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Letter to the editor published in Chicago Tribune on Civics Education, HB4025 and HB4024

4/21/2015

Letter: Save our democracy

Illinois is one of 10 states that doesn’t require a civics course to graduate high school despite research that civic learning translates into civic action.

State Rep. Deborah Conroy (D-Villa Park) introduced legislation to have Illinois join the majority of states that mandates civics. House Bill 4025 recommends a civics education requirement for Illinois public high schools, and House Bill 4024 requires the State Board of Education to ensure that teachers have access to professional development activities in civics education.

Studies show that students who receive effective civics learning are more likely to vote and discuss politics at home, four times more likely to volunteer and work on community issues, and are more confident to speak publicly and communicate with elected representatives. In fact, high-quality civics learning contributes to lower dropout rates. These statistics are true even with variables for income and race.

Civics learning promotes civic equality, meaning that poor, minority, urban or rural students perform considerably higher for having received civics learning than their peers do. Comprehensive civics education that aims to reach all public school students would likely decrease the “civic achievement gap” evidenced by the research.

A Paul Simon Institute poll revealed that more than 70 percent of Illinoisans favor a high school civics course requirement for graduation. Moreover, the integrity and health of democracy in Illinois depends on the active, informed and effective participation of Illinoisans. Everyone gains from a civically literate population where individuals have the knowledge, disposition and skills to make a difference in their communities and hold government accountable.

— Maryam Judar, executive director and community lawyer, Citizen Advocacy Center, Elmhurst

Published in Chicago Tribune online 4/20/15 and Voice of the People in print 4/21/15

Also published in the
State Journal Register
Letter: Support bill requiring high school civics classes in Illinois

Civic education vital for our youth LTE Published in Daily Herald 3/15/12

3/22/2012

In Jim Slusher’s “Voting is ‘Plan Only,’ and we have duty to help,” he quotes a reader who says the “solution (to problems in local government) is greater citizen involvement to enhance public accountability.” Slusher and the reader draw the legitimate conclusion that our eligible voting population is not using its power to hold local officials accountable.

While voters surely hold this power, there are more direct mechanisms to holding local officials accountable while they conduct our governments’ business, and that is through monitoring local government activities. Of course, if people perceive they lack time, or treat their civic duty as a low priority, they will not utilize this method. In fact, according to the 2010 Illinois Civic Health Index, less than 10 percent of state residents had attended a public meeting of one of their local governments in the preceding year.

The problem is straightforward, and it’s dire: Illinois fails to educate its youth in civics. Without a civically educated public, fewer involve themselves in using the political process to help prioritize and solve the problems they’ve identified as pressing concerns in their communities. The ultimate result is a crisis of legitimacy. People don’t believe that the political system represents their interests, and yet they lack the confidence and skills to exercise their crucial role as responsible, civic-minded individuals to shape the political system to reflect a government we want, rather than one imposed upon us.

How can we increase civic participation, whether through voting or through monitoring, in Illinois? We all need to clamor for legislative and financial support for stronger civic education curriculums at all our public schools so our state’s future residents will be poised to help solve the pressing problems our state faces.

Maryam Judar
Community lawyer
Citizen Advocacy Center
Elmhurst

http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20120319/discuss/703199947/

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Letter to the editor published in Chicago Tribune on Civics Education, HB4025 and HB4024

Civic education vital for our youth LTE Published in Daily Herald 3/15/12

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