I must applaud a principal who has the guts to do what is right for these students.  For those who think art and music are more important than learning English,  your view has the same effect on students as that of the person who doesn't want to educate English Language Learners because they aren't Americans.  You are advocating denying these children full participation in our society and a chance to attain the American dream by insisting art and music are more important than learning the skills that will enable to finish high school, attend college or trade school if they so wish, get a good job and be a full and EQUAL participant in American society.  By insisting that they have art and music rather than English instruction  during that time, which doesn't remove them from Reading, Math, Science or Social Studies, they are receiving the full curriculum that English speaking students get. If we want these students to be self-supporting, they need to know how to read and speak English.