcoming anu suppoitive of stuuents is a key topic foi futuie
ieseaich with bioau implications foi policy anu piactice. Within the context of aits high
schools, the notion that the aits aie the key ingieuient in the evolution of a suppoitive anu
welcoming community is wiuespieau, yet laigely taken foi gianteu anu unexploieu.
Whethei this is a unique chaiacteiistic of specializeu aits piogiams oi not, it is cleai that it
is an impoitant aspect of how constituents expeiience these communities. It is theiefoie
ciucial to exploie, foi instance, the iole that stuuents anu teacheis play in builuing
community anu shaping school cultuie.
Fuitheimoie, the iole that paiticulai iituals anu tiauitions have in establishing a
sense of family anu community within these schools anu the iole that the aits play in such
iituals anu tiauitions woulu be an impoitant aiea of ieseaich (}ackson, 1968; NcLaien,
199S). Foi example, what uoes the iinging of a bell by the Piincipal, oi hats woin by the
jazz banu, oi white shiits woin by the choii say about the iituals anu tiauitions of a
paiticulai school anu how these contiibute to the sense of community (see p. 14). Bow uo
these aspects of school life shape the way in which stuuents feel that they aie pait of
something biggei than just themselves, while at the same time being welcomeu as they aie.
While cleaily an impoitant theme, why anu in what ways the aits play a iole in how
iueas about community uevelop within uiban aits high schools iemains an impoitant topic
foi fuithei investigation. We have iuentifieu two key aieas foi fuithei ieseaich: (1) how is
the notion of a safe anu suppoitive community mobilizeu anu constiucteu within the
context of uiffeient aits high schools. Anu (2) how uo paiticulai iueas about the aits anu
steieotypes about the aitist eithei challenge oi iepiouuce bioauei uynamics of social
inequality anu cultuial uiveisity that shape how stuuents expeiience a sense of
community.
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The poitiaits in this iepoit suggest that stuuent safety was a key aspect of how
stuuents expeiienceu these contexts, which they uesciibeu as toleiant anu accepting school
communities. Yet, it was also cleai that what it means to feel "safe" anu be "toleiant" also
vaiies acioss schools anu between stuuents. Foi example, at Cheiiyhill stuuents uesciibe a
community that piotects its membeis, as is eviuent in the stoiy about the stuuent bouy
coming togethei to pievent the theft of the Piincipal's possessions. At Banneiville, many
stuuents anu staff uesciibe the school as a "welcoming space wheie uiveisity is celebiateu
anu inuiviuuals aie encouiageu to be themselves." Woius like "fiienuly," "laiu back,"
"open," "accepting," anu "safe" come fiequently in conveisations about what sets this
community apait fiom othei high schools." Stuuent Nick Cole uesciibes the school as "an
extiemely fiienuly enviionment," anu states that, as a Black stuuent, he appieciates that
"theie's not too much, like, segiegation, theie's not too much iacial stuff." Similaily stuuent
Kiis Nonteio says that at Banneiville he is able to be himself, "Because it's such an
accepting school ... I was just finuing out that I'm gay, anu it was just bettei, because if I
weie to go to |my home schoolj, I know I'u get pickeu on anu stuff" (see pp. 44-4S).
Bowevei, not all stuuents felt that Banneiville was inclusive. uiaue 11 stuuent Fian
Boffman uesciibes how hei ciicle of fiienus is often uesciibeu by othei stuuents as the


"basement kius," who aie consiueieu scaiy. Although most stuuents insist that theie aie no
cliques oi hieiaichies at Banneiville, the basement kius aie often uesciibeu in teims that
challenge this pictuie of an inclusive community. "0nless you'ie a basement kiu, you
usually stick above giounu," states one giaue 11 stuuent, who insists that many stuuents
avoiu the aiea of the school wheie Fian anu hei fiienus hangout. "It's a place you uon't
want to go. I mean it's scaiy, it's uaik anu it's louu!'" (p. 4S).
Since notions of safety aie usually giounueu in peisonal naiiatives anu aie both
ielational anu peisonal, how iueas about safety anu toleiance aie expeiienceu in these
contexts likely vaiies wiuely. In auuition, because notions of safety aie associateu with the
paiticulai featuies of schools anu communities, it is ciucial to bettei unueistanu how local
featuies influence the way in which stuuents may oi may not feel safe. Yet, it is cleai fiom
the ieseaich that the themes of safety anu toleiance aie wiuespieau acioss uiban aits high
schools anu that theie aie also many similaiities in how these themes aie aiticulateu.
Fuithei ieseaich of the specific ways in which safety anu toleiance aie uefineu in
paiticulai school contexts becomes impeiative to unueistanuing safety anu impoitant foi
establishing stiategies anu policies to make schools safei.
RWD.+? ()A A.I#&,.+?
While safety, a sense of suppoit, anu toleiance foi uiffeience aie cential themes
acioss all of the paiticipating piogiams, questions of equity anu uiveisity in aits high
schools also iemain a ciitical aiea foi fuithei examination. It is essential to continue asking
questions about what it means foi aits high schools to be equitable anu uiveise, what such
schools anu piogiams coulu look like, anu what policies anu piactices woulu fostei such
goals. Inueeu, piecisely because the aits continue to be associateu with notions of elitism
anu exclusion, it is ciucial foi aits euucatois to iemain vigilant foi the ways in which
uynamics of exclusion peisist. An illustiation of how the aits opeiate in exclusionaiy ways
is the fact that only stuuents aumitteu to the Rick Nonette aits piogiam at Sheiwoou aie
able to paiticipate fully in the couises offeieu, while othei stuuents aie only alloweu to
take open electives. As a iesult, inequalities peisist between the Collegiate (non-aits) anu
Nonette (aits) stuuents at Sheiwoou in teims of the couises they aie able to take. Noie
specifically, one teachei notes how "these Rick Nonette kius uo theii aits, but then they
also uo English togethei anu they believe it's taught like an eniicheu English . so ESL
stuuents cannot be in Rick Nonette, kius who aie |at thej applieu level cannot be in Rick
Nonette, so it cieates this elitist |attituuej" (p. S9).
Examining elitism woulu pioviue insights into how exclusion anu bioauei uynamics
of maiginalization opeiate within aits high schools anu woulu allow fuithei unueistanuing
of the ways in which hieiaichies aie constituteu within an aits high school community. Foi
instance, it is essential to examine whethei all membeis of a school community aie
iepiesenteu equally thiough the aits oi if ceitain gioups aie ignoieu as a iesult of
paiticulai iueas about the aits. It is also ciucial to continue exploiing whethei anu how aits
highs schools seive anu miiioi the communities in which they aie locateu. In auuition, if
hieiaichies exist within anu between stuuents involveu in the aits, examining these

uynamics woulu illuminate the iole of the aits in eithei iepiouucing oi challenging
inequality.
Anothei aiea of stuuy ielateu to equity anu uiveisity is the extent to which
steieotypes anu myths about the aits anu aitists opeiate within these piogiams anu the
iole that such steieotypes might play (intentionally oi unintentionally) in how
communities aie stiuctuieu in these settings. At Yoik vocational Bigh School, stuuents
within the ait community suggest that ait stuuents, oi "aitsies," cannot be "gangsta"
people, anu "gangsta" people cannot be "aitsies." An ait stuuent at Yoikvoc says that "ait
people" aie not "smokeis," "potheaus," oi "gangstas." Similaily, anothei ait stuuent at Yoik
vocational says "0m, well if you look at oui school, it's pietty uh, gangsta, theie's a lot of
people, I uon't know, so I just thought that, but that was mostly 'cause of the main builuing,
because of like who's aiounu the main builuing anu stuff, so |.j Like, the, get, the gangstei
people like, hang out outsiue the main builuing, anu the aitsies soit of people hang outsiue
the ait builuing, anu like, I uon't know, it soit of feels like two sepaiate woilus" (p. 88).
Conuucting futuie ieseaich on elitism, hieiaichies between stuuents, anu possible
steieotypes anu myths that aie constiucteu about paiticulai social gioups coulu assist
schools (auministiative staff, teacheis, anu stuuents) as well as school boaius in
establishing stiategies foi auuiessing issues of inequality. Noieovei, examining issues of
uiveisity with iegaius to piogiam anu school uemogiaphics by focusing on iace, class,
ability, genuei, anu sexual oiientation is anothei ciitical aiea foi fuithei ieseaich. This
ieseaich woulu not only assist in builuing knowleuge on how to cieate equitable anu
uiveise schools but it coulu help auuiess stuuent(s) conceins iegaiuing theii place outsiue
the school, in the laigei pictuie of the city as well as society.
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In summaiy, fuithei ieseaich focusing on how communities aie built anu how
constituents uefine community is much neeueu. In paiticulai, exploiing how aits high
schools geneiate a sense of safety within a suppoitive anu toleiant community anu the
iange of ways in which this is uefineu anu expeiienceu is ciucial. Fuitheimoie, how the
uynamics of social inequity anu cultuial exclusion inteisect with notions of elitism,
paiticulai views of the aits, anu iueas about what it means to be an aitist aie ciucial foi
unueistanuing community. A moie thoiough unueistanuing of the kinus of communities
that evolve in the context of uiban aits high schools is an impoitant aiea foi futuie
ieseaich.
X2D&)#?
The many histoiical paths that specializeu aits piogiams have followeu, which
influences the way they cuiiently opeiate, is laigely unueistuuieu. Futuie ieseaich
focusing on the inuiviuual histoiies of teacheis anu stuuents that come to be pait of these
high schools woulu also be an impoitant aiea of ieseaich. In paiticulai, theie is a gieat ueal
of inteiest - anu no ieseaich to uate - on the vaiious paths that stuuents take aftei
giauuating fiom specializeu aits piogiam. Following the jouiney of alumni fiom a wiue
iange of aits high schools woulu allow foi a bettei unueistanuing of the iole that these
piogiams might play in stuuent futuies.


4&2/&(> ".,+2&.#,
With iegaius to the histoiies of the piogiams, with the exception of a few histoiies
of inuiviuual piogiams (uaztambiue-Feinnuez, 2uu1; uoie, 2uu7), theie is no histoiical
account of the evolution of specializeu aits piogiams in Noith Ameiica. Baseu on the
available ieseaich, it coulu be aigueu that specializeu aits high schools aie a uniquely
Noith Ameiican phenomenon (Cuitis, 1987; Wilson, 2uu1). Yet fuithei ieseaich into theii
evolution anu the vaiious ways in which piogiams have emeigeu is much neeueu. Aits
Bigh Schools have existeu since the 19Sus anu went thiough a piocess of expansion in the
198us in both Canaua anu the 0S. Since 2uu1, theie has been a seconu wave of expansion,
paiticulaily in uiban centies like New Yoik City. Fuitheimoie, the emeigence of
specializeu aits piogiams in both countiies has followeu uiffeient social anu histoiical
shifts. The histoiical anu social ciicumstances that have contiibuteu to the expansion of
public aits high schools have not been piopeily stuuieu anu fuithei ieseaich woulu auu an
impoitant uimension to oui unueistanuing of these institutions.
!"# 52D&)#?, 2H ,+DA#)+, ()A +#(1"#&,
Likewise, theie is veiy little ieseaich into the paths that have leau stuuents anu
teacheis into these specializeu aits piogiams. uiven what we know about the unequal
access of specializeu piogiams in geneial, it woulu be woith exploiing how stuuents finu
theii way anu negotiate the piocess of entiy into aits piogiams in public schools. The
Piincipal at Cheiiyhill states, "the school's philosophy is inclusive, as aumission to the aits
high school is not contingent on piioi expeiience, often acquiieu thiough costly piivate
lessons anu extia-cuiiiculai tiaining" (p. 14). Yet, it woulu be inteiesting to examine how
having access to extia-cuiiiculai activities, anu othei past expeiiences, can potentially
assist stuuents in enteiing aits piogiams. Such ieseaich woulu help us unueistanu
whethei these oppoitunities aie in fact available to uiffeient membeis of the communities
that suppoit (anu funu) these public piogiams.
Fuitheimoie, it woulu be inteiesting to look at anu tiace wheie some of the
giauuates fiom the uiban aits high schools have gone, leain what they aie uoing aftei
giauuation, anu investigate the iole that a specializeu aits piogiam has foi uiffeient
stuuents' tiajectoiies. uiven the challenges of establishing measuiements of stuuent
success in the aits (Buiton, Boiowitz, & Abeles, 2uuu; Catteiall & Waluoif, 1999; Winnei &
Coopei, 2uuu), unueistanuing the acauemic expeiiences of piogiam giauuates might sheu
new light into the iole of the aits in the piocesses of acauemic achievement. It woulu also
be inteiesting to look at what non-aumitteu stuuents that auuitioneu oi cieateu a poitfolio
aie uoing anu the paths they embaik upon. Whethei stuuents who aie not aumitteu into
these piogiams continue to be engageu in the aits anu what iole the aits may play in theii
euucational expeiiences woulu also sheu light into oui unueistanuing of the aits in
euucation. This ieseaich may pioviue insights on piogiam stiuctuiing anu new visions foi
inclusive, uiveise, anu equitable aits piogiamming.
0ui exploiatoiy ieseaich suggests that teacheis in aits high schools uo not
necessaiily follow the same paths into anu thiough theii caieeis as tiauitional schools, as
have been uocumenteu elsewheie in the liteiatuie (Nenna, 2uu9). "I was a dancer in my

life, explains a dance teacheis at Cheiiyhill, "I kept getting uiawn into teaching somehow, I
kept getting uiawn into it." This teachei uesciibes how uespite hei ieluctance to puisue a
caieei into teaching within the public schools system, she was slowly uiawn by the
evolving piogiam, until she assumeu moie anu moie leaueiship. Bow teacheis aiiive at
these piogiams, how they uevelop as teacheis, anu what uiiection theii caieeis as teacheis
take within these contexts woulu auu a new uimension to how teachei uevelopment is
unueistoou both in geneial anu in aits contexts in paiticulai.
0D>>(&?
Bocumenting the institutional histoiies anu the peisonal jouineys of those involveu
in aits high schools is an impoitant aiea of futuie ieseaich. The social anu histoiical
conuitions that have leau to the expansion of specializeu aits high schools anu the
paiticulai foims they have taken in Canaua anu the 0S is of gieat inteiest anu woulu infoim
continueu uebates about these paiticulai piogiams. This woulu also infoim policy uebates
about the futuie of these piogiams in public schools. The paths that stuuents anu teacheis
have taken to aiiive at these piogiams aie also impoitant, anu these aie typically quite
uiffeient fiom the tiauitional paths both stuuents anu teacheis take into schools.
Bocumenting the jouiney of alumni woulu be an impoitant way to leain moie about the
iole of the aits in how stuuents puisue theii caieeis. Leaining moie about teacheis'
jouineys woulu infoim how we unueistanu teachei uevelopment both within anu beyonu
the aits.
!#(1".)/ ()A V#(&).)/
Nany of the themes iuentifieu in this ieseaich anu noteu by the panelists as
impoitant aie ielateu to the aieas of teaching anu leaining. Noie specifically, uiffeient
notions of stuuent engagement anu success aie pievalent in the uata. The panelists spoke
at length about the neeu to iethink notions of stuuent engagement anu success in oiuei to
captuie the paiticulai expeiiences of stuuents in each school context. A Piincipal at one of
the paiticipating schools sees his piogiam as able to pioviue stuuents with uiveise
pathways to achieving success in theii lives, both in teims of theii futuie caieeis as well as
peisonally (see pp. 28-S2). This sentiment is also echoeu by a teachei at the same school
who uesciibes the aits as "wheie you can giow as a peison" (p. Su).
In auuition, the challenges anu the uiffeiences between teaching anu leaining in the
aits anu non-aits piogiams aie highlighteu in the uata anu noteu by the panelists as being
significant foi the futuie well being anu piouuctivity of stuuents anu teacheis in specializeu
aits piogiams. In summaiy, how both teaching anu leaining aie conceptualizeu in the
contexts of specializeu aits piogiams is ciucial foi uiawing implications foi policy anu
piactice.
0+DA#)+ #)/(/#>#)+ ()A ,D11#,,
Bocumenting anu "measuiing" stuuent engagement anu success in the aits has been
one of the peiennial challenges foi aits euucatois (Buiton et al., 2uuu; Catteiall & Waluoif,
1999; Winnei & Coopei, 2uuu). 0iban Aits Bigh Schools pioviue oppoitunities foi
exploiing whethei anu in what ways the aits play a iole in stuuent engagement anu school


success. Thioughout the uata, theie is ample eviuence foi high levels of engagement, anu
stuuents anu teacheis spoke about the significant uiffeiences in how they engage leaining
in the context of specializeu aits piogiams. 0ne key question noteu by panelists hau to uo
with the ways in which some of these piactices might be tiansfeiiable to othei contexts
anu what we might leain about stuuent engagement thiough fuithei ieseaich.
Foi example, the panelists obseiveu that the concept of "appienticeship" as a foim
of engagement neeus to be unueistoou not as a ielational inteiaction between inuiviuual
teacheis anu stuuents, but as gioups of stuuents anu teacheis leaining in complex,
inteiuisciplinaiy ways. A stuuent at Naitelli uesciibes how the close anu collaboiative
ielationship she has with hei aits teacheis has nuituieu hei leaueiship skills. While "not
exactly equal," she has a sense that they aie woiking "on the same level, because they both
use each othei's stiengths" (p. SS). Conuucting futuie ieseaich on the notion of
appienticeship coulu leau to ueveloping moie effective teaching anu leaining piactices
accoiuing to the panelists.
The panelists also iecommenueu that fuithei ieseaich on the uiffeient ways in
which stuuents benefit fiom engagement in these piogiams neeus to move beyonu "highly
inuiviuualizeu notions of self esteem." This woulu also iequiie a conceptual unpacking of
steieotypical notions of what it means to be an aitist, paiticulaily the myth of a lone genius
(uaztambiue-Feinnuez, 2uu8). They suggesteu the neeu foi bioauening the scope of
inquiiy to incluue the entiie school anu to exploie the ways in which the school as a
community geneiates a wiue iange of ways on engaging in leaining in anu thiough the aits
that aie not always centeieu on inuiviuuals. Biffeient ways of conceptualizing stuuent
engagement woulu have implications foi how stuuent "success" is uocumenteu.
0ne key aspect of the uiffeient kinus of stuuent engagement that take place in the
context of specializeu aits piogiams is ielateu to the challenges of innovation anu
integiation in teaching. Inueeu, a bettei unueistanuing of teaching in specializeu aits
piogiams woulu sheu light into the significance of uiffeient moues of leaining anu how to
engage them effectively thiough peuagogy.
!#(1".)/ .))2I(+.2)O ()A .)+#/&(+.2)
0ne of the piincipals who paiticipateu in the panel uesciibeu how his school
encouiages teacheis to innovate:
We Lry Lo creaLe a space for our Leachers Lo be free, and we Lry Lo creaLe guldellnes for Lhe
Leachers Lo do whaL Lhey wanL, and Lo Lake lL where lL goes, for klds Lo be able Lo Lry one arL or
anoLher, or comblne Lhem and move back and forLh.
Such openness to anu encouiagement of innovation was piesent in some of the
schools involveu in this stuuy.
It is impoitant to uevelop a bettei unueistanuing of how teaching stiategies aie
infoimeu by aits piactices anu how these come to be uefineu anu unueistoou by teacheis
anu stuuents in each school context. The iange of cuiiiculum anu peuagogical piactices
piesent in the schools iaise vaiious questions, paiticulaily as they aie ielateu to anu
manifest thiough conceptions of "the aitist" anu what it means to engage in "the aits." The

iepoits above suggest that notions of what it means to be an aitist aie often ielateu to
conceptions of what it means to be a goou stuuent, anu theiefoie in how stuuent
engagement (oi lack theieof) is uefineu. Theiefoie, it is ciucial to inteiiogate what it means
to be an engageu stuuent anu what this looks anu feels like fiom both stuuents' anu
teacheis' peispectives. Bow can we leain fiom specializeu aits piogiams about biinging
stuuent engagement to the centie anu have teacheis woiking towaius this goal.
The panelists pointeu to the positive aspects of what is often teimeu "aits-baseu"
leaining anu the impoitance of consiueiing the aits as "an entiy point foi life" as opposeu
to notions of the aits foi aits' sake. Yet, they also iaiseu paiticulai challenges that iesonate
with the ieseaich in this iepoit. Foi instance, the benefits anu challenges of having the aits
as cential to the entiie school piogiam as opposeu to an aits piogiam within a school
pioviues an oppoitunity foi exploiing uiffeient ways in which stuuents engage "aits-
baseu" leaining in uiffeient piogiams. Panelists commenteu on piessuies that stuuents
must face to balance theii aieas of specialization in the aits with the uemanus of theii
acauemic couises. The notion of a "well iounueu peison" was piesent acioss the schools,
but what this meant anu how a given school sought to accomplish this vaiieu fiom school
to school. Faculty membeis at Cheiiyhill caiingly iesponu to stuuents' peiceiveu stiuggles
to balance theii aits anu non aits commitments. Stella Wainei, a teachei at the school,
knows the expeiience of an aits high school stuuent fiist hanu. With stiiking piecision she
voices empathy foi stuuents stiiving to accomplish the balancing act. Anothei teachei at
Cheiiyhill states "it's haiu to get kius to unueistanu the balance, especially when a lot of
piessuies aie being put on them with the giaues, with theii aits" (see p. 16).
Lastly, exploiing ways to integiate teaching anu leaining in the aits both acioss the
aits anu between aits anu acauemics was highlighteu as one of the key aieas foi futuie
ieseaich. While the impoitance of such stiategies vaiy fiom school to school, this in one of
the aieas in which specializeu aits high schools can contiibute to the piactices of euucatois
in othei non-specializeu schools.
The panelists also commenteu on the utility of iepoits such as this one as a potential
outlet foi shaiing stiategies acioss piogiams, anu foi teacheis anu auministiatois to offei
auvice anu suggestions to othei colleagues. Bow these kinus of uocuments can be useu to
geneiate a bioau uialogue acioss schools that might have the effect of benefitting the
teaching anu leaining happening acioss a given uistiict is an impoitant aiea foi futuie
exploiation anu ieseaich.
0D>>(&?
Teaching anu leaining aie cential to the life of a school, iegaiuless of its focus. In
specializeu aits piogiams, teaching anu leaining iaise paiticulai questions that aie woithy
of fuithei ieseaich. What stuuent engagement looks like anu what it involves in a context
uefineu by the aits might offei a uiffeient peispective anu encouiage the expansion of
views about engagements in othei schools. These expanueu conceptions of engagement
woulu have implications foi how stuuent success is uocumenteu. uiven the naiiow focus
on acauemic achievement that uefines stuuent success in mainstieam schools, an expanueu
uefinition of success might be a key contiibution of ieseaich in specializeu aits piogiams.
Lastly, the uiffeient appioaches to teaching in specializeu aits piogiams also point to


impoitant implications foi piactice. In paiticulai, notions of innovation in the aits anu
attempts to integiate teaching both within the aits anu acioss the aits anu acauemics might
infoim expanueu uefinitions anu pioviue oppoitunities foi innovation acioss teaching
contexts.
*A>.).,+&(+.2)
Theie aie many aspects of auministeiing piogiams such as the ones uocumenteu in
this iepoit that aie woithy of fuithei ieseaich anu that coulu have impoitant implications
foi policy anu piogiam implementation. The challenges faceu by auministiatois aie many
anu encompass both the typical challenges of iunning a school as well as the paiticulai
challenges of iunning iesouice intensive anu time consuming piogiams such as specializeu
aits piogiams. Foi example, the auministiative aspect of integiating such a complex aits
piogiam as Rick Nonette is uesciibeu as piesenting challenges that affect eveiy aspect anu
constituent of the school. Bespite these challenges, howevei, auministiatois speak about
the fiuitful influence of the stuuents of the Rick Nonette piogiam anu how well they
inteiact with the iest of the school (pp. S9-6u). At Cheiyhill, Piincipal Coleman points to
the costs anu iisks associateu with tiansfoiming the school's cultuie. Be uesciibes how the
initial intake of stuuents that came foi the aits package went uown, anu fuithei asseits that
"it was a gieat iisk we hau to take to begin to get a cleai gioup, who weie heie foi the aits"
(p. 19).
The panelists highlighteu thiee key challenges that aie eviuent in this iepoit: (1) the
challenge of balancing the neeus anu uemanus of competing inteiests within a schools,
paiticulaily in schools in which specializeu aits piogiams aie only one pait of a laigei
school piogiam, (2) the challenge of funuing anu allocating iesouices foi a successful aits
piogiam, anu (S) the challenge of uocumenting piogiam success.
G(3()1.)/ 12>C#+.)/ A#>()A,
The ways in which specializeu aits piogiams aie implementeu vaiy fiom school to
school. The most impoitant uiffeience is between schools wheie the aits piogiam is only
one pait of the whole school, anu those wheie the aits piogiam is pait of the entiie school.
Foui of the five piogiams uocumenteu in this iepoit aie in schools that also offei othei
piogiams, anu only one can be consiueieu a full school piogiam. 0ui ieseaich suggests
that both of these mouels aie wiuespieau in Canaua anu the 0S.
Theie aie ciitical uiffeiences both in teims of benefits anu challenges of having an
aits school veisus an aits piogiam within a whole school, anu this is one impoitant aiea of
ieseaich that woulu have wiue policy implications. Foi instance, schools that aie fully
involveu in the aits piogiam shaie a sense of puipose aiounu the aits anu aie able to focus
piogiam iesouices. Schools wheie specializeu aits piogiams aie only one among many
stiuggle much moie to ueteimine how iesouices aie allocateu anu theie is a moie explicit
sense of competition between piogiams. At Sheiwoou, competition between aits anu non-
aits piogiams cieates inequalities between the Nonette stuuents (the aits stuuents) anu
the Collegiates' (the non-aits stuuents), with the Nonette stuuents having a sense of

entitlement to the iesouices available to them (see p. 7u). This piesents uiffeient
challenges foi auministiatois.
While theie aie ciitical uiffeiences between these two types of school, theie aie also
many similaiities. 0ne key challenge is allocating iesouices foi the uiffeient aspects of the
piogiam, paiticulaily between the aitistic anu acauemic aspects. This is tiue foi all schools,
iegaiuless of whethei they aie a whole school oi exist within school piogiams.
Foi example, at Banneiville, the challenge of allocating iesouices between aits anu
acauemics cieates fiustiations acioss piogiams. A teachei at Banneiville uiscusses the
ongoing tensions that have iesulteu at hei school uue to funuing uispaiities. She says, "it's
an issue at this school because foi a long time we weie tiying to get uesignation as an aits
school. . with the name was supposeu to come extia funuing." In the thiee yeais since
gaining foimal iecognition as an aits school, nothing has changeu foi acauemic piogiams.
"Ny buuget hasn't gone up in ten yeais, which is iiuiculous," she exclaims (see p. S2). In
auuition to cultivating fiustiations among acauemic teacheis who feel slighteu by what
they see as a piolongeu pattein of unfaiiness within the school, she suggests that these
funuing uispaiities mean that Banneiville can baiely pioviue stuuents with the minimal
iesouices neeueu to suppoit theii leaining.
Exploiing uiffeient appioaches foi auuiessing the challenge of allocating limiteu
iesouices to the competing uemanus of piogiams is a ciucial aiea foi futuie ieseaich. At
the heait of the challenge of allocating iesouices is that public aits high schools stiuggle foi
iesouices in geneial. This is uocumenteu in this iepoit anu ueseives fuithei attention.
@D)A.)/ ()A &#,2D&1# (3321(+.2)
Panel paiticipants wiuely agieeu that financial suppoit is a ciitical foice in
ueteimining how anu in what ways aits piogiams anu schools both ueteiioiate anu thiive.
Panelists anu ieseaich paiticipants all noteu the enoimous financial uemanu involveu in
implementing a specializeu aits piogiam. Foi Ni. Bell, a teachei in the Nonette piogiam at
Sheiwoou, the futuie of the piogiam may uepenu on its ability to establish close links with
the business community, something he says othei similai schools have uone effectively
(see p. 71). Auuitionally, paients have a gieat ueal of influence on the iange of iesouices
anu oppoitunities available to Sheiwoou stuuents, pointing to the way in which community
membeis suiiounuing the school (specifically paients) can influence iesouices available to
stuuents in the aits anu non-aits piogiams (see p. 7u) The challenge of iuentifying anu
secuiing financial suppoit is cential to the pioblem of sustainability foi these piogiams.
Auministiatois point out that aits funuing cuts fiom the piovincial goveinment have maue
it uifficult to cieate anu suppoit aits piogiams. The challenge of, as one auministiatoi at
Banneiville put it, "uoing this on a shoe-stiing buuget" has leu to the neeu of appioaching
alteinative funuing souices. Yet this has pioveu to be uifficult in the miust of a post-
iecession climate. 0ne key uiffeience between uiffeient schools is ielateu to the
constituents they seive. While some schools uiaw stuuents fiom families with social,
economic, anu cultuial iesouices that allow them to effectively iaise auuitional funus,
otheis uo not have access to such iesouices, cieating gioss inequalities between piogiams.


Fuithei ieseaich into the stiategies that uiffeient piogiams use to iaise necessaiy
funus, anu policies that might even the playing fielu in teims of access to iesouices, aie
impoitant aieas of inquiiy. Panelists also noteu that the laigei challenges faceu by school
uistiicts aie also faceu within the context of aits piogiams. Foi example, the pioblem of
ueclining eniollment was also highlighteu as an issue woithy of consiueiation in teims of
sustaining an influx of cieative young people to keep such piogiams "alive." At the same
time, this iaises questions about what stuuents aie the ones that schools want to attiact
anu, as uocumenteu above, it iaises questions about the ielationship between the schools
anu theii suiiounuing communities.
L21D>#)+.)/ C&2/&(> ,D11#,,
Panelists pointeu out that one of the key challenges foi secuiing funuing anu the
sustainability of the piogiam is uocumenting piogiam success. Tiauitional moues of
assessment anu uocumenting success aie usually fiameu in teims of naiiow uefinitions
anu maikeis of acauemic achievement, which aie uifficult to link to piouuctive anu iich
expeiiences in the aits. This piesents a challenge to aits piogiams anu schools, since they
may not get the funuing they ueseive because they cannot iepiesent theii successes in
teims of test scoies. Bue to a focus on outcomes that can be quantifieu, auministiatois aie
foiceu to iesponu to Bistiicts anu Ninistiies in ways that aie, as one auministiatoi put it,
"all about check lists" that can not actually ieflect what makes these effective schools. 0ne
auministiatoi bluntly states, "if you can't count it, then it's not happening, then it is not a
concein." Beveloping uiffeient ways to uocument what actually happens in specializeu aits
piogiams in oiuei to secuie iesouices anu ensuie sustainability is of gieat impoitance.
Repoits such as this one anu the case stuuies containeu heiein may also pioviue a
uiffeient peispective foi policy makeis inteiesteu in leaining about what actually happens
in these piogiams. Inueeu, panelists unueiscoieu that poitiaits such as the ones incluueu
in this iepoit coulu pioviue a unique anu useful peispective. The panelists noteu that the
eneigy echoeu in theii schools about "cieativity anu life" cannot be iepiesenteu thiough
the means in place to uocument success in schools. As an alteinative, the auministiatois
suggesteu that using poitiaits to uocument what is happening within aits piogiams anu as
a way to geneiate iueas anu conveisations woulu be moie effective. This stiategy has been
useu effectively in othei schools, anu is an aiea of gieat piomise foi futuie ieseaich with
ciitical policy implications. Whethei anu how the methouology of poitiaituie can be useu
as a tool foi ielationship builuing between vaiious constituents, whethei within schools oi
beyonu school walls, iemains an unexploieu question. Peihaps school poitiaits can seive
as a staiting point foi impoitant conveisations between stuuents, teacheis, auministiatois,
school boaius, community membeis, funueis, anu ieseaicheis about the impoitance anu
the futuie of specializeu aits piogiams.
0D>>(&?
The challenges of iunning specializeu aits piogiams aie ciitical, anu laigely
giavitate aiounu the pioblem of funuing anu iesouices. These pioblems, as one
auministiatoi put it, aie "not going away anytime soon." The challenge of allocating

iesouices to competing uemanus vaiies fiom school to school uepenuing on stiuctuies anu
availability. The challenge of uocumenting piogiam success foi an auuience that is
naiiowly focuseu on numbeis anu quantification of acauemic achievement is evei-piesent.
0ltimately, as the panelists anu many paiticipants in this ieseaich expiesseu, how the aits
aie oi aie not valueu in society at laige gieatly influences how funuing anu iesouices aie
allocateu foi specializeu aits piogiams. This may be pait of the ieason why theie aie such
uiamatic uispaiities between the iesouices available foi uiffeient schools anu what kinus
of aits piogiams aie available foi uiffeient stuuents baseu on social anu cultuial categoiies.
Inueeu, what is eviuent in this ieseaich is that not all aits piogiams aie cieateu - oi funueu
- equally anu that uispaiities also ieflect bioauei social uispaiities. This shifts the question
fiom whethei the aits aie valueu by society, to who the aits aie valuable foi, anu in what
ways the value of the aits is attacheu to uynamics of social exclusion. This iemains a ciitical
question foi futuie ieseaich, policy, anu piactice.
0D>>(&? 2H P>C3.1(+.2), H2& @D+D&# B#,#(&1"
This iepoit anu the uiscussions that have evolveu aiounu the finuings fiom this
woik have geneiateu valuable iueas foi fuithei ieseaich. In this section we have uiscusseu
these iueas aiounu the aieas of: school community; the jouineys of stuuents, teacheis, as
well as the schools; teaching anu leaining; anu auministiation.
Fuithei ieseaich on the ways in which communities come togethei anu how aits
high schools geneiate a sense of safety anu toleiance aie ciitical aieas that neeu to be
fuithei exploieu. Fuithei, in oiuei to unueistanu community, notions of elitism anu
uynamics of social inequality anu cultuial exclusion ielateu to iueas about the aits aie
iuentifieu as impoitant aspects of how communities have evolveu within uiban aits high
schools.
Bocumenting the peisonal anu institutional histoiies oi "jouineys" that shape how
uiban aits high schools aie evolveu woulu infoim policy uebates about the futuie of aits
piogiams in public high schools in both Canaua anu the 0S. 0ne key unexploieu aiea aie
the jouiney of alumni, which coulu pioviue insight on the iole of the aits anu how stuuents
puisue theii caieeis.
Questions about teaching anu leaining aie key to unueistanuing what stuuent
engagement looks like anu it's ielationship to stuuent success in the context of aits high
schools. Biffeient appioaches to teaching in specializeu aits piogiams can pioviue insight
anu suggestions foi piactice not only in specializeu piogiams, but in iegulai aits piogiams
as well. Reseaich in this aiea is paiticulaily impoitant because views on innovation in the
aits anu effoits to integiate teaching within the aits anu acauemic uisciplines may pioviue
oppoitunities foi innovation acioss uisciplines.
The challenges associateu with iunning aits piogiams is a final anu ciucial aiea of
concein foi auministiatois. Bow uiffeient piogiams aie stiuctuieu anu auministeieu anu
unueistanuing the paiticulai challenges that emeige within these stiuctuies coulu have
implications foi futuie piogiams anu policy beyonu specializeu aits piogiams. Two key
issues that panelists iuentifieu anu that is eviuent in the uata aie ielateu to acquiiing anu
allocating iesouices. Public aits high schools have the buiuen of having to uo a lot with a


little, anu iesouice uispaiities between anu within schools highlight issues about
inequality.
The 0iban Aits Bigh School Pioject is now enteiing its thiiu phase, which will
involve in uepth ieseaich at six public aits high schools, thiee in Canaua, anu thiee in the
0niteu States. Some of the questions outlineu in this iepoit, paiticulaily aiounu questions
of community, will be exploieu in this ieseaich. The exploiatoiy ieseaich iepoiteu in this
iepoit, howevei, shoulu seive foi many othei ieseaicheis to uevelop ieseaich piojects.
0ui hope is that this iepoit will ignite a lively ieseaich agenua aiounu public aits high
schools. This woik is soiely neeueu, anu this iepoit pioviues seveial staiting points foi
futuie ieseaicheis to take up anu contiibute to oui knowleuge anu unueistanuing of these
impoitant piogiams. Not only is this ieseaich potentially beneficial to those in acauemia,
but also, as 0ABS uiauuate Reseaich Assistant Lyuia Nenna aptly points out:
Lhls meLhodology [or Lhe use of porLralLure] provldes a space for researchers and schools Lo
come LogeLher ln an accesslble way Lo explore whaL ls happenlng ln schools-Lhe good, Lhe bad,
Lhe complex-and lL does provlde a space Lo really engage Lhe volce of sLudenLs, Leachers and
varlous parLlclpanLs.
We hope the implications uiawn fiom this stuuy become a useful site foi futuie
ieseaich, anu speak to the neeus of a vaiiety of gioups anu inuiviuuals both within anu
outsiue the acauemic iealm.


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URBAN ARTS HIGH SCHOOLS PROJECT

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