Teachable Moments

January 12,2011

by Dr. Mark Selle, Superintendent

Many of you know how important education and civic involvement are to me, our district and our partnerships. Both come into focus in a unique way on January 14^th, which the Washington State Legislature has declared Temperance and Good Citizenship Day, and on January 17^th, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Martin Luther King, Jr. embodied the cardinal virtues. I recall rereading his Letter from Birmingham Jail not too long ago and finding myself deeply moved by his exercise not only of temperance (sacrificing for the greater good) and good citizenship, but also of the other virtues, especially courage (taking on enormous risk for the greater good).

Philosophically, the purpose of education is to form the human person in body and soul; the soul consists of both the intellect and the will. The formation of good habits of body, mind, and action is the goal of teaching and learning. “Good habits” are more traditionally associated with the word “virtue.” A virtue, whether physical, intellectual, or moral is simply a “good habit.” There are four classical moral virtues associated with formation of the will: Prudence, Justice, Temperance and Fortitude.

We should take care not to neglect the formation of the will, of inculcating good moral habits (virtues and manners if you will) in our children and youth. That’s what OSPI and the legislature rightly expects us to do.

Civic involvement (good citizenship) is part of the virtue of “Justice” (giving each their due). Especially in our times, we not only need to teach our children and youth how to become civically and politically active, we also need to better inform ourselves and increase our own involvement.

Here is some information from OSPI:

• Temperance and Good Citizenship Day - RCW 28A.230.150 states that “on January 16^th of each year or the preceding Friday when January 16^th falls on a non-school day, there shall be observed within each public school ‘Temperance and Good Citizenship Day.’” In addition, the law requires OSPI to develop and share resources each year that may help public schools observe this day.
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - In January 2004, the Washington State House of Representatives passed House Resolution 4676, recognizing “the importance of the life and work of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to the civil society and freedoms of the United States of America and of the state of Washington. The House of Representatives calls on the people of the state of Washington to study, reflect on, and celebrate Dr. King's life and ideals in order to fulfill his dream of civil and human rights for all people” and urges “all the citizens of our state to make Martin Luther King, Jr. Day a day of service -- a day on, not a day off.” There is no state law or specific regulation that requires school districts to observe this day in any particular way.

Suggested Resources:

Many excellent resources are available to assist teachers and administrators with the implementation of these observances. Among these are:

• The OSPI Developed Social Studies Assessments provide an opportunity for schools to observe the aforementioned observances in a standards-based way. Assessments such as You Decide and Whose Rules at the elementary level and Constitutional Issues and Checks and Balances at the middle and high school levels have been developed in alignment with the state’s social studies learning standards and ask students to engage in tasks or projects authentic to responsible citizenship. (http://www.k12.wa.us/SocialStudies/CBAs/default.aspx)
• The Bill of Rights Institute has lesson plans related to the citizenship for middle school and high school students. (www.billofrightsinstitute.org)
• The Center for Civic Education has posted lessons related to citizenship and the Constitution on its website. The Center also sponsors the We the People and Project Citizen programs. (www.civiced.org)
• Constitutional Rights Foundation (CRF) has online resources to help educators design their own Constitution Day program. (www.crf-usa.org/constitution_day/constitution_day_home.htm)
• The Council on Public Legal Education includes links to classroom resources on topics related to citizenship, law, and civics. (www.lawforwa.org)
• The National Archives has a web site with a scan of the U.S. Constitution available online at: www.archives.gov/national_archives_experience/charters/constitution.html.
• The National Constitution Center has lists of other resources related to the Constitution. (www.constitutionday.us)
• United States Department of Veterans Affairs website provides information, links, and teacher resources for the recognition of Veterans Day. (http://www1.va.gov/opa/vetsday/)
• The Yale Law School, Lillian Goldman Law Library houses the Avalon Project which contains links to primary documents, including the Constitution, which illustrates the historical relationship between tribal governments and the United States. (http://avalon.law.yale.edu/subject_menus/namenu.asp)