ceive more classroom-based civic learning
opportunities.” White students and stu-
dents from higher socioeconomic statuses
are more likely to participate in civic learn-
ing outside of school, such as through scouts,
church youth groups, and community clubs.
civic learning is an equity issue, and as edu-
cational leaders, we have the capacity, access,
and ability to address this equity and oppor-
tunity gap in civic learning.
To encourage the practice of civic learn-
ing in California, Chief Justice Tani Cantil-
Sakauye in partnership with State Super-
intendent Tom Torlakson created the civic
learning Awards Program. Their goal is to
spotlight great civic learning at the K-12
level and create collaboration across the state
to ensure civic learning for our youth is not
forgotten. Our school, Marshall Fundamen-
tal, grades 6-12 in Pasadena, was honored to
receive the highest award, the civic learning
Award of Excellence with a personal visit
from the Chief Justice. The validation of the
work of the teachers, parents, and students
by the Department of Education and the
California Supreme Court has encouraged
us to continue to authentically engage stu-
dents through civic learning.
Marshall Fundamental bucks statistics.
As an urban school with nearly 70% of the
students qualifying for free/reduced lunch
where 80% of the students are Latino or Af-
rican American, the teachers and adminis-
trators purposefully focus on civic learning
to ensure our students will have a leading
voice in the community, state, and country
for many years.
Going through the process of focusing
our school on civic learning, I have learned
that, fortunately, most of us have the tools
and know how to use them - how we can im-
prove is by putting a focus into civic learning
at the school. The work does not need to be
another task on our plate, but civic learn-
ing is the work that aligns all our demands
into a powerful focus. These tenets will help
guide the work and create an equitable voice
in your school and for the future of our citi-
zenry.
• Be purposeful and explicit in your work
around civic learning.
• Connect your school with the commu-
nity.
• Be the megaphone for the students’
voices.
• Make the Civics course meaningful.
Be Purposeful and Explicit
To improve our civic learning we did cre-
ate new activities for students; however, the
biggest and easiest change was we purpose-
fully and explicitly identified civic learning
practices in the school on things we were
already doing. Schools can articulate in the
school plan and LCAP using the words
“civic learning” to let people know that they
are focused on building active and involved
citizens.
In professional development I called out
that teaching informational writing - some-
thing we already were doing - is part of civic
learning as it teaches students to communi-
cate ideas. We focused the writing we were
doing on civic-minded topics. Rather than
limit a student’s civic involvement to stan-
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