How can Arizona high schools impart upon their students a sense of civic duty?
There’s no easy answer to this question, but Rep. Steve Montenegro, R-Litchfield Park, thinks he’s found the solution. According to a Cronkite News report, Montenegro presented his intention at a news conference Wednesday to “introduce a bill next session dubbed the Arizona Civics Education Initiative, which would require high school students to pass a 100-question test on basic facts of U.S. history and government in order to graduate.”
The proposed bill is well-intentioned and seeks to foster among students a respect for the the history of this country and their place in it. However, the future of Arizona’s success is only partially forged by civic engagement.
With AIMS no longer required to graduate from high school in Arizona, we have no way to collectively measure the performances of Arizona students across the state. The institution of Common Core Standards, a system of standards to compare performance nationally, is largely dependent on the winner of Arizona’s gubernatorial election.
While an evaluation in civics literacy could be beneficial, we need a statewide test which reflects the primary goal of our K-12 system: to provide students with a deep understanding of science, English, math, social sciences and the many other components of a quality public education. Measuring the progress of our state’s students should be the top priority.
In addition, there should be hesitation in signifying this test as the savior of promoting civic engagement. Civics education is an extremely important part of a successful state, and the last thing we want is to see it become just another drudgery.
If the goal is to have students cram a bunch of historical factoids, this may be the best course of action. If the goal is to have students gain a healthy understanding and appreciation of their civic duty in this country, then Montenegro’s bill is not the right option. Enthusiasm for politics does not come from mandatory 100-question tests, but instead from vibrant teachers and classrooms.
Proponents of the idea, former Senators Jon Kyl and Dennis DeConcini remind us that “the success of our republic depends on an informed and engaged citizenry” and cite the low youth voter turnout in Arizona as evidence for need of this measure. However, we fail to see how forcing a test on students could have any substantial benefit on promoting engagement.
The measurement of every student’s civic literacy is a brilliant goal for sometime in the future when our education system is in a better place, but it cannot be seen as a substitute for a more comprehensive measure of standards. Devoting time and resources to this bill is naive and idealistic.
A French philosopher once wrote, “Le mieux est l'ennemi du bien.” The best is the enemy of good.
In plain English, our ideologies can move us towards some immaculate end goal and neglect the truth of a situation. This proposal is something to be discussed when everything else is in order, not at a time like this.
In a perfect world, every student would have to pass to demonstrate his or her firm commitment to civic engagement. However, in light of other pressing issues, there is no room for Rep. Montenegro’s proposal.
Want to join the conversation? Send an email to opiniondesk.statepress@gmail.com. Keep letters under 300 words and be sure to include your university affiliation. Anonymity will not be granted.
Like The State Press on Facebook and follow @statepress on Twitter.
