Civics
learning and democracy 'come alive' for 1,000 students attending 'town hall' meeting
If kids
could implement a few reforms to improve the learning that prepares them for
citizenship, they'd introduce civics classes as early as elementary school;
give students more freedom to make decisions; take more stock of student views
on school policies and put more emphasis on debate and critical thinking.
Students
offered those ideas and others at a town hall meeting where Pennsylvania's
First Lady and the state Secretary of Education engaged them in a dialogue
about democracy and how well they believe they're being prepared for civic
responsibilities. With support from The Grable Foundation and the Heinz
Endowments, The Consortium for Public Education organized the meeting, which
drew nearly 1,000 high school students from 34 districts in six counties across
the region. The event kicked off a statewide bus tour during which U.S. Third
Circuit Court Judge Marjorie O. Rendell is promoting greater emphasis on civics
education and experiences that make democracy "come alive" for students. The
Allegheny Intermediate Unit co-hosted the meeting and a luncheon that followed
for administrators from participating districts.
"The
format gave kids a chance to do exactly what Judge Rendell is encouraging,"
said The Consortium's Associate Executive Director, Steve Seliy, who
orchestrated the event. "They were thoroughly engaged and they rose to the
challenge with some really good ideas."
"It is
open dialogue on which democracy is based," Judge Rendell told the students at
the outset of the discussion, which she guided along with State Secretary of
Education, Gerald Zahorchak. Among the questions she raised was what changes in
their schools and civics learning might increase student involvement.
"We don't
have enough debate," one Baldwin-Whitehall High School student offered. "We're
spoon fed too much."
A number
said they felt schools didn't solicit student input enough or permit young
adults to make enough of their own decisions. Among the most topical examples
came from a student who questioned why districts, communities or even parents
should have determined whether it was appropriate for him or his peers to watch
a presidential address when they're almost, if not already, voting age. He was
referring to the decision in some districts not to air President Obama's recent
televised talk about education because of political messages they thought it
might convey. Judge Rendell encouraged the student to make his views known in a
time-honored democratic way: by writing an Op-Ed for a local newspaper or a
letter to the editor.
Some
students also said they faced too many restrictions in school. Others countered
that view, including a young woman from Allegheny Valley School District's Springdale
Junior Senior High School who suggested that staying within boundaries that schools set is
practice for living in a democracy. "I feel so blessed to have the rights we
do," she said. "We can't just go out into the world and have no rules. That
would be chaos. We need rules too."
Nor was
Judge Rendell's give-and-take with students confined to criticism or defense of
their learning experiences. Among other highpoints, she shared a personal
reflection on the moment in her judicial career that impassioned her about promoting
civics education and invited students to relate turning points in their own
views of democracy. For Judge Rendell, the profound meaning of the freedoms our
country enjoys came when she presided over a naturalization ceremony for
immigrants, some of whom had no doubt fled oppression.
One
Ringgold High School student said he'd taken no interest in civic learning or
engagement until last year's presidential race. "When Obama was elected, it
pushed me to make that step. It made me proud to be a black American," he said.
A young man from Moon Area High School said, "It was
actually coming here today, hearing other students, that I realized my opinion
matters."
