In this year’s primary elections, we had the lowest voter turnout in the state’s history. About 18 percent of all eligible voters cast a ballot. Only 25 percent of all registered voters voted. Our own local elections turn out between 11 to 15 percent of registered voters.
One legislator recently recommended that we pay citizens to vote. In Australia, citizens face fines if they don’t vote.
Neither is a satisfactory approach. What we need is an educated electorate, and that should begin in kindergarten.
Those who established our system of public education envisioned civic education as its central purpose. But for years we have lacked a sustained, systemic attention to civic education in our schools. Why? Blame it on a shifting focus to math, science, and reading; a result of inadequate policy support and implementation; insufficient curricular requirements; and lack of teacher training and professional development.
To correct this deficit, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson and California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye recently launched the California Task Force on K-12 Civic Learning. (You can find “Revitalizing K-12 Civic Learning in California: A Blueprint for Action” on the California Department of Education website.)
The Task Force has identified six activities to improve the effectiveness of civic learning. These include classroom instruction in government, history, law and economics; service learning projects tied to curriculum; and extracurricular activities that strengthen civic engagement.
On November 4, eligible voters will have another chance to cast their ballots. This is a good opportunity to sit down with your child as you review your sample ballot and information guide. Discuss the pros and cons of the candidates and measures. Explain how the choices we make at the ballot box affect our lives and theirs.
We can show our children that we value the right to vote —a right for which many have fought and died.
Diane Trautman can be reached at StudyPros In-Home Tutoring, 661-296-9206, or www.studypros.com.