Notwithstanding budget crisis, R.I. mustn't cut civics position
RHODE ISLAND
and America in general are in a fiscal crisis that also seems to be a
crisis of government. In response, the Rhode Island Board of Regents
plans to cut the sole statewide civics-education position, along with
funding for civics professional development. The state has historically
underperformed at teaching its students the fundamentals of civic
participation. Now, just when we are beginning to catch up — and just
when we could surely use a critical, well-informed electorate — the
state is throwing in the towel on civics.
Rhode Island has no
state mandate for high-school civics classes. Whether because of cost
fears or reluctance to interfere in local affairs, civics is
implemented on a piecemeal, district-by-district or even
school-by-school basis. Individual teachers and administrators are
responsible for ensuring every student is given a decent primer on the
fundamentals of American democracy. These are the teachers who register
eligible students to vote in class, or give up some of their scarce
free time to sponsor Model U.N. and Mock Trial teams. They work hard to
give their students civics literacy, and we do too little to support
them.
Indeed, my group, FairVote Rhode Island, is doing a
statewide study on the condition of civics education. Responses are
still arriving, but so far we have found widespread eagerness to
improve civics education along with a general hunger for more support
from the state. One school administrator told us they “need the
district to support a civics program,” and another welcomed
professional development, saying, “The Social Studies Department would
be receptive to just about any topic (Voting, Amendments, Legal Issues,
Branches/Types of Gov’t).” Teachers need professional-development
support, lesson plans and recommendations on classroom best practices.
Unfortunately,
in the teeth of the current state budget crisis, the Board of Regents
has determined that the state can no longer afford its only — that’s
right, we have just one — civics-education specialist. The state is
also cutting $15,000 for teacher training in civics and the Civics Day
program at the State House.
The timing couldn’t be worse.
In
December, the Regents finally approved state standards on Civics &
Government and Historical Perspectives. It took much hard work on the
part of our current civics-education specialist, Kamlyn Keith, to make
that happen. So it is a cruel irony that we are losing her position
just when our state was poised to finally make real progress in this
area. (She is being transferred to cover two other positions.) Without
support from a civics-education specialist, there is scant hope that
the just-issued civics standards will be implemented by school
districts in a uniform way.
High-school seniors about to enter a
dismal job market could surely use historical perspectives — from
George Washington’s leadership at Valley Forge to Franklin D.
Roosevelt’s First Inaugural — on our current situation. It would say
something less than appealing if our state’s first instinct in the
midst of a crisis is jettisoning critical thinking.
Everyone saw
the enthusiasm young citizens have for civic participation in the
course of the 2008 presidential election campaign. The presidential
campaign of Barack Obama, and to a lesser extent that of John McCain,
were both able to tap into the excitement that young people feel about
their country.
The Board of Regents should reverse its plan to
cut the state’s lone civics-education specialist. It should restore
funding for civics professional development. The board has its eyes set
on cost-cutting, but its vision is myopic. Priorities must be set
during times of economic uncertainty, but civics education must be one
of our priorities. Our newest voters and taxpayers must be given the
critical-thinking tools they need to hold their government accountable.
Matt Sledge is director of FairVote Rhode Island.
