What does it take to turn a student into a good citizen? That's a question state leaders and educators asked themselves yesterday as they began work on an initiative to improve civics education in New Hampshire classrooms.
Yesterday's meeting at Franklin Pierce Law School was the first of three sessions put on by the New Hampshire Supreme Court Society, and it brought in a mix of educational, political and judicial leaders including retired U.S. Supreme Court justice David Souter, state Senate President Sylvia Larsen and Concord School District Superintendent Christine Rath.
The goal of the task force is to provide educators with "second to none" civics materials that could be integrated on all educational levels, said Susan Leahy, president of the Supreme Court society. The task force was formed after the society assessed the status of civics education across the state last year and found there was no core educational goal related to civics.
The group of about 30 lawyers, educators, politicians and judges broke up into groups to discuss what knowledge they thought students should acquire, what skills and experiences students should gain, the overall goals of civics education, and strategies to implement the goals.
When the group reconvened, Souter questioned whether the task force should be focusing less on general terms and more on a "totality of education" model that aimed specific curricula at students in particular grades.
"At some point, haven't we got to stop talking in general terms and talk in rough grade levels?" Souter said. "Generalities are not going to be comprehensible unless you've got some kind of specific structure under your belt first. . . . Concepts about the desirability of democracy will be floating up there and not make a lot of sense."
The group also stressed the importance of engaging and educating teachers in the process. It's not enough to expect an educator to tackle a complex subject such as civics and leave them to figure out the complexities, said Susan Robichaud, a fourth-grade teacher at Beaver Meadow School in Concord.
"It's like being told, 'Teach the Constitution.' What do you want me to do?" Robichaud said. "As a teacher, define what you want by civics. And teach me. Teach your teachers."
Leahy stressed that the group should take their work one step at a time - first they should define what a student should know by the time he or she graduates high school and why that's important. Next would come the process of trying to get it implemented.
"It's a step-by-step process. We don't want to hand out a piece of toilet paper to the powers that be and say approve this," Leahy said. "We want to see this thing through."
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Comments
Civics In N.H.
By apease1 - 09/17/2009 - 6:25 pmFollowing are excerpts from a letter I wrote in response to a news article about the Civics Task Force last summer. I think much of it is still applicable to the current, on-going efforts.
As a retired teacher of law, government, and American Studies [36 years at Lebanon high school], I have both a personal and professional interest in civics education and am glad to see attention being paid to this topic. The Supreme Court Society's task force is a welcome addition to those who seek to promote the growth of better citizens and I am sure that their efforts will have good results.
However, as much as we all welcome Justice Souter back to New Hampshire and applaud his interest and involvement in this issue, it seems as if the task force may be on the way to reinventing the civics wheel if they ignore the programs and resources which already exist for the support of civic education. There is a requirement that civics be taught in New Hampshire high schools. In addition, the NH Frameworks for Social Studies were revised in 2006 and include several Standards [goals] for educating NH students in civics, with Proficiencies outlined for elementary, middle school, and high school students. I believe that what is needed in New Hampshire is wider awareness of existing resources and more support for teacher use of innovative techniques.
As a veteran of the civics education discussions in New Hampshire, I have had to duck more than once to avoid the pendulum as it swung back and forth from more to less support for social studies in general and civics in particular. Currently, there are several programs coordinated through the New Hampshire Bar whose focus is entirely on civics.
? Constitution Day
A celebration of the Sept. 17, 1787 signing of the U.S. Constitution.
? We the People: The Citizen & the Constitution
A program designed to enhance the student understanding of constitutional democracy and its contemporary relevance. Free class sets of comprehensive textbooks are available for elementary, middle school, and high school students and the program encourages the use of a mock Congressional hearing as a culminating activity.
? A Lawyer & Judge In Every School
An annual event that pairs attorneys and judges with NH classrooms to discuss topics related to the legal profession.
? We the People: Project Citizen
A program for middle school students that promotes participation in state and local government and public policy.
? Leapholes - Middle School Pilot Project Program
"Leapholes" by James Grip pando tells the story of a middle school boy and a magical old attorney. Together they do legal research by zooming through "Leapholes"; physically entering law books and meeting actual people from famous cases.
In addition to these Bar-coordinated programs, the Representative Democracy in America initiative brings materials from several national organizations to New Hampshire teachers through workshops and internet connections. Street Law also continues to publish their excellent book and materials for high school students and provides workshops for teachers.
One of the best resources for promoting civic education in the state is to continue to draw on the volunteer efforts of such justice system folks as Chuck Douglas, Howie Zibel, Mike Johnson, and now Justice Souter, to share their insights and support with teachers, enabling those teachers to return to their classrooms with a renewed vigor and more information and 'tools'.
So, I welcome Justice Souter and the Supreme Court Society task force to the arena. Civics education in New Hampshire has many strengths but can certainly be improved. Programs and people such as described above can only strengthen our student's grasp on the knowledge, skills, and attitudes they need to become caring, informed, and skeptical citizens, ready to ask questions and exercise their rights and responsibilities.
Art Pease
Lebanon
to vote