civic engagement GOVERNORS FIGHT FOR CIVICS

by Shawntaye Hopkins

“That might mean having more good people to t te at e t bee te represent our state in government,” he said. “It also might mean training the next generation err ria e atteded a of policy leaders who come up with new, excit- dinner where he listened as speakers ing ideas to improve how government works on opposite ends of the political from the outside. It might mean simply voting.” spectrum championed the need for civic education in U.S. classrooms. WASHINGTON GOV. JAY INSLEE “There may be a lot of things that Democrats and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is one of sever- Republicans disagree on, but educating our stu- al sponsors of the Civic Learning Initiative dents about American civics is something almost launched by the state’s Council on Public Legal everyone can agree is vital,” Ducey said. Education. Inslee said he would like more Conversations about civic education and civic people to understand the importance of city engagement have become more and more councils and state legislative bodies on their prevalent among teachers, legislators, secretar- individual lives. ies of state, media and others. Governors—such Washington state’s Civic Learning Initiative as Ducey in Arizona, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee was modeled after a California civics program, There may be a and former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell—have according to the Civic Learning Initiative’s web- also voiced concern about the decline in civic site. The initiative aims to address gaps in civic knowledge among students and adults. learning among K-12 students. lot of things that In February, Ducey spoke about civic education Inslee said an increased knowledge about how Democrats and Republicans at a National Governors Association meeting. state and local governments work would mean He encouraged other state leaders to follow better policies because more of the population, Arizona’s lead. The rst bill Ducey signed into including young people and people with low disagree on, but educating law was the American Civics Act, passed in incomes, would vote and participate. 2015 with bipartisan support, which requires all students in the state to pass a civics test “People have tended to think that only the our students about American before graduating from high school. Students federal government has an impact on their lives are permitted to retake the test as many times because that’s what they see on TV and social civics is something almost as necessary. Arizona was the rst state in the media,” Inslee said. nation to pass such a law. CAPITOL IDEAS | everyone can agree is vital.” “This is the same test that new Americans take THE RENDELL CENTER to gain citizenship,” Ducey said. “Shouldn’t our When he was mayor of Philadelphia, former » Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey kids be able to answer the same questions?” Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell visited a private Ducey hopes increased civic knowledge will school where a third-grade classroom had

JULY/AUG 2017 2017 JULY/AUG lead to increased civic participation. been turned into a city. There were about 25 14 governors’ initiatives

students in the class and every student had No governor, “that we’re aware of, has ever problems of a ctional city and hearing made- assumed an essential role, including mayor, re said they’re against civic education,” he said. up court cases—will grow up to become real commissioner, public works commissioner, city But there’s still plenty of room at the table for mayors and judges. councilmember and so on. governors to get involved as interest in civic education increases. “Every governor, every mayor knows that we “The kids were on re,” Rendell said. “They loved need citizens to participate more in our de- what they did.” Judge Rendell said a required civics test is a good start because it forces the issue into the mocracy—to participate as voters, participate Years later, The Rendell Center for Civics and schools and the information is important. But by running for o ce, participate in asking legis- Civic Engagement would concentrate heavily engaging students at an early age—before they lators to pass certain legislation,” Gov. Rendell on elementary school students. become jaded teenagers—is crucial, she said. said. “I would say to my fellow mayors and “They really are capable of so much at an early And perhaps some of the young students fellow governors, ‘This works; our kids just need age,” U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Marjorie playing make-believe—pretending to solve the to have the door opened.’” Rendell said of the students she often hosts for mock trials in Philadelphia’s federal courthouse. “We just don’t give them credit.” As a federal judge when Gov. Rendell took o ce, Judge Rendell had to make sure her role as rst lady did not conict with her judicial role. She took on civic education to help stu- dents understand the court system and started the Pennsylvania Coalition for Representative Democracy—The Rendell Center’s forerunner— in 2004. The Rendell Center creates tools for teachers and opportunities, including litera- ture-based mock trials, for K-12 students to practice and discuss civic engagement. JULY/AUG 2017 Ted McConnell, executive director of the Cam- paign for the Civic Mission of Schools, said the civic learning community would welcome and applaud the involvement of more governors | who wanted to take the lead in the improving IDEAS CAPITOL civic education. “The true champions in the eort to restore the OPENING DOORS FOR STUDENTS PHILADELPHIA, Pa. —Former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell and Judge Marjorie Rendell started a civic education program while Gov. civic mission of our schools have been state Rendell was in office that would eventually become The Rendell Center for Civics and Civic Engagement. The Rendell Center engages K-12 legislators and the state level judiciary along students in discussions about civic engagement and activities such as mock trials. Photo Courtesy of The Rendell Center with the federal judiciary,” McConnell said. 15