The Arts can transform students' lives

"I believe that the arts can transform students' lives in ways that are unprecedented and in ways that have the potential to change the very society in which we live"
Linda Nathan was the founding headmaster of Boston Arts Academy, Boston’s first public high school for the visual and performing arts. Under Dr. Nathan’s leadership, Boston Arts Academy has won state, national and international awards and recognitions, and consistently sends over 94% of its graduates on to college. Dr. Nathan is a nationally and internationally recognized leader in education reform, and has lectured and written widely on topics ranging from the importance of arts education to developing schools centered on equity to developing strong structures that support teachers and leaders. Her book, The Hardest Questions Aren’t on the Test: Lessons from an Innovative Urban School, was published in 2009, and her articles have appeared in numerous publications.
In this talk, she explores the importance of the arts as key to a complete educational experience and claims that arts education is central to rethinking how schools can engage students in the learning process.