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Civics education should be our mission


branches of government; one-third could not name any at all. 4 Just over one-third thought it was the intention of the Founding Fathers to have each branch hold a lot of power, but the president has


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the final say. 4 Just under one-half of Americans (47%) knew that a 5-4 decision by


the Supreme Court carries the same legal weight as a 9-0 ruling. 4 Almost a third mistakenly believe that a U.S. Supreme Court ruling could be appealed.


On a recent national assessment in civics: 4 Two-thirds of all Americans scored


below proficient. 4 Less than one-third of the eighth


graders could identify the historical purpose of the Declaration of Indepen-


dence. 4 Fewer than 1-in-5 high school se-


niors were able to explain how citizen- ship participation benefits democracy. How is this possible? How is it pos- sible in 2013, the age of information, and the capability of technology that we have a poor understanding, at best, of the foundational concepts of our gov- ernment? Furthermore, if people do not understand the basic workings of our federal government, they are com- pletely lost when it comes to county government. I recently read a report called the “Guardian of Democracy: Te Civ-


school climate, lower dropout rate, and are more safe and respectful.


“T ”


ics Mission of Schools” found at http://www.civicmissionofschools.org. I was both appalled at the statistics reported and encouraged by the pos- sibilities of a seemingly simple solution. Benjamin Franklin believed that the key ingredients in making our democracy work are an educated and engaged citizenry. However, in the 2008 presidential election nearly 100 million Americans that were eligible did not vote. Tis, in light of the fact that the 2008 election had the highest levels of voter turnout in more than 40 years, is proof that our citizenry is not engaged. I believe this is due to the fact that they are not educated in their need and responsibility to participate. I am sure Ben Franklin would be saddened while he shouted from the rooftops, “GET INVOLVED!” How then do we, using Franklin’s benchmarks, make our democracy


work better and become stronger? According to the “Guardian of De- mocracy” report, the answer lies in an effective civic learning experience. President Barack Obama said, “Te loss of quality civic education from so many of our classrooms has left too many young Americans without the most basic knowledge of who our forefathers are, or the significance of the founding documents, [. . .and] the risks and sacrifices made by pre- vious generations, to ensure that this country survived war and depres- sion; through the great struggles for civil and social, and workers’ rights.


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id you know that according to the Anneberg Public Policy Center surveys from national samples of the U.S. popula-


tion in the past decade that: 4 Only one-third of Americans could name all three


It is up to us, then, to teach them.” Tis report outlines six proven practices that make up a well-rounded and high qual- ity civic learning experience: 1.) Classroom instruction; 2.) Discussion of current events; 3.) Service learning; 4.) Extracurricular activities; 5.) School governance; and 6.) Simulations of democratic processes. Tere are observed and assessed benefits to an effective civics learning experience.


Savings times 2


Wallet & waistline


Becky Comet AAC Member Benefits Manager


Students are: 4 Four times more likely to volunteer and work on community issues; 4 More confident in their ability to speak publicly and communicate with


he schools with effective civics programs report better


elected officials; 4 Show an improved grasp of 21st century competencies that employers


value; 4 More concerned about the unjust


treatment of others; 4 Empowered to exercise their dem-


ocratic rights and responsibilities. Te schools with effective civics pro-


grams report a better school climate, lower dropout rate, and are more safe and respectful.


As a former teacher, in my opinion an effective civics program encourages stu-


dents to think beyond themselves and beyond today. When their focus shifts, they can better see cause and effect. Tey can see how all actions have an effect and consequences. I can also say in the 28 years that I taught, I witnessed more students as well as their parents become less in- volved in the business of government at the federal, state, and local level. I attribute this to a lack of understanding of the basic concepts of how our representative democracy works. Former Supreme Court Justice, Sandra Day O’Connor has written, “Te better educated our citizens are, the better equipped they will be to preserve the system of government we have. And we have to start with the education of our nation’s young people. Knowledge about our govern- ment is not handed down through the gene pool. Every generation has to learn it and we have some work to do.” Improving the civic education Justice O’Connor speaks of must be a cooperative and concerted effort from the individual school all the way to Washington, D.C. Tose who complain about the plight of our gov- ernment today must remember that “in a representative democracy, the government is only as good as the citizens who elect the leaders, demand action on pressing issues, hold public officials accountable, and take ac- tion to help solve problems in their communities.”


On the Web:


“Guardian of Democracy: The Civic Mission of Schools” http://www.civicmissionofschools.org.


COUNTY LINES, FALL 2013


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