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July 2, 2003
strategy issues for civic ed
As I've noted before, people in the civic education world are now seriously discussing a national campaign to revive "civic ed" in schools. But there are interesting debates about strategy. It seems to me that people variously believe:
1)
All the action is at the state level, where standards, assessment methods, and
textbooks are chosen. So we have to intervene there, and right away. Any federal
legislation that actually passes will be small potatoes.
2) A new campaign
should focus at the federal level, since others are advocating in the states.
Federal legislation is significant because it can generate national interest and
leverage resources, and it needs to be good.
3) We need a public relations
campaign to get people concerned about civic education and to raise the public
salience of the issue.
4) Public relations is irrelevant, because policymakers
are going to make decisions about standards and assessment too soon to be influenced
by popular opinion. Besides, it would be far too expensive to raise public concern
sufficiently.
5) We need to develop grassroots-level campaigns in favor of
civic education, involving various local stakeholders and young people themselves.
6) We should tailor messages for select decision-makers, especially officials
in state departments of education, stressing ways that they can improve civics
without huge financial costs and without risking lower test scores in reading,
writing, and math.
I have views on these matters (leaning toward 1 and 4, and 5 and/or 6), but I'm by no means sure that I'm right.
July 2, 2003 11:34 AM | category: advocating civic education | Comments