Realizing the civic mission of schools
Cynthia Gibson and Peter Levine are two of the leading thinkers and writers in the part of the public engagement movement that deals with civic education and civic learning in the schools. In 2003 they organized and edited The Civic Mission of Schools Report., which among other things, “is probably best known for presenting evidence in favor of “six promising practices� for civic education in schools.�
Last week some of us received an email from Gibson announcing the publication of “A Letter from the Authors of The Civic Mission of Schools Report�, in which they reflect on the the progress made since the publication of that Report. The letter appears in the latest issue of CIRCLE’s newsletter, “Around the Circle.�
In the four years since publication of the Report, Gibson and Levine feel, much good work has been done. There are deep challenges ahead, however. Learning about civics theory and practice in the classroom, or even through service-learning or other programs for active participation of students, is not enough. The political system is seen as unresponsive to citizen input and in thrall to moneyed special interests. The No Child Left Behind Act has focused the attention of schools on standardized tests, leaving little room for “the teaching of values, deliberation, and collaborative skills.�
To help rectify this situation—to “prepare young citizens for politics but also improve politics for citizens�—Gibson and Levine report that
… the Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools—a national coalition of more than forty educational, policy, and professional organizations committed to better school-based civic learning—was created. Since then, the coalition has worked diligently to advance and promote the policy recommendations contained in the CMS report.
With a board led by former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and former Governor Roy Romer, the coalition has commissioned a national poll that showed parents willing and eager to see civic education reinstituted in schools; created a national database of best practices, programs, and curricula that were vetted by teams of educators and experts; and helped to pass legislation that encourages more frequent testing of civic knowledge.
Efforts like these will bring to our colleges and universities students who are knowledgeable, practiced, and eager to continue their civic learning and activism. We need to figure out how to be ready for them and to raise their engagement—and ours—to even higher levels.