What is a class from high school or middle school that you feel like you are still benefiting from today? I graduated from high school in 1987, so that question really gets me reflecting. Right now I am remembering my American Civics class that I took my Freshman year for one semester with Mrs. McCormick. Not only was this class a graduation requirement, but what I was taught has helped me throughout my life.
We were a group of students who had watched Saturday morning cartoons through the 70s and had seen every “Schoolhouse Rock” short. Because of that, we had a relative idea of how a bill became a law because we could sing “I’m Just a Bill.” However, she produced for us a note taking sheet with boxes that we were to fill in so that we could learn all of the steps that the 3 minute song wasn’t able to teach us. After this, we understood why there was such a long process to get a law through Congress.
We studied the Constitution and all of the Amendments. We actually memorized each one of them. I’m sad to say that after 40 years I am unable to list them all, but many of them still remain in my memory because of Mrs. McCormick’s instruction. At the time I realized that this was a very important class, so I saved most of my notes and handouts in a binder and have it here next to my computer as I write this.
She also chose to teach us all about the Watergate scandal. Most of us knew the name and a few students were aware of the facts. I only knew a detail or two. Imagine our surprise to find out that this had all taken place when we were children! My parents had never spoken of it so I was intrigued as I listened to her lectures and took notes. It was one of the first times that I realized that politicians could be corrupt, but that the Constitution and laws were in place to take care of this.
You might wonder why I am taking you down this memory lane into my high school years. I work for the US Census Bureau and I am constantly shocked with how many people say to me, “I’ve never heard of the Census.” It is part of the Constitution (Article 1, Sections 2 and 9). Admittedly, the Decennial Census only takes place every 10 years, so it could be easy to forget about it. But many people look at me as if I’m making it up. My Civics class taught me all about it.
Right now we have the General Election going on. Election Day is Tuesday, November 5, but Early Voting for Iowa began on Wednesday, October 16. Anyone who is a citizen who will be 18 years old by November 5 is able to vote. For the 5th year now, I am working Early Voting. It is so exciting to see Voters coming in to cast their votes. Many choose to vote early because they will be out of town on Election Day. Others just want to get it taken care of sooner rather than later. Reading the Constitution and its amendments taught me about voting and the importance of it.
It is crucial that Civics Classes are taught so that people will understand how government works. A 2018 study funded by the National Science Foundation found elementary classrooms only spend an average of 16 to 21 minutes a day on social studies. Very little of that time was devoted to civics. Just last year, the National Assessment of Educational Progress, known as the Nation’s Report Card, found only 22 percent of eighth graders scored proficient or above in civics. Less than half of those eighth graders were taking a class mainly focused on civics or government. Only 29 percent had a teacher whose primary responsibility was teaching civics.
You might wonder, “What do you mean by a Civics Class? What is covered in that class?” I consulted many websites and I found this same course description on all of them: “In its broadest sense, civics (also known as ‘civic education’ or ‘civic learning’) is the lifelong process that makes people into informed and engaged members of their communities—which range from schools and towns or neighborhoods to the whole nation and even the world.
“As defined in many state standards and other official documents, ‘civics’ usually refers to a K–12 curriculum that is part of the social studies. This curriculum typically draws heavily on political science and law and has close connections to other academic subjects, particularly U.S. History, and to experiences like service-learning. In a given grade or school, these disciplines may be integrated in various ways; for instance, one course or sequence of courses may combine civics (as the study of politics) with U.S. history.”
My daughters all took the required one semester Political Science class at Mount Vernon High School, taught by Mr. Ed Timm. Here is his course description: “Political Science is the study of American Government. We will look at the Constitution in its form and function. We will look at the structure of the American Government and how it functions in theory and practice. We will explore political parties and their history and purpose. Finally, we will look at how to be an engaged citizen.”
I believe that one way to stem the misinformation going on in our country right now is for all of us to understand how government is designed to work, to understand the branches of government, and to read and understand the Constitution. If we don’t educate ourselves on these things, we are susceptible to believing anything we might hear as truth. I am extremely grateful for Mrs. McCormick who took the time to teach Freshmen how our government works so that when I exercise my civic duty to vote and enjoy the freedoms of being an American, I am doing so with an understanding of how this came to be.