The demand for a new workforce to meet the challenges of a global knowledge economy is rapidly increasing. As a special report in Business Week magazine observed last year: "The game is changing. It isn't just about math and science anymore. It's about creativity, imagination, and, above all, innovation." Most analysts studying the new global economy agree that the growing "creative and innovative" economy represents America's salvation. Dana Gioia, chairman of the National Endowments for the Arts, argued that America's success will not be through "cheap labor, cheap raw materials, or the free flow of capital or a streamlined industrial base," but through "creativity, ingenuity, innovation." Gioia's formula for success is simple enough: Nurture a love of reading and marvel at the beauty of a sunset or a tree in bloom; find wonder in the mystery of birth, prehistoric life or the DNA of life itself; and ensure the arts play a central role in the people's lives. In this article, the author talks about the role of the arts in modern education. If left unchecked and unchallenged, the persistent belief that arts are a frill may spell the continued decline of America's system of education. The author calls on public policy leaders to convince an unmoved public of the peril of a narrowed academic focus in K-12 education.