Harold! I'm always with you on this stuff. I think Reading, Writing and Arithmetic should be electives. Wouldn't that be an interesting twist?

The main reason why current electives ARE electives is because they cannot be quantified in a nice neat little multiple choice test that takes all the pressure off the teachers to make tough decisions and communicate. Art should be mandatory but who's to say what's an A, B, or C? Would Miles Davis have failed music class for not complying with the rules?

I'm curious how your son is graded in his Improv class. Let me guess...a major portion of his grade is attendance, right? The funny thing is (no pun intended) that all comedians just know when they "killled" or "bombed". They don't need anyone to grade them. They grade themselves and move on.