Art makes a comeback at The Great James Madison High School
By Imani Burton, DFP Pathway Fellow and junior at The Great James Madison High School
The Great James Madison High School has been missing an art program for six years, but as of this school year, the drought is over.
Thanks to new art teacher Gregory Atkins, Madison students are now learning about graphic design, animation, and even having the opportunity to create their own logos.
Normally, high schools have multiple options for fine art electives, but students at Madison have limited choices needed to meet graduation requirements, like art. Madison is one of the smaller high schools in Dallas ISD, with fewer than 300 students, according to enrollment numbers from December. After the choir teacher left mid-year in 2024, the school needed another elective for students.
“It was either music or art, and we ended up finding an art teacher before a music teacher,” said Assistant Principal Orenthal Wright.
Atkins brings 26 years of experience teaching every school level over his career. Before coming to Madison, Atkins taught at Dunbar Elementary School for two years.
“I feel like I can make a greater impact on students at a higher level, such as high school. So, that’s just why I came to Madison,” Atkins said. “I wanted to capture students’ attention in terms of art and other things they needed while they headed out of school.”
In his first year, Atkins has taught not just traditional art but also graphic design and animation while also incorporating life lessons for students to use in the real world.
“Because of contemporary needs, because everything is digital now, I see the importance of embracing art that is current to keep up with the times,” he said.
English teacher Tamika Jones has been teaching at the high school for almost 10 years. As someone who has seen the fall and rise of the art program, she believes having Atkins at Madison will help the students develop their creativity.
“I think that it will open students’ minds and let them know that the sky is the limit when it comes to their creativity.”
Share This Story, Choose Your Platform!
Student journalists are part of the Journalism Pathway Fellowship, a program that supports high school students in reporting on their communities. Fellows are based at Dr. L.G. Pinkston Sr. High School in West Dallas and “The Great” James Madison High School in South Dallas. They learn reporting skills and gain real journalism experience covering stories from their campuses.
