KQED News Mind/Shift – Staff Writer 
Schools are beginning to recognize that arts education is not merely a nice addition to the learning experience, but rather an important vehicle for kids to learn skills that can also be applied to their other academic studies. Arts integration has become increasingly popular because educators are finding that when art is meshed with content learning, students are more engaged and interested. However, some schools have used arts integration as an excuse to sideline trained arts teachers, a mistake if the program is truly going to uphold rigorous artistic standards alongside academic ones.(more)