Is the A a Ruse?

As I listen to Superintendent Heath Morrison talk about STEM changing to STEAM because we mustn't forget the arts, I find myself questioning the intention behind this addition to the acronym for one of the most recent curricular foci's to come along in the education field.  As requests for money to support additional math and science programs fill page after page in the latest budget proposal, I did not read any requests for money to support the arts.  Is Dr. Morrison simply trying to appease those of us for whom the right side of the brain is the most comfortable or is he truly attempting to have it all for CMS students--a mind and a heart?  I suppose time will tell, but as an educator for over 20 years, I've never seen a program thrive that didn't have actual teachers and actual curriculum behind it.

Here's a link to what STEAM could actually mean for CMS students:

STEAM