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The dual purpose of Education should be to prepare Young people for jobs and civic participation in democracy.

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This visual image showcases the tension between AI driven job skills and human-centered civic education. As AI and STEM grow, jobs, the government, and society change with it and its desire for progress over what is morally right or wrong. On the other side, we have democracy that requires people to understand and change these decisions.

If education prepares us more for jobs rather than civic awareness, society can move forward in one way and backwards in another.

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Vocational paradigm = Job-Only Education. Vocational paradigm is the idea that school is just so you can get a job.

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If students only learn STEM, they may not be prepared to engage in democracy!

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If students only learn STEM, they may not be prepared to engage in democracy!

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Vocational education alone leaves students unprepared for democracy. Large corporations and governments shape policies that distribute economic benefits. Citizens may lack agency to influence these important decisions. This ignores important civic skills like political knowledge and communication!

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The Participatory Paradigm is Important!

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The Participatory Paradigm is Important!

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Participatory readiness means preparing students not just for jobs but also to be active and informed citizens who can engage in democracy and society.

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What is Civic Agency?

Civic agency is a person’s ability to make a difference in their community and society. It means knowing how to speak up, take action, and help solve problems in the world around you, like voting, joining community projects, or standing up for important issues.

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"If political choices determine the rules that shape distributive patterns, it makes sense to focus first on political, not economic, equality. And if we choose political equality as our orienting ideal—empowering all to participate capably in the life of a polity—a different view of education’s purpose, content, and consequence comes into view." 

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"If political choices determine the rules that shape distributive patterns, it makes sense to focus first on political, not economic, equality. And if we choose political equality as our orienting ideal—empowering all to participate capably in the life of a polity—a different view of education’s purpose, content, and consequence comes into view." 

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Politics control the rules on how to govern money and opportunities given to people in society. So, political equality is very essential making maintaining everyone's equal say in what goes on. People need authority to influence these rules or the economy could end up being unfair and unjust.

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My Opinion

Humanities, Math, English, Technology, Physical Education, Social Studies, Civics, Home Ec, other skills..

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Involved, Educated Citizens who make good decisions for this country

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Involved, Educated Citizens who make good decisions for this country

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A egalitarian society where everyone has the knowledge and power to shape their communities and government.

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Leads to:

Poor voting decisions

Systemic Inequalities

Biased laws or policies

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How Can I Be Ready, and What does it mean to be a Good Citizen?

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How Can I Be Ready, and What does it mean to be a Good Citizen?

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We can be ready by knowing our rights, respecting other people, and participating in your community. It means preparing yourself to speak up for what you believe and making decisions that affect the people around you. It means being active.

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Civic Ready students use civic knowledge, skills and mindsets to make decisions and take actions for themselves, their communities, and public good as members of a culturally diverse, democratic society. Schools, therefore, must provide students meaningful opportunities to develop specific civic knowledge, skills, and mindsets-and to participate in authentic actions and experiences-that are necessary for them to function as productive civic participants within their schools, communities, states, our country and the world.

Domains of Civic Readiness

Civic readiness is continuously developed throughout students' prekindergarten - 12th grade education and should include:

Demonstrate a fundamental and functional knowledge of government, law, history, geography, culture, economics, and current events. These may include inequities within our democratic system at the federal, state and local level. Students should know how to apply this knowledge to different circumstances and settings.

Demonstrate a broad array of critical analytic, verbal, communication, media literacy and other skills and participate in a wide variety of actions. Students should practice such actions both inside and outside of school on a regular basis.

Demonstrate the mindset of a participant in a democratic society. A civic mindset is a commitment to democratic interpersonal and intrapersonal values, virtues, attitudes, and beliefs and informed actions that promote and facilitate meaningful participation in civic life. It is an understanding of self as part of and responsible to larger social groups.

Participate in developmentally appropriate civic experiences. Civic readiness should be developed in a variety of settings and ways-inside and outside of the classroom, across content areas, and for multiple purposes. Civic Readiness should be promoted by engaging students in relevant experiences that include students as active participants.

Domain Examples

Fundamental civic knowledge in grade level appropriate forms includes:

The structure and functioning of government, law, and democracy at the federal, state, local, and school levels, and how to participate therein;

Civil and educational rights and responsibilities guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, the Constitution of the State of New York, and federal, state and local statutes and regulations;

History, geography, economics, and current events within our country and in our global society;

The impact of individual and collective histories in shaping contemporary issues;

View and analyze history and current issues from multiple perspectives

The importance of civic rights and responsibilities, such as voting, volunteering, serving on a jury, and the importance of ensuring a free press;

Critical intellectual and participatory civic skills students should develop and actions they should take in grade-level appropriate forms include the ability to:

Demonstrate respect for the rights of others in discussions and classroom debates, and how to respectfully disagree with other viewpoints and provide evidence for a counterargument;

Participate in activities that focus on a classroom, school, community, state or national issue or problem;

Identify, describe and contrast the roles of the individual in opportunities for social and political participation in different societies;

Work to influence those in positions of power to achieve extensions of freedom, social justice, and human rights;

Fulfill social and political responsibilities associated with participation in a democratic society and the interdependent global community by developing awareness of and/or engaging in the political process;

Analyze and evaluate news (news literacy), media, social media and other sources of information for accuracy, bias, reliability, and credibility.

Engagement in working toward the public good

Key civic mindsets students should develop in grade-level appropriate ways include:

Valuing equity, inclusivity, diversity, and fairness;

Recognizing the need to plan for both current needs and the good of future generations;

Empathy, compassion, and respect for the views of people with other opinions and perspectives;

Committing to balancing the common good with individual liberties;

Demonstrating a sense of self as an active participant in society, willing to contribute to solving local and/or national problems;

Respecting fundamental democratic principles, such as freedom of speech, freedom of the press and the rule of law.

Examples of civic experiences in which students should be able to participate in grade-level appropriate ways include:

Completing a civic readiness capstone or, civic engagement project;

Engaging in service-learning;

Engaging in civil discourse around controversial issues;

Engaging with news and digital tools, such as social media, responsibly;

Participating in civic-centered co-curricular and extracurricular activities such as Model UN, Student Government, Debate Club, Moot Court, Student Journalism or Mock Trial;

Participating in school governance;

Voting, volunteering and participating in community organizations and governmental systems, such as community boards, youth advisory councils, etc., to promote continuous improvement;

Engaging with local officials and government institutions through activities such as providing public comment before a government agency, or meeting with public and elected officials.

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Civic Ready students use civic knowledge, skills and mindsets to make decisions and take actions for themselves, their communities, and public good as members of a culturally diverse, democratic society.

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If AI takes over, will civic knowledge decline?

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If AI takes over, will civic knowledge decline?

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AI shapes economic progress at this time, but human decision-making is needed for moral governance.

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Education that provides courses on history, communication, civics, ethics, etc

Participatory readiness programs

Voluntary/Community service

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Informed citizens vote, hold leaders accountable, and speak up

Less chances of politicians and large corporations exploiting the public when they know what is going on

Civic Participation benefits everyone, not just the rich

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Quote from Allen's "What is Education For?"

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Quote from Allen's "What is Education For?"

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"Today, these technologically oriented, vocational approaches to education and the problem of inequality leave almost no room for the civic alternative. It is not that civic education is incompatible with professional training, but policymakers, education specialists, and many parents—including low-income parents, whose children are most likely to see their civic education shortchanged—have narrowed their focus exclusively to the economic field. In the process, they have lost sight of the full range of inequalities from which our society suffers and which well-rounded education could alleviate."

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Political literacy is the ability to understand how governments operate, how policies are made, and how citizens can influence the decision-making process. Allen talks about how political literacy is an important step to reach civic equality and agency.

Without it, citizens wouldn't engage in democracy, and power ends up in the wrong hands.

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Without Civics, Students Become Like Robots.

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Without Civics, Students Become Like Robots.

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If education applies a heavy hand on STEM and job-related skills without civic education, they will become like robots who are known for working hard, but not thinking critically about society.

Consequences:

Blindly Following the Government

No Discussing Issues or Solving Problems

No Say in Political Decisions

No Standing Up For What Is Right

Democracy Would Weaken