Preserve Four Credits of Social Studies
As a social studies teacher at Roosevelt High School, I am against proposition 4540 which would reduce the social studies graduation requirement from four to three and make Participation in Democracy optional for six reasons.
First, social studies is the discipline in which students learn how to create and build relationships. Whether it is greeting a person with a proper handshake, collaborating on a project, learning to speak in front of an audience or learning how to take a job interview, social studies is where students learn these business, career and life skills.
The success or failure of teachers, business people, lawyers, social workers, nurses, and doctors largely depends on one鈥檚 ability to develop meaningful, professional and effective relationships. Due to the importance of these skills in college, career and life, it is necessary that students have four years to practice and perfect them. Social studies is the primary vehicle to develop these essential and fundamental skills.
Secondly, this proposal would reduce rigor in most student鈥檚 schedules. Given choices, many teens who do not always decide in the long-term what is best will opt for an easier way out. Simply put, you cannot predict all students are going to choose to take AP or IB classes by providing them choice. Mandating four credits of social studies ensures all students will have a more rigorous education. The idea that choice serves in the best interest of all students is not true.
Third, making Participation in Democracy optional is a travesty. Can you imagine what our society would be like if students did not learn how to participate and function in our democratic society? Participation in Democracy is where students learn to do this. Whether it is by serving on a jury, voting or by simply knowing and following our country鈥檚 laws, requiring all students to take Participation in Democracy teaches students how to properly participate in our country. PID is the class where students learn the values our country is based upon: freedom, pursuit of happiness, the right to vote, equality, and justice. These values are the pillars of our country and for all citizens. Participation in Democracy allows students to not only appreciate the values of their country but help students continue and improve it.
Fourth, making PID optional is insulting to our military. How do we know students will appreciate the duties and sacrifices of our military? It is insulting to the military because students may not value what these brave men and women do for our country. What do we say to our military men and women who devote their lives so that we may participate in our democracy? Shouldn’t we share these lessons with our students and let the military know they are of value? If our country believes in these values, to send our troops into war, shouldn’t we teach students to value them? In PID, students are exposed and become aware of the many benefits and privileges afforded to us by our military.
Fifth, if we are to make every student college and career ready, the fourth year elective social studies courses are the most important and relevant. These courses introduce students to many college-like classes including economics, psychology, sociology, and anthropology. These classes are offered at many universities across the nation. If we believe all students should be college and career ready, it would make sense for all public school students to take two of these social studies classes during their high school career. Additionally, what about the students who do not go to college? Shouldn鈥檛 they be exposed to these classes too? Shouldn鈥檛 all students know economics and be financially literate whether they are going to college or not?
Finally, it seems that some Board of Education members are more concerned with having our keiki get into college rather than making sure they have the skills necessary to be successful in college and beyond. One argument made by proposition 4540 supporters is, 鈥渋f colleges only require three social studies credits, then why should we have four?鈥 To this I would argue, that with the four years of social studies to fully develop literacy and academic skills, wouldn鈥檛 students be more ready and better prepared for college?
As an educational system, are we to allow college entrance requirements dictate our high school graduation requirements? Shouldn鈥檛 we determine, as educators and citizens of Hawaii the type of men and women we want them to become? Shouldn鈥檛 Hawaii be the leader of social studies education? Is the sole purpose and only goal of our educational system to get our students into college? The answer is no. Though providing all students the opportunity to go to college is an important goal we have other goals too. Hopefully our students will become men and women of high character and lead productive lives as citizens of our country. These values and skills are best learned in social studies. Higher graduation rates does not equate to more college and career ready students. If more students graduate because we make it easier for them, then how well have we prepared our young men and women for the rigors of college and life? Having four credits of social studies helps to ensure that all students will be college and career ready and successful in life.
About the author: Ka鈥榚o Vasconcellos has been a Roosevelt High School Social Studies Educator for eight years. He has also coached basketball and football in private and public schools.
