Conference bolsters Wisconsin civics education

Strengthening the teaching of civics in Wisconsin’s classrooms and engaging students in democracy are the aims of a Dec. 10 conference being co-sponsored by the UW–Madison School of Education.

“There is a resurgence of interest in democratic education, partly out of an increasing awareness of the low levels of democratic participation by young people,” Diana Hess, a UW–Madison assistant professor of curriculum and instruction, says of the conference, which begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Pyle Center, 702 Langdon St. Registration starts at 8 a.m.

Research has shown that young people are less likely today to be involved in public affairs, but findings have also shown that some types of teaching approaches can be effective in reversing that trend, she says.

Hess said the session is intended to revive interest in teaching about democracy and citizenship, emphasize best practices in teaching civics and spark ideas about how to include information about Wisconsin government and citizenship in the classroom.

Proponents of civic education say that while many citizens recognize the importance of civics, schools have often failed to pay sustained and systematic attention to teaching about democracy in K-12 schools.

“The whole accountability movement and the emphasis on testing has made it difficult in a lot of areas,” says Hess. “Although reading and math are certainly important, schools have emphasized those areas over others. I hope that’s a trend that doesn’t last long.”

Other co-sponsors of the daylong session, titled “Dialogues with Democracy: Civic Engagement in Wisconsin’s Classrooms,” are the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board, the Wisconsin Historical Society, the State Bar Association and the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Speakers, including Wisconsin teachers and curriculum writers from national civic education organizations, will discuss new directions and approaches in civics education.

Opening the session will be Elizabeth Burmaster, state school superintendent, who will address why schools have a civic mission and the role they play in fostering democracy.

Among those making presentations will be Maria Covarrubias, a teacher at Madison’s Cesar Chavez Elementary School; Beth Ratway, a teacher at Wauwatosa East High School; Dee Runaas, director of the State Bar’s Law-related Education Committee; Laurel Singleton, a consultant with the Constitutional Rights Foundation, Chicago; and Linda Poupart, chair of American Indian Studies at UW-Green Bay.

Program topics include teaching democratic education from a social justice perspective, using case studies to better understand the courts, teaching about controversial issues in the classroom, ways to enhance high school students’ understanding of the constitution, and middle school public policy service learning projects.

Hess says that teaching about democracy can involve some thorny issues. She cites the heated debate over America’s invasion of Iraq and the competing ideas that are at work.

“What does it mean to be an American? Some said it was dissent, some said it was supporting our troops. That’s a big tension and indicative of the deep divisions we have,” Hess says. “We have to mediate that tension in the classroom without making it so boring that no one wants to learn.”

Shirley Abrahamson, chief justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and fellow high court Justice Ann Walsh Bradley will deliver a luncheon address focusing on why democracy depends on judicial independence.

In small-group sessions, participants will learn about new resources for teaching civics.

For example, the Wisconsin Historical Society is preparing another volume in the New Badger History series that will use historical case studies to show how Wisconsin residents have used democracy to help build the state. The book coordinates with the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board’s production of instructional television programs.

Cost for the event for is $115, or $125 for on-site registration, if space permits. Attendance provides 0.8 continuing education units. For more information on conference registration call Linda Shriberg, (608) 262-4477.