How is Teachers College making a difference through civic impact? DemocracyReady NY Coalition, a project of the Center for Educational Equity at Teachers College, Columbia University, hosted a series of virtual events to celebrate New York Civic Learning Week from March 11 - 15, 2024 in coordination with the National Civic Learning Week sponsored by iCivics.
“Preparing students for engaged civic lives is a prime purpose of public education. Under the New York State Constitution, students are entitled to an education that provides them with the knowledge, skills, experiences, and dispositions they need to participate in our democracy. New York Civic Learning Week builds on and contributes to the state’s efforts to improve civic readiness in New York,” said Michael A. Rebell, Executive Director of the Center for Educational Equity, and co-convener of the Coalition.
The kick-off event to the week-long series was moderated by Jebraune Chambers (M.A. ’26) and featured Sonya Douglass, founder and Executive Director of the Black Education Research Center; Ioana Literat, Director of the Media & Social Change Lab; Michael Rebell Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Educational Equity; and Nan Eileen Mead, also with the Center. Produced with support from TC’s Office of the Vice President for Diversity and Community Affairs, the event included opening remarks from KerryAnn O’Meara, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Provost and Dean of the College, and Matthew Camp, Director of Government Relations and Community Engagement.
From critical panel discussions on civic readiness to meaningful conversations around civic engagement in the digital world, here’s everything you missed:
The Second Annual Summit on Civic Readiness, Civics Gets Real: Teaching Civic Readiness Amid Increased Political Conflict
The Second Annual Civic Readiness Summit explored teaching civic readiness amidst political polarization, featuring opening remarks by President Thomas Bailey, a keynote by SUNY Chancellor and former US Secretary of Education John B. King Jr. (Ed.D. '08, M.A. '97), and a panel discussion with school stakeholders moderated by Cynthia Sandler of the North Salem Central School District. TC's Jonathan Collins concluded the event by hearing from policymakers, including NYS Senate Education Committee Chair Shelley Mayer, Jay Worona, Deputy Executive Director and General Counsel of the New York State School Boards Association, and Jeffrey Matteson, Senior Deputy Commissioner for Education Policy at the NYS Education Department.
Authentic Assessment of Civic Readiness: The Challenges of Implementation
In a webinar event hosted by Democracy Ready NYC and iCivics, TC’s Michael Rebell unpacked critical questions like, “Can we get beyond the limits of standardized testing?” “Can we have authentic assessments that are flexible and reliable?” and “What are the equity implications of performance-based assessments?”
Speakers David Kidd, head of research of the Democracy Knowledge Project at Harvard University, Margarita Olivera-Aguilar, Senior Researcher of American Institutes of Research, and Phyllis Tashlik, Director of the Center for Inquiry at the NYS Performance Standards Consortium, discussed each of the cutting-edge responses their centers are leading to address the challenges of implementing authentic assessment.
What’s a School's Role? Learning Civic Engagement in a Digital World (A Youth-Led Event)
On Thursday, the DemocracyReady NY youth members, composed of high school students across New York State, moderated a panel discussion with youth activists and interviews with media literacy educator Chris Sperry of Project Look Sharp at Ithaca College. Dr. Betty A. Rosa, New York Commissioner of Education, investigated how schools have adapted to the rise of artificial intelligence, online misinformation, and digital activism. The youth moderators explored critical questions about what school educators, leaders, and policymakers need to know about responsible technology.
Voice & Choice: Civic Education the Early Grades
How can educators help our youngest citizens, who are inherently passionate about justice, liberty, and happiness, create a foundation of civic-mindedness? On Friday, New York State Regent Frances G. Wills joined a panel of educators and students in a special event moderated by Rashid Duroseau of Democracy Prep Public Schools to address best practices for early civic learning. The event was produced by Inquiring Minds Institute.