A football coach once chastised a player for poor grades.
“What’s wrong with you?” asked the coach. “Are you ignorant or apathetic?”
“I don’t know and I don’t care,” replied the gridster.
As a former civics teacher who has spent the past 20 years in college classrooms, I echo the sentiments of so many who bemoan young people’s unawareness regarding history and government. It seriously threatens our institutions. How can democracy thrive when its practitioners remain ignorant or apathetic?
Some N.H. schools do provide laudatory civics instruction. Others do not. Requiring students to attend a town meeting or a political rally is fine, but young people also need a solid knowledge foundation in civics. A measure that would really make a difference here is House Bill 1694, upon which the N.H. House of Representatives will vote the first week in March. This measure requires that as a component of instruction, civics classes administer the 100-question exam for which prospective citizens must prepare when seeking naturalization.
It’s not a radical concept. Numerous other states have this requirement. Why not New Hampshire?
A different challenge involves gifted students. They are neither ignorant nor apathetic. But in too many communities their unique needs are absolutely ignored. After looking into this issue with a professional researcher, I’ve concluded that New Hampshire is somewhere around 50th in the nation when it comes to accommodating gifted students. It’s so sad to see a mother break down in tears when testifying that her children remained unchallenged and held back by a system that didn’t embrace their potential.
House Bill 1552 could really help here. This measure will also be voted on in the House the first week in March. All it does is ask school districts to share with the Department of Education what – if anything – they do to identify and support gifted students. This would allow DOE to keep a “best practices” folder of public information to which people could refer to see what good things are happening in New Hampshire that deserve emulation. HB 1552 involves no policy mandate or new spending. There is no requirement for DOE to evaluate any data – just maintain that folder, or virtual folder.
But passing HB 1552 would result in every N.H. community having a long-overdue discussion about better supporting gifted students. DOE officials with whom I’ve communicated seem intrigued by this initiative.
These nonpartisan bills have sponsors from each party from both the House and the Senate.
It’s way past time for New Hampshire to do better in these areas. And time has value. These relatively benign bills require no new money and minimal administrative requirements. But they could really make a difference for the better.
It’s not easy to pass bills into law – as good civics students know. The status quo can be difficult to overcome (“We’ve never done that before!”), but hopefully our Granite State solons will give these measures due consideration.
The opposites of ignorance and apathy are knowledge and action. HB 1694 and HB 1552 create opportunities to take relatively easy action that could really improve the Granite State’s educational landscape.
(Mike Moffett represents Loudon in the New Hampshire House of Representatives. He has taught in public and parochial schools, military schools, and in both the CCSNH and USNH systems. A former school board member, he sits on the N.H. House Education Committee.)