2007.09.24: September 24, 2007: Headlines: Speaking Out: Secondary Education: Civics: Tallahassee.com: John P. Lustrum writes: One notable exception to that cynicism I noted in the 1960s was the idealism and commitment to public service of the young men and women with whom I worked in a Peace Corps teaching project in West Africa
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2007.09.24: September 24, 2007: Headlines: Speaking Out: Secondary Education: Civics: Tallahassee.com: John P. Lustrum writes: One notable exception to that cynicism I noted in the 1960s was the idealism and commitment to public service of the young men and women with whom I worked in a Peace Corps teaching project in West Africa
John P. Lustrum writes: One notable exception to that cynicism I noted in the 1960s was the idealism and commitment to public service of the young men and women with whom I worked in a Peace Corps teaching project in West Africa
We must encourage teachers to engage students in informed, objective study and discussion of persistent public controversies. It also follows that the community and administrators should be prepared to support teachers in this endeavor and recognize that teachers do indeed have academic freedom with an obligation to exercise it responsibly. All too often research reveals that teachers have engaged in voluntary censorship, avoiding significant issues, fearing a community backlash.
John P. Lustrum writes: One notable exception to that cynicism I noted in the 1960s was the idealism and commitment to public service of the young men and women with whom I worked in a Peace Corps teaching project in West Africa
Teaching civics
Courses should educate, not indoctrinate
By John P. Lustrum
Since 1948, through a career from beginning high-school history and civics teacher to university professor charged with preparing teachers of civics and the social sciences, I have struggled with problem of infusing realistic civic knowledge into the curriculum.
I faced the problems of student boredom, indifference and, at times, outright cynicism through the end of the 20th century and into the 21st. I understood only too well the prevailing feeling of civic impotence - an inability to influence policymaking in the face of powerful interest groups.
In the 20th century, we struggled against a climate of hysteria and paranoia - a by-product of the Cold War. One example was the numerous states-mandated courses called “Communism vs. Democracy.”
All too often these courses were simply exercises in blatant indoctrination, comparing the highest and often unattained ideals of American democracy with the harsh realities of communism.
Further undermining the credibility of the government were the events of Vietnam, the Pentagon Papers, political assassinations, the rise of the counter-culture, Watergate and Iran-Contra. During this period, H.H. Remmers at Purdue University documented in his surveys evidence of anti-democratic attitudes of high-school students - scarcely an intended outcome of civics instruction.
One notable exception to that cynicism I noted in the 1960s was the idealism and commitment to public service of the young men and women with whom I worked in a Peace Corps teaching project in West Africa. Often, the volunteers had to try to explain to their African students why, during civil-rights marches, America - that bastion of democracy - would allow young black children to be set upon by baton-wielding police and snarling dogs. That was an acid test of civic commitment.
Much of civics instruction then focused on the structure of government, learning how a bill passes Congress, the terms of office of senators, defining separation of powers and so forth. Little was mentioned in textbooks about the more unsavory facts of political life, for example, the role of lobbyists in writing bills, the impact of corporate interests, the abuses of executive power. Let us fervently hope that the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test's inclusion of civics does not foster the continuation of this civic mythology.
The content of the civics courses will undoubtedly be strongly influenced by the FCAT. But it must reflect reality if we are to produce a generation of young men and women with a rational, enduring commitment to democracy.
Unfortunately, research indicates textbook publishers have often yielded to powerful interest groups form the left and right. The impact of these pressure groups has left us with sanitized, bland textbooks to accommodate what one historian has called “the language police.”
At the same time we must encourage teachers to engage students in informed, objective study and discussion of persistent public controversies. It also follows that the community and administrators should be prepared to support teachers in this endeavor and recognize that teachers do indeed have academic freedom with an obligation to exercise it responsibly. All too often research reveals that teachers have engaged in voluntary censorship, avoiding significant issues, fearing a community backlash.
We must face other challenges. Research reveals that many of our secondary-school students lack the reading ability to grasp the meaning of what historians regard as some of our most important civic documents, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Gettysburg Address, to name only three. Part of this problem is the influx of children with limited English proficiency as our country becomes more diverse. Adding to the challenge is the fact many of these children may come from regions with little experience in democratic self-government.
Media literacy presents yet another challenge to an effective program in civics. We are bombarded in the print and electronic media with conflicting messages from so called “think tanks,” foundations and organizations representing a broad spectrum of political and economic views.
While we must strongly support freedom of the press, we must understand that the search for reliable knowledge remains a critical challenge. We must recognize that students need to learn the skill of informed decision-making. The good news is that there are community and professional resources such as the Florida Law Related Education Organization available to schools to help meet these challenges. n
John P. Lustrum is Professor Emeritus of Social Science Education at Florida State University. Contact him at johnlunstrum@msn.com.
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Headlines: September, 2007; Speaking Out; Secondary Education
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Story Source: Tallahassee.com
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