Save Advanced Physical Theatre

To:  Los Angeles County High School for the Arts

BACKGROUND:
On Friday, May 23rd I was shocked to find out that New Genres, Acting for All Majors, and Advanced Physical Theatre (officially known as Advanced Techniques) are to be canceled next year.

The reason the school gave me for getting rid of these classes is that not enough students are taking their required academic courses. However, this is unlikely because the school counselors are in charge of our scheduling and they make sure each student is taking their required classes each year; it is nearly impossible to not take a class that is required because the counselors will move you to classes you need before letting you take electives. Also, the school is adding a “Health” class that the counselors have told me is purely elective; if too many students are missing important classes then how can the school afford to add new electives? According to our school principle, A.P.T. will be pushed to a Friday elective spot, however she does not have control over what the art department electives are and therefore this promise is untrue. Furthermore, to move this class to the Friday spot would cut its time period drastically and would ruin the curriculum that the class is based on. Not only that, but there are no rooms to work in on Friday afternoon. Obviously, the plan to make A.P.T. an elective has not actually been thought over and is really just a poor attempt to placate students.

A school administrator told me that they are moving “arts classes back to arts periods”. What is interesting is that this new rule only applies to three classes, while Beginning Film, Advanced Film, History of Film, Screenwriting, Film Acting, Music in History, Musical Theatre, Opera Noir, and other arts focused classes are still on the proposed list of electives. Apparently these classes don’t count as art classes. And, it is infuriating that arts classes would be limited to only one half of the day, and replaced with less desirable electives such as Health, at an Arts High School, where the students plan on studying art and using information from their arts classes in their careers later in life.

Vicky Silva's Advanced Physical Theatre class is very important to the Los Angeles County High School For The Arts curriculum. It is the most important elective we have in the morning. It offers intensive instruction in becoming an artist at the highest level. Students bring together all aspects of their education to create art. Advanced Physical Theatre is the embodiment of the integration of arts and academics that has been so much talked about and longed for at Arts High. Students research and relate elements from various academic learning including history, literature, mathematics, cultural studies, languages, as well as elements from all the art forms. Vicky Silva, who has been at Arts High since the beginning, is the most brilliant artist teacher we have. She is nationally known and the best in the field. Our students know that and want to work with her. They must not be deprived of the opportunity to study with her. To do so diminishes the school.

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By signing my name to this petition, I give my support to keeping Advanced Physical Theatre (Advanced Techniques) as a morning class, in the regular six period academic schedule, next year and in further years.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

The Save Advanced Physical Theatre Petition to Los Angeles County High School for the Arts was created by and written by Philip Schaffer (pillypeng@yahoo.com).  This petition is hosted here at www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service. There is no endorsement of this petition, express or implied, by Artifice, Inc. or our sponsors. For technical support please use our simple Petition Help form.