Administrators, faculty and students are celebrating both schools in Leyden High School District 212, with Leyden East and Leyden West each recently being named Illinois Democracy Schools.
As part of the Democracy Schools Network and the Illinois Civics Hub, the Illinois Civics Mission Coalition made the award on September 17, in conjunction with the federal observance of Constitution Day.
The designation largely is a tribute to the entire educational curriculum of a school and more than just the importance of civics class, according to the awarding organization.
“We believe that what gives the Illinois Democracy Schools model its power is that we do not see civic education confined to just a civics course,” said Illinois Democracy Schools Manager Sue Khalaieff. “The course is critical for many aspects of civic education, but students learn about responsible citizenship in all of their classes and throughout the school.”
According to Khalaieff, the Illinois Democracy Schools program was created in response to a 2001 report that criticized school civics curricula.
Recognition is gained through self-assessment and staff and student surveys that evaluate the civic landscape of a school. In addition to the recent award, both Leyden SD212 high schools also completed the evaluations and were named Illinois Democracy Schools in 2014.
Although the two high schools completed their assessments in December 2020, Khalaieff said, they only recently received the accolades because of pandemic-related delays.
“As challenging as it was teaching remotely, the team recruited teachers across the curriculum to survey departments and engage in discussion regarding practices used to address media literacy and courageous conversations,” said SD212 social studies teacher Bernadette Ryan.
The recognition also includes a $1,000 stipend for each school to use for teacher professional development. Officials said 20 SD212 teachers participated in two online workshops to train in Civic Online Reasoning and fostering “courageous conversations” in the classroom.
According to SD212 spokeswoman Karen Geddeis, a courageous conversation might be an “evidence-based discussion on complex and oftentimes contentious political issues with an emphasis on sourcing, civility, open-mindedness and empathy.”
SD212 Superintendent Nick Polyak said among the school district’s goals is to prepare students for life beyond high school, with participation and responsibility in civics being at the center of that.
“We want our students to be comfortable navigating the changing environment, be thoughtful problem-solvers and to feel encouraged to actively contribute to our society as a whole,” Polak said.
According to Mary Ellen Daneels, director of the Illinois Civics Hub and the Illinois Democracy School Network, other states like California and Tennessee also have similar Democracy Schools programs.
“The civic mission of schools is important to prepare all students for their roles and responsibilities as citizens in our republic,” Daneels said. “The Democracy Schools Network fosters civic learning across disciplines to help young people see themselves as ‘we the people’ who have a role in creating a ‘more perfect union.'”
Khalaieff said the first four Democracy Schools were recognized in 2006, and 80 others have been recognized since then from across Illinois.
“The organization was originally overseen by the Constitutional Rights Foundation of Chicago, then moved to the Robert R. McCormick Foundation in 2010,” she said. “We now reside at the DuPage Regional Office of Education and are still funded by the McCormick Foundation.”
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Some of the benefits of quality civic education, according to the Illinois Civics Hub website, include creating a positive school climate that supports students feeling socially, emotionally and physically safe; enhancing “21st Century competencies” that are valued by colleges, universities and employers; and building literacy skills needed for gathering information to make reasoned decisions on critical issues affecting our country.
Gary Gibula is a freelancer.