The domino affect from school cuts has begun in Massachusetts, and the fallout is no fun, according to a recent Boston.com news story. The biggest hits are to after-school programs, but the lack of funds is trickling down and cutting into programs for athletics, music, and school repair. Of course the ones hurt the most by the cuts are the children.

Losing after-school funding also creates a larger divide between the haves and the have-nots of society. In more affluent areas, parents who have disposable income can use that income to help pay for after-school programs. But in less-affluent areas, parents just do not have the money for after-school programs.

And the divide is unfortunate because after-school athletics, band, and clubs are important for building pride, community, and teamwork. Education is not just about reading and math. It is also about how we work together to get along in the world. These after-school activities can do a world of good.

The goal of school should not be to create a generation of automatons who can pass high-stakes tests, but to create individuals who can best put their own individual talents to work. The best musician has just as much to add to society as the best engineer, but if we cut funding for the band, we cut the opportunity for the child who one day would have grown up to be that great musician.