>>> LEARNING AMERICAN HISTORY WILL BECOME A GRADUATION REQUIR
SURPRISED THAT IT WAS NOT ALREA YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
STATE REP.
S GOLDSTEIN-ROSE AND STATE SEN.
ERIC LESSER WERE CO-SPONSORS OF THE RECENTLY PASSED CIVICS LAW,
AND THEY JOINED ME TO DISCUSS I. >> IT WAS THE MOST
DELIBERATIVE BUT PROACTIVE PROCESS I'VE SEEN, WE FORMED
INTERNAL CONSENSUS AMONG THE WORKING GROUP MEMBERS, ALL OF
US HAD DIFFERENT PIECES, I PUT IN A PIECE ON SCHOOL
COMMITTEES DOING OUTREACH TO STUDENTS, AND WE FORMED TEXTS
THAT WE COULD ALL AGREE ON AND SHOPPED IT AROUND INTERNALLY.
>> DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECOND EDUCATION FOR THOSE
PLAYING AT HOME.
>> SOME OF THE STAKEHOLDER GROUPS THAT DO ADVOCACY.
MADE SURE THAT THERE WAS AGREEMENT ON THIS WAS
SOMETHING WE COULD GO FORWARD WITH AND GETTING MORE
ATTENTION TO IT AND WORKING WITH THE HOUSE AND SENATE
LEADERSHIP TO GET IT TO A VOTE.
IT WAS SOMETHING REALLY LED BY LEGISLATORS THAT WAS PROACTIVE
IN TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THIS MOMENT WHERE THERE WAS MORE
ATTENTION ON CIVICS AND WE COULD DO SOMETHING USEFUL FOR
OUR SCHOOLS, AND YET IT WAS VERY CAREFUL AND MADE SURE IT
WAS ALL INCLUSIVE.
>> THE HOUSE TOOK ITS LOOK AND THE SENATE TOOK ITS LOOK AND
WENT TO GOVERNOR BAKER.
HE ACTUALLY TOSSED IT BACK AT THE END OF THE FORMAL SESSION
IN JULY FOR AN AMENDMENT.
>> THERE WAS BACK AND FORTH ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THE
INSTRUCTION WOULD BE NONPARTISAN.
COURSE, THE INSTRUCTION NEEDS TO BE NONPARTISAN.
THERE WAS SOME TECHNICAL CHANGES THAT HAD TO BE MADE TO
THE LANGUAGE TO GET THAT MADE EXPLICIT IN THE BILL.
THAT WAS DONE IN AN INFORMAL SESSION, NOT A SINGLE MEMBER
OF THE 200-PERSON LEGISLATURE VOICED AN OBJECTION TO THAT.
GOT IT DONE AND SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR LAST WEEK IN TIME FOR
THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.
TO JUST BACK UP, CARRIE, I THINK THIS IS AMONG THE MOST
IMPORTANT THINGS THE LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR
HAVE DONE THIS ENTIRE SESSION.
THE FOUNDATIONAL BUILDING BLOCK OF OUR DEMOCRACY IS THE
ROLE OF CITIZEN.
QUITE FRANKLY, OUR SCHOOLS HAVE NOT EMPHASIZED THAT
ENOUGH IN RECENT YEARS, THERE'S A LOT OF REASONS FOR
THAT.
>> DO YOU THINK THE -- >> I THINK THAT THE KIND OF
CONTINUED OVERRELIANCE ON TESTING, THE CROWDING OUT OF
SUBJECTS LIKE SOCIAL STUDIES AND HISTORY AND CIVICS, AND
THE EMPHASIS ON STEM FIELDS IS IMPORTANT, BUT SOMETHING THAT
WE DO NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE IS, WHAT ARE THE BASIC THINGS WE
NEED PEOPLE LEARNING IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEMS, GOING
BACK TO HARASS MANN, THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN
MASSACHUSETTS WERE ABOUT EMPOWERING PEOPLE TO BE ACTIVE
CITIZENS, YOU CAN'T DO THAT UNLESS YOU KNOW HOW TO VOTE,
WHERE TO VOTE, HOW A BILL BECOMES A LAW, HOW ARE OUR
SYSTEM OF CHECKS AND BALANCES WORKS, A LOT OF THE POISON IN
OUR POLITICS RIGHT NOW, A LOST OF THE DYSFUNCTION IS THAT
PEOPLE DON'T FEEL EMPOWERED, THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET
EMPOWERED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
>> YOU NEED TO KNOW THE RULES IF YOU'RE GOING TO DO THAT.
>> CIVICS IS INHERENTLY PARTICIPATORY.
>> YOU HAVE TO DO THIS PROJECT AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
>> THIS IS THE PIECE THAT WAS THE KEY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE
BILL AND THE WORK THEY ARE DOING TO INCORPORATE CIVICSES
INTO 8th GRADE, THE REQUIREMENT OF PROJECT-BASED
LEARNING, IT HAS TO BE HANDS ON.
I GOT TO BE INVOLVED AT THE LEVEL OF RUNNING FOR STATE REP
BECAUSE I HAD TEACHERS THAT HAPPENED TO ENCOURAGE ME TO
GET INVOLVED, TO EQUITY MY STATE LEGISLATORS AND LEARN
THOSE SYSTEMS, THERE WAS NEVER A CLASS THAT TAUGHT US THAT.
THERE WAS NEVER A SCHOOL-WIDE REQUIREMENT THAT WE BE OFFERED
THE CHANCE TO DO THESE KINDS OF PROJECTS, HAVING THAT
STANDARDIZED ACROSS THE STATE, WILL GAINER THE NEXT
GENERATION OF ENGAGED CITIZENS.
>> TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT, THE MEDIA PIECE, IT
SPEAKS TO THE NATURE OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE WORLD TODAY,
AND INCORPORATING THAT INTO EDUCATION?
>> THIS IS SO IMPORTANT.
NOT SINCE THE INVENTION OF THE PRINTING PRESS HAS INFORMATION
OR THE FLOW OF INFORMATION CHANGED AS RAPIDLY AS IT HAS
IN THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, CITIZENS NEED TO BE EQUIPPED
TO KNOW WHAT IS FACT, WHAT IS FIX, WHAT IS -- FICTION AND
WHAT IS OPINION.
AND TO BE ABLE TO LOOK WITH A LEVEL OF DETACHMENT AT
DIFFERENT SOURCES AND UNDERSTAND AND ANALYZE THE
INFORMATION THAT THEY'RE GETTING.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT A PARTISAN ISSUE, THERE'S ISSUES
ON BOTH SIDES, ON LEFT AND THE RIGHT AROUND MISUSE OF
INFORMATION, AROUND FAKE NEWS, ALL THESE DIFFERENT THINGS.
WHAT WE NEED TO DO, THOUGH, IS TO EMPOWER YOUNG PEOPLE,
ESPECIALLY ALL PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY YOUNG PEOPLE, TO
MAKE SENSE OF THE INFORMATION THEY'RE GETTING AND TO MAKE
THEIR OWN DECISIONS.
THAT'S WHAT THIS IS REALLY ABOUT.
THAT'S WHY MEDIA LITERACY IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THIS.
UPDATING OUR SCHOOL CURRICULUMS TO UPDATE THE VAST
MAJORITY OF YOUNG PEOPLE ARE GETTING THEIR INFORMATIONABOUT E
SMARTPHONES, WE NEED TO EQUIP PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND SOCIAL
MEDIA, TO UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A NEWSPAPER
ARTICLE AND SOMEONE'S OPINION ON FACEBOOK, TO BE ABLE TO
LOOK WITH SOME LEVEL OF DETACHMENT AND ANALYSIS AT THE
INFORMATION THAT THEY'RE BEING PRESENTED AND TO REACH THEIR
OWN CONCLUSIONS.
>> EXACTLY.
TO TAKE ALL OF THAT INFORMATION INTO ACCOUNT.
IT CERTAINLY IS VALID.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT DISCOURSE IN THE POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT
OVERALL.
REPRESENTATIVE, THIS CONCEPT OF ENCOURAGING THE SCHOOL
COMMITTEE TO GET INFORMATION FROM STUDENTS, HOW WILL THAT
PROCESS WORK AS PART OF THIS LAW?
>> THE LAW BASICALLY ENCOURAGES SCHOOL COMMITTEES
TO DESIGNATE ONE OF THEIR MEMBERS AS A STUDENT OUTREACH
OFFICER.
AND THAT PERSON WOULD BE THE POINT PERSON FOR GETTING INPUT
FROM STUDENTS ON GENERAL ISSUES OR WHATEVER THEY'RE
SPECIFICALLY CONSIDERING.
THIS IS SOMETHING I NOTICED WHEN I WAS ON THE SCHOOL
COMMITTEE IN 12th GRADE, I HAD THIS DIRECT CONNECTION TO
THE STUDENT BODY.
I COULD ASK, HEY, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS THING WE ARE
ABOUT TO VOTE ON AND GOT A CLEAR ANSWER.
MANY SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEMBERS DO TRY TO BE PROACTIVE AND
HAVE TIME TO HAVE STUDENTS GIVE INPUT AND PARENTS.
>> YOU COULD HAVE A STUDENT MEMBER ON THE SCHOOL
COMMITTEE?
>> A LOT HAVE THAT, A LOT DON'T.
EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE ALL SUPPOSED TO.
IT'S HARD TO ORGANIZE THAT.
PART OF THE RESPONSIBILITIES THIS PERSON WOULD BE TO ENSURE
THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS.
AND OFTEN IT'S HELPFUL TO HAVE ONE PERSON IN CHARGE OF
SOMETHING.
SCHOOL COMMITTEES HAVE VARYING NUMBERS OF MEMBERS, A REGIONAL
ONE IN MY TOWN IS NINE PEOPLE.
FOR ALL OF THEM TO BE JOINTLY IN THEIR VOLUNTEER CAPACITY
TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO ORGANIZE SYSTEMS TO GATHER
STUDENT INPUT IS HELPFUL TO SOMETIMES HAVE A POINT PERSON
WHO KNOWS THAT THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING THAT
HAPPEN.
AND FOR STUDENTS AND PARENTS AND TEACHERS TO KNOW WHO IS
THE PERSON THAT IS THE ONE TO REACH OUT TO.
WHO WILL BE MORE ACTIVE ON GATHERING THAT INPUT.
>> WE HAVE A MINUTE LEFT.
TWO THINGS QUICKLY.
THERE'S A COMPONENT THAT HAS THE SECRETARY OF STATE
ESTABLISHING A NONPARTISAN VOTER CHALLENGE PROGRAM.
WHAT WILL THAT LOOK LIKE?
>> VERY SIMPLE, IT'S TO INCENTIVIZE VOTER REGISTRATION
AND TO MAKE CREATIVE WAYS TO GET STUDENTS, YOUNG PEOPLE
MOTIVATED TO REGISTER TO VOTE.
THAT'S WHERE IT STARTS, YOU HAVE TO REGISTER TO VOTE.
FROM THERE, WE CAN BUILD ON PARTICIPATION.
>> WE HAD A RECORD VOTER TURNOUT IN THESE MID-TERM
ELECTIONS ACROSS THE BOARD, AND WE HAD STUDENTS ON THE
SHOW TALKING ABOUT GET OUT THE VOTE COMPONENTS.
>> WE HAVE PREREGISTRATION NOW.
MANY HIGH SCHOOLS CAN PREREGISTER.
>> IT DOES NEED TO GO ALONG WITH AUTOMATIC VOTER
REGISTRATION WHICH JUST PASSED IN MASSACHUSETTS THIS PAST
YEAR, WE NEED TO DO A LOT MORE ABOUT BALLOT ACCESS ISSUES,
SOUTH ALL GOES TOGETHER.
>> WHEN WE TALKED LAST TIME, 2022 WAS THE TARGET FOR THE
GRADUATING CLASS.
IS THAT STILL -- STILL ON TRACK FOR THAT AT THIS POINT?
>> EVERY INDICATION IS YES.
YEAH, DESI WAS DOING THE PREP WORK BEFORE THE INK WAS DRY ON
THE BILL.
OUR EXPECTATION THE 2022 TARGET WILL BE MET.