Show Project stresses civics through petitions voting I Valerie Strauss The Washington Post si Students d ts at at Fairview Elementary tary School in Modesto Calif thought the ravioli served at lunch tasted so yucky that they circulated petitions to get it off the menu and won Lesson learned Kids sometimes do doget doget doget get to pick what they eat At Nursery Road Elementary School in Columbia SC students asked for a longer recess But Principal Mary Kennerly recalled that when she explained that the school day would have to be extended to meet state mandates mandates mandates man man- dates the kids said Never mind Lesson learned Things that look simple simple simple sim sim- arent aren't always so and with rights come responsibilities A small but growing number of schools has begun to teach students the fundamentals of democratic freedom by examining and practicing the principles of the First Amendment Administrators and students say such education is imperative amid concern about a lack of adequate civic education in many US U.S. schools and at a time when the publication of newspaper cartoons depicting the Islamic prophet Muhammad has sparked riots abroad and a debate over free speech We are trying to create real leadership leadership leadership leader leader- ship skills these kids can carry cany with them into middle middlet t and d high d beyond said Williams of Fairview which is participating jq inthe the First Amendment Schools project of the Arlington based First Amendment Center a nationwide initiative to transform transform transform trans trans- form how schools teach civic education We are trying to think differently and create a school with a public purpose purpose purpose pur pur- pose and a civic mission Williams said Theres more to school than just preparing kids for tests A study last year of high school students students students stu stu- dents by the John S S. S and James L. L Knight Foundation found that students lack knowledge and understanding about key aspects of the First Amendment 75 percent incorrectly think that flag burning is illegal It isn't only young people who dont don't know what the First Amendment says Students at Nursery Road Elementary were quick to point out that nobody at atthe atthe atthe the school adults included could recite the five rights guaranteed by the First Amendment before the school joined the initiative Kennerly said the adults have learned a lot too including what to do with kids who decline to say the Pledge of Allegiance Although state law requires schools to recite the pledge every day Kennerly said she has learned that the Constitution their their freedom of speech bY declining to to- say it I ua WI u W t tIts Its really helped us in understanding understand understand- ing especially living in the deep South that freedom of speech isn't a negative thing she said What we want our children to learn is to express their thoughts and ideas but to do it in a way that is respectful of other people Sam Chaltain coordinator of the First Amendment Schools project said many people associate those rights only with controversy We have a very overdeveloped sense of rights and a very underdeveloped sense of responsibilities he said The project seeks to create opportunities ties and lessons for students to get real- real life experience at practicing freedom of press speech religion assembly and petition Students can write constitutions constitutions constitutions publish newspapers elect student governments plan assemblies petition for change and participate in community ty activities John Jarvis 17 17 a senior at Kennebunk Maine High School was one of two student voting members of a committee that hired a new social studies studies studies stud stud- ies teacher last year Malhotra 10 10 a grader fifth-grader at Nursery Road edited this years year's student newspaper which she said was done entirely by students Her classmate Will Bowman 10 signed the school constitution constitution constitution which promises to establish fairness That's important he said because it means that you have certain laws and rules that have to apply to everyone n The The- Th e 1 idea d ea is IS sImp simple I e. e Ch Chaltain a 1 tam Sat said d AU W students to fee feel more n their daily lives at school and they willbe will willbe be more enthusiastic about being there There can also be academic benefits educators sayI sayI sayI say I think schools go about doing things the wrong way Kennebunk Principal Nelson Beaudoin said They try to do things to kids instead of giving kids an r if I opportunity to fully participate in what happens to them t I I When Beaudoin became principal 26 percent of the students said they were enthusiastic about school In the past 0 year the third year in the project it jumped to 76 percent And he said th the 4 number of students who graduate with k honors has tripled jl Being able to have a greater say in f b what goes on in our school makes students students students stu- stu dents definitely take more pride in their work said Jarvis the senior They t dont don't feel like they are being held here r against their willAnd will And in an age in which the watchword watchword watch- watch J f word in education is assessment these these schools are developing methods to I determine how well students are doing 4 on traits that might seem difficult to quantify such as leadership and self self- reliance I Ultimately students and educators say adults shouldn't expect young people people peo peo- pIe to know how to be good citizens if they never get practice |