NJ School Classes to Be Revised Under Bill [POLL, AUDIO]

Do you think visual and performing arts courses should be equally important as math and science classes? A pair of New Jersey lawmakers are co-sponsoring a bipartisan measure to make it a requirement. 

"There are schools that give greater weight to your grade in math than they give to your grade in art," said Assembly Republican Leader Jon Bramnick (R-Westfield). "I think it's only fair to judge someone gifted in the arts and someone gifted in math and science the same way."

The bill co-sponsored by Bramnick and Assembly Education Committee chairman Pat Diegnan (D-South Plainfield) would mandate that school districts must weight courses in the visual and performing arts equally with other courses worth the same number of credits in calculating a pupil's grade point average. Advanced placement courses offered by the district would be exempt.

"Courses such as the performing and visual arts should get equal weight toward your cumulative grade average as math and science," Bramnick said. "Right now, you're treating someone who is gifted in the arts as a second class citizen."

It's Bramnick's hope that the legislation is approved by the Legislature and signed into law before the start of classes this fall.