Our guest author is Massachusetts State Senator Becca Rausch.
Earlier this year, I walked into one of the elementary schools in my district to visit the fifth graders—all 300 of them. (For those who don’t regularly work with youth, that’s a lot of fifth graders.) Visiting schools and interacting with students is one of my favorite parts of serving in the Massachusetts Senate. I am currently the only parent of elementary school aged children or younger in our chamber, and I have worked with children for as long as I can remember, so it is no surprise that I love and dedicate real time and energy to outreach youth. . But this particular visit stays with me because of the enormity of the power it carries.
When I talk to students, I always look to improve the existing civics curriculum. I talk about my path to the state Senate through prior elected service in local government. I present to students an interactive “government tic-tac-toe” grid that shows the three branches of government implemented within the three levels of government systems. Students are generally familiar with most federal branches. Less know about the state branches. Very few know the local government structures.
The fifth graders in that cafeteria knew every detail. They knew not only the current and former presidents, but also the current and former governors of Massachusetts, by name. They knew that I serve in the state Legislature, along with the names of our two chambers and how many people serve in each. They knew that their local government includes a select board and a municipal assembly. These students knew civility, regardless of their different demographic characteristics along racial, ethnic, economic, and other axes. I continue to be amazed by those amazing children and their fantastic teachers, and I am so appreciative of all their parents and caregivers who supported their learning in the classroom and provided the experiential learning that occurs every time an adult takes a child to the voting booth.
Systemic changes simply cannot occur without a solid understanding of the structures of those systems. I went to law school to learn how to use the law as a tool to create positive social change, but those lessons and the resulting access to the levers of power should not be reserved or restricted to those privileged enough to pursue a legal education. nor should they wait so long. Civic education empowers young people of all backgrounds to make their voices heard as they strive to advance the issues and values that matter most to them. Offers the experience of influencing laws and policies even before students are old enough to vote, so that when the time comes to start casting their vote, they know the immense importance of exercising that right and participating in our democracy . It provides a foundation upon which today’s students become tomorrow’s elected leaders. The diversity of those fifth graders absolutely influences how they walk through the world and the challenges they face, just as it will impact the focal points of their advocacy. Civic education, then, is among our deepest and best tools for achieving justice, fairness, and equity.
Massachusetts was late to the game. It wasn’t until 2018 that the Massachusetts Civics Education Act, championed by former Senate President Harriette Chandler, became law. That legislation required civic education to be taught in Commonwealth schools, provided civic education resources to educators, established a robust program of civic education projects, and created the Civic Education Project Trust Fund to support implementation of the curriculum. of civic education. We began directly funding those civic projects and curricular efforts in 2019, my first year in the Massachusetts Senate, with $1.5 million in the fiscal year 2020 budget. I am proud to have successfully led the legislative effort to increase that funding to $2.5 million in the fiscal years 2024 and 2025, including a line item veto override to ensure the increased funding comes to fruition. After all, budgets are statements of values; In Massachusetts, when it comes to civics, we put our money where our mouth is.
The policies and financial investments we have made in civic education here in Massachusetts are yielding real, tangible results. I see it in our classrooms, in the emails I receive from students across the state, and in conversations with hundreds of young people I meet in their classrooms and welcome to the House of Representatives. In addition to tours and events, select high school students from my district participate in my annual Spring Youth Summit, an immersive, full-day experience at the State House that culminates with policy presentations that my staff and I consider for future legislative presentations. . Our office is routinely supplemented by contributions from student interns and fellows, ranging from high school to graduate school, and each year I host a virtual fall youth town hall to hear directly from my youngest constituents. This component of our youth outreach program has led to policy innovations and investments, such as the Hey Sam youth mental health text line.
Of particular importance is the synergy between our public efforts and investments and the tremendous work of our non-governmental partners creating additional civic education and engagement opportunities, such as Discovering Justice and Generation Citizen. Students of all ages literally enter the rooms where policies are made, democracy lives, and equity advances. Students are transformed when they are present in these spaces and connect with current policy makers; These experiences inspire young people in the moment and allow them to imagine themselves in those policy-making roles in the future. The world of government is demystified and opened to all who step in and strive to build something better and brighter. Civic education prepares young people to participate as leaders of democracy both now and in the years to come.
While legislation and funding for civic education have come a long way, we should not rest on our laurels. In fact, national citizenship scores in 2022 declined for the first time since testing began in 1998, and no statistically significant gains have been made. To further advance democracy, we must invest even more resources in this critical educational component, and we must combine it with other legislative initiatives that encourage youth, such as allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in their local elections, if they voters of the municipality adopt a younger voting age. I am proud to introduce this legislation in Massachusetts and continue working for its passage. Young people in this age group are already civically engaged; They campaign, fundraise, and testify before legislative committees. Likewise, many of them maintain jobs and pay taxes, in addition to continuing their educational efforts. Expanding your access to the ballot sends a clear message that your opinions and perspectives are essential to our governance, and voting early helps encourage continued voting in the future as students leave their homes and head to college campuses, the workforce or service to our community. country.
Former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Thomas “Tip” O’Neill (D-MA) famously said, “all politics is local.” He was right. Likewise, civic engagement starts at the local level and should start early.
