CMEI Colloquium
Gutman Conference Center, Harvard Graduate School of Education
February 17, 2017
Civic apathy, the polarization of our political institutions, and rampant social inequality render students’ preparation for active civic participation more important today than ever. Yet, surveys show that high-school graduates are ignorant of basic facts about government and the functioning of a democratic political system, and that students lack the training they need to be capable voters and engaged civic participants. Despite numerous calls for more emphasis on civic education, and dozens of specific proposals for how schools might be more effective in preparing students for civic participation, contemporary schools by and large have not proven equal to the task. The U.S. Supreme Court, other federal courts, and a majority of the state supreme courts have held that a prime purpose of the public schools is to prepare students to function productively as civic participants. What the courts need to do now is take steps to ensure that states and school districts take their civic preparation duties seriously and implement on a sustained basis meaningful programs that will effectively prepare students for civic participation in today’s world. The role of the courts in this enterprise is not to micromanage what is going on in the classrooms, but to induce states and schools to carry out their constitutional responsibilities to prepare students to function productively as civic participants in ways that meet contemporary needs.
Speaker Biography:
Michael A. Rebell is an experienced litigator, administrator, researcher, and scholar in the field of education law. He is the executive director of the Campaign for Educational Equity and Professor of Law and Educational Practice at Teachers College, Columbia University. The Campaign seeks to promote equity and excellence in education and to overcome the gap in educational access and achievement between advantaged and disadvantaged students throughout the United States. Mr. Rebell is a graduate of Harvard College and Yale Law School.
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