I recently read an article entitled “Campaign Notes,” in whch the author simply gushes about the political experience her son and daughter have gained by running for various school political offices. Her daughter, Zoe, was elected 3rd grade class persident – during her 4 week term, she made many important changes in the classroom. To quote her “State of the Classroom” address, given shortly before the next president was elected:

“First, we are behaving when Mrs. Allen is out of the room. Second, we have been in straight lines when we are walking. Third, we have changed the schedule so we don’t have the same morning routine every day. And fourth, we have added an exrta day of show-and-tell so people get to share even when it’s not their day.”

Part of me wants to shout, “Great work Zoe!” I mean, it isnt every day that a 3rd grade student gets the opportunity to change her classroom schedule. But really, how much did Zoe learn by convincing her teacher to switch the math and English periods?

Perhaps I seem jaded. Perhaps this is so. However, with all of the research that is being done in education these days that proves that the best learning occurs in authentic learning environments, what does giving an 8 year old a four week term as class president really do? This student was not allowed to run for re-election (after all, it was someone else’s turn); there were no other democratic processes involved; and the decisions made were made inside a very limited framework. Here’s another example from the article:

“What’s the most important thing you want to change?” asked her father.
“Homework. We have too much homework,” she declared.
He raised his eyebrows. “Think Mrs. Allen will go for that?”
“No, but the kids will vote for me.”
“Maybe so, but you might want to propose changes that are a bit more realistic.”

Why not propose changes in the homework? Every citizen in this country has a right to free speech and peaceful protest, and a right to challenge laws and statutes that they believe to be unfair. So what is it that stops Zoe from challenging the amount of homework being given?

I see it as a simple answer – in the structure of a traditional classroom, there is an ultimate authority figure (the teacher). Even the “president” knows not to challenge this authority. There is simply no room for discussion on certain topics.

Daniel Greenberg talks about the need for experiencing democracy in his book, Education in America :

“The simple fact is that children are not committed to democratic principles, or political freedom, or the bill of rights, because they themselves do not experience any of these lofty matters in their everyday lives, and in particular, in their schools. Children do not have rights in school, they do not participate in meaningful decision-making at school (even where the decisions directly affect their own lives), nor do they have the freedom of self-determination in school. In fact, the schools are models of autocracy — sometimes benevolent, sometimes cruel, but always in direct conflict with the principles on which our country is based.”

Greenberg goes on to say that the way to allow children to experience democracy is to “…make them full participants in it. Make our schools democratic, give our children freedom of choice and the basic rights of citizenship in the schools, and they will have no problem understanding what this country is about.”

Our country isn’t about having extra show-and-tells while the more important decisions are made for you. It’s about every citizen having a voice; it’s about each and every one of us having the right to stand up and say, “I disagree.” Let’s stop pretending that allowing high school student councils to vote on prom themes teaches them about democracy. Until every child begins to experience having a say in the decisions that effect him or her, we can expect nothing less than falling voter turn-out, voter apathy, and a democratic system that no longer represents each and every one of us.

Our children deserve better; our country deserves better.

“Campaign Notes”, by Laura Smith Porter, published in Family Fun magazine, November 2004.
Education in America, by Daniel Greenberg, 1992, Sudbury Valley School Press�