POSTCARDS FROM THE FRONT
1 . You Now Work in Sales
As I began the new job , I didn ’ t recognize the implications of civics ’ evolution in education . Although it had been one of the original planks in the nation ’ s curricular platform , civics did not fair well in the late twentieth century and many U . S . schools dropped the subject . In the last few years , however , it has enjoyed a renaissance due to calls from parents and educators for a revitalized civic education in schools . Civics is , therefore , simultaneously associated with tradition and with reform ; it is both ‘ old ’ and ‘ new ’ with the result that any new civics program requires a good sales pitch , beginning with a clear definition .
For example , in my first year , it became obvious that other faculty and parents , even the most supportive , had little idea what civics programming might entail . ( I was fortunate to work for a Head of School who was already fully convinced of the need for new programming focused on nurturing active citizenship !) At the most basic level , the word ‘ civics ’ itself presented a problem . Some adults had negative associations with it : images of dusty textbooks from 1953 in which lists of obscure governmental agencies waited to be memorized . Most current students had no association with the word at all — beyond picturing a fleet of Hondas ! The good news is that this semantic problem is clearing up as more people use the term in popular culture ; surely we have hit some kind of milestone when the NFL promotes civic engagement as one of its main goals .
“ At the most basic level , the word ‘ civics ’ itself presented a problem . Some adults had negative associations with it : images of dusty textbooks from 1953 in which lists of obscure governmental agencies waited to be memorized .”
Back in 2018 , the first step was to define civics for our school community . Here , the work of Eric Liu , author of numerous books on the power of citizens to affect positive change and evangelist for a revitalized civics curriculum , was foundational . Our definition of civics as ‘ the study and practice of power in public life ’ is based on his understanding of civics as a broad set of values , skills , and behaviors as well as a curricula of content knowledge . While an understanding of formal political systems and government structures remains important , civics now celebrates and trains citizens in informal systems of power as well — for example , organizing and influencing via social media , evaluating the reliability of information , and cultivating friendships that can sustain disagreement . This definition of civics as an endeavor composed of ‘ study and practice ’ sends the message to students that civics is not merely something that you intellectually understand , it is something that you do IRL !
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CSEE Connections Summer 2021 Page 7