Apodaca: Election is a chance to teach children civics lessons

In just more than three weeks we go to the polls, and after the long, brutal presidential campaign, Nov. 8 can’t come soon enough for most of us. But between now and then we still have a golden opportunity to teach our children some vital lessons.

There are some well-worn refrains about young people today: They lack understanding about the way our government and system of democracy works. Too many are apathetic and disengaged. They don’t believe their involvement could make a difference.

Research, unfortunately, bears out such assessments of our youth. For instance, studies show distressingly low turnouts among younger voters. In the last presidential election in 2012, the turnout rate among 18-to 24-year-olds fell to 41.2% in from 48.5% in 2008. And in 2014, a state task force reported that only 13% of California’s high school seniors showed a solid understanding of U.S. history, while less than half viewed active involvement in state and local issues as their responsibility.

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Many observers see this problem as a direct result of declining civics education in our schools. Although civics education is technically required in all 50 states, critics argue that over recent decades its teaching has dramatically declined as more time and resources are devoted to what’s known as the “core competencies” of math, science and language arts. This situation was further exacerbated, many believe, because of the focus on high-stakes standardized testing ushered in by the No Child Left Behind law.

There is now a movement underway to change course and make civics education a greater priority.

The California Task Force on K-12 Civic Learning, in its report, urged a new approach to civics education, defined as “cultivating the qualities that will enable all students to mature and participate in our democracy.”

It recommends new history and social studies standards, greater student involvement in school decision-making, specialized teacher training and outreach programs to government, business and non-profits to get students involved in issues they care about.

Another initiative that’s garnering much attention is led by the nonprofit, nonpartisan Joe Foss Institute. It wants to make the U.S. citizenship exam — the test taken by immigrants seeking to become naturalized citizens — a high-school graduation requirement throughout the nation. Though viewed by many as an overly simplistic and largely empty gesture, the proposal has nonetheless been adopted in several states, with possibly more on the way.

But we’d be foolish to think that educating students and getting them involved in our political system is solely, or even largely, the job of our schools. Parents play the biggest and most important role, and they should take the responsibility of shaping their kids into avid participants in our democracy quite seriously.

Out of all the many mistakes I’ve made — and I do mean many — as a parent, I think I might have gotten this one thing right.

Starting when my sons were young, I spoke to them frequently about how our government works, the historical context for our political structures, and why it’s crucial that we hold our civic duties as sacred. Mealtime discussions often revolved around my explanations of my political beliefs, but I always encouraged them to ask questions, study issues and form their own opinions.

Today my sons, now both in their 20s, are highly engaged, politically aware citizens. They research candidates, issues and the origins and potential impact of policy proposals. They’ve volunteered for campaigns, and vote in every election without fail. Sometimes we agree, sometimes we don’t, but at all times their choices are informed and well-reasoned.

This election carries with it great potential consequences, as do all elections. And it’s not just the presidential contest that matters. There are many state and local candidates and initiatives that risk being overlooked in the heat of the national campaigns.

All of them are ripe for family discussions about important issues, political philosophies, and the need to weigh conflicting and confusing information to form our views.

In California, there are 17 measures on the November ballot, and it’s not a stretch to state that all of them could have either a direct or indirect impact on our children. Proposition 51, for instance, would raise $9 billion in general obligation bonds to pay for building and modernizing K-12 and community college facilities. Proposition 55 would extend temporary tax increases mandated by an earlier proposition, which would affect school funding. Another measure, Proposition 58, would repeal the ban on bilingual education.

Other ballot initiatives, while not directly related to education, would certainly affect families. They include measures on gun control, drug prices, marijuana legalization and plastic bags, among others.

Locally, we have many campaigns that are also raising important issues for families, including those for city council and school board seats.

Talk to your kids about all of them. Tell them how you’re voting, and why. Show them that you’ve invested time into considering different points of view, weighed the arguments carefully and made your decisions thoughtfully. Let them know that you might vote for some candidates, even though you might not agree with them 100% of the time, because you believe they’ll best represent your interests and those of other citizens.

Above all, show your children that you proudly participate in our democracy. Then chances are they will too.

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PATRICE APODACA is a former Newport-Mesa public school parent and former Los Angeles Times staff writer. She lives in Newport Beach.