Over the long weekend, I had a chance to read a few articles in one of my favorite magazines, The Atlantic. This monthly periodical has been around since 1857. It has a reputation for being politically moderate. I like it.
"The War on Public Schools," by Erika Christakis caught my eye. "Across the political spectrum, Americans have declared them a failure. But we've underestimated their strengths and forgotten their purpose." Right away, I knew I'd agree with this author's perspective. I also believe that politicians on all sides are too critical of our public schools. We do a lot of things really well, as Ms. Christakis points out. I,too, believe that it is essential to American society that we maintain our public schools. Most importantly, I believe we must improve our instruction in American history, government, civics, current events and policy issues if our democracy is to survive.
As Ms. Christakis points out, the idea that public schools benefit not only individuals but our society, as a whole, is as old as the nation. The Pilgrims established community schools. Our Founding Fathers understood the importance of a public education. Thomas Jefferson wrote that a functioning democracy requires an educated citizenry. John Adams wrote, "There should not be a district of one mile square without a school in it, not founded by a charitable individual, but maintained at the expense of the people themselves." Schools during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries struggled--not always kindly--to Americanize immigrants but they largely succeeded. When I was in school in the 1960s and early 70s, we learned American history with increasing complexity in fifth, seventh and tenth grades. We had a civics class in eighth grade, and "Modern Problems in a Democracy" as seniors in high school.
But, for the past twenty years or so, certainly since the passage of No Child Left Behind and Common Core State Standards, social studies education has been especially weakened. How else can we explain the dismal voting records of young adults and polls showing three-quarters of Americans can't identify the three branches of government?! In my state of Illinois, new social studies standards will finally be implemented after I retire. I have seen the standards and been impressed. However, we have so much we have to teach nowadays and I wonder how it will all be accomplished.
I became a teacher because I loved being with young children as a babysitter, Headstart volunteer, Sunday School teacher, and camp counselor. I also became a teacher because I believed it could be my way of making a positive contribution to American society. Although I have never been given a social studies curriculum, I have developed units and lessons on American Indians, Thanksgiving, Dr. Martin Luther King, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, Mount Rushmore, voting, and the American flag. Students in my class have always known my enthusiasm for these subjects. I hope to share these lessons in future posts. And I hope that public school teachers everywhere and for all time will make it a priority to teach what it means to be an American.
Click on the magazine title for a link to the article, "The War on Public Schools," in The Atlantic.
