First year Principal at Clinton High School, Dr. Candice Swift has done a sweep of the school's classroom supplies and curriculum resources, and her findings may surprise you.

In her first three months or so on the job, Dr. Swift has met with department heads, and teachers in each of the various departments to find out what they need. Her findings have interesting, if not surprising, to say the least. Starting in the art department, Dr. Swift says she and art teacher Traci Manning found supplies almost 20 years and some things as old as the building.

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One thing both Dr. Swift and Manning feel would benefit students in the art program at the high school would be introductory courses and modifications made to the curriculum. Manning says she has some great students who do great work, however, she feels there are overlapping lessons for students who take more than one art class.

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Dr. Swift compares no foundational courses to putting a student in algebra or trigonometry without giving them algebra I or geometry. The proposal from the two offers four semester long courses with an introductory course. Manning says not only would introductory and structured courses remove the overlap and gap in teaching, but it would give students confidence as they continue to move along in the curriculum.