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.
Since retirement I've been writing my personal history so that my grandchildren and even my children might better understand how my values which influence my actions have been formed. History can help answer the question, "Why?" However, too often we give children explanations that have little to do with history. Two years before my retirement I was asked by the administration to find a way to justify to parents why we were teaching such things as empathy, cooperation and decision-making in our curriculum. That justification wasn't difficult to find - it's right there on the Illinois State Board of Education's website under Social and Emotional Learning. I believe it's an under used standard that doesn't get taught and probably shouldn't be taught as a stand alone but infused into everything we do in classrooms and the school. But I think we need to give students the language (e.g. empathy), so they are not only aware of what they are doing and why it's important but can also apply it to situations outside of school. To study our history and its important people, unrest, laws - requires that we also examine social and emotional issues of the time.
ReplyDeleteCarol: I think it is brilliant of you to write a personal memoir infused with how you have made decisions. You have given me a great idea for my own retirement! Your insight into the impact of social and emotional issues shaping history is really interesting, too. It certainly rings true to my ears when I consider how the Vietnam War, political assassinations, and civil rights movement have affected my lifetime and our nation. Thanks for commenting on my posts again!
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