Saturday, May 12, 2012

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Civics - How Will Your Child Learn to Think?

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Civics - How Will Your Child Learn to Think?:


Civics - How Will Your Child Learn to Think?

I ask that question because along with a student graduating high school to be college or career-ready, that student should also be citizen-ready.  An 18-year old high school graduate can go fight in a war, get married, and vote.  Those are some fairly high level decisions.

Two thoughts run through my head on this subject.

One, do you remember being 18?  You went off to college or you went out and got training, got a job and suddenly learned what it is to be responsible for yourself.  No one was going to tell you to get up and go to class or to be on time for work.   My gold standard for the realization about adult life was when I realized I had to pay for toilet paper.  I couldn't believe my hard-earned money for going for that and yet, what are you going to do?  It a big lesson to learn that all the money you earn will NOT be going for fun, fun, fun. Taxes are a real part of that lesson.

Two, is the increasing cacophony of political voices all trying to sway us and tell us what to think.  Maybe think