The Delta Issue #13

A few election week thoughts on civic education.

By: Jessica Baghian

Hey y’all it’s Jessica Baghian . Before I dive in, a quick programming note: we’ll be taking next week off from The Delta rather than try to compete with the Election Day news cycle.

Like most people I know, I’ve been thinking a lot about next week’s elections. As educators, our job is to prepare students for what lies ahead. Yes, that means teaching them the skills they need to get a good job; it means exposing them to art and music and literature so they can follow their passions and thrive in their communities. It also means preparing them to participate in and protect the gift of American democracy.

Some of that work takes place in the classroom, of course. There’s a fundamental base of shared civic and historical knowledge students need to thrive as citizens—how a bill becomes a law , for instance. But there’s also the task of getting students excited about and in the habit of participating. I remember voting in Nickelodeon’s Kids Pick the President mock election when I was in elementary school. It was a first taste of being part of the process, even if we didn’t have real power over the outcome. 

Recently, I’ve been fascinated to watch some states and cities take it a step further to engage students—especially teenagers on the cusp of voting age—in the electoral process.

Tennessee, for example, holds its own student mock election administered by the Secretary of State’s office just like the real deal. I love the United States Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s National Civics Bee , which they run with the support of former New Mexico Secretary of Education Hanna Skandera and the Daniels Fund . And cities in California, Maryland, and New Jersey have taken steps toward allowing 16- and 17-year olds to vote in school board elections, giving them a real voice in selecting the people who oversee their education systems.