A bill signed by Gov. Mark Warner on Wednesday, April 6 will help move Virginia's primary and secondary schools to the forefront of civics-related education, say Barbara Perry and Steve Bragaw, leaders of Sweet Briar College's Center for Civic Renewal (CCR). The bill, sponsored by Virginia Delegate James H. Dillard II (R-Fairfax), creates a commission to strengthen government and civics-related education among Virginia schools and could spark revisions to Standards of Learning (SOL) guidelines.



(standing, from left) Steve Bragaw, SBC associate professor of government and international affairs; Barbara Perry, SBC professor of government and international affairs; and Virginia Delegate James H. Dillard (R-Fairfax), visited the Richmond office of Virginia Gov. Mark R. Warner on Wednesday, April 6 for his signing of House Bill 1769 to create a commission to promote civics education.

The legislation springs from a five-year Congressional initiative to invigorate civics education in U.S. communities and schools. Professors Perry and Bragaw played an integral role in the bill's formulation and are expected to serve on the 23-member commission named by the governor, who signed the legislation in his Capitol office in Richmond on Wednesday, April 6. Perry, Bragaw, and Dillard all attended the brief signing ceremony.

Although Perry, SBC professor of government and international affairs, is no stranger to prestigious political events and personalities — including a recent appearance before the Supreme Court — she found herself rather in awe of the circumstances.

"I've never been to a bill signing before," she said. "It was exciting for us to be at the Capitol with the governor and Delegate Dillard there and feel like a part of the legislative process."

House bill 1769 calls for a commission that will, among other things, a) identify civic education projects in the commonwealth and provide technical assistance as may be needed; b) build a network of civic education professionals to share information and strengthen partnerships; and c) make recommendations to the state Board of Education regarding revisions to the Standards of Learning (SOL) for civics and government.

Dillard, a former educator, believes an effective civics curriculum should be a fundamental aspect of modern public education. "Active participation in one's state and local government is an essential part of democracy," he said. "Information is the most neglected of all aspects of civic education. With the institution of this commission, we will at last have an opportunity to bring together all the resources that are available to teach young people about [the] structure of state and local government and how to be positive participants."

The 31-year House veteran urged Perry and Bragaw to work with him on the bill. In fall 2004, Ted McConnell of the Center for Civic Education asked the Sweet Briar professors to form and lead a Virginia delegation on civics education. The panel included Dillard, Tamara Giecek, government liaison for the Virginia Education Association; Susan Clarke Scharr, clerk of the Virginia Senate; and Beverly Thurston, coordinator of history and social studies for the Virginia Department of Education.

In early December the group gathered with delegations from 49 states at the Second Congressional Conference on Civics Education in Washington, D.C., to report on recent initiatives and areas of progress since the first conference was held in 2003. They discovered that Virginia was ahead of the curve on civics education standards. Perry credited Virginia innovations — such as SOL guidelines — with giving the Commonwealth an edge.

"After hearing reports from other states about what they did, we realized that Virginia just needs to take the next step in improving," Perry said. "While some other states are far behind, we have an opportunity to take a leadership position in civics and government education."

In January, Perry and Steve Bragaw testified before the General Laws Committee, highlighting statistics and studies emphasizing the role of schools in teaching civic culture. The bill passed through various other committees before the House approved it on Feb. 9. The legislation then passed the Senate in a 38-7 vote.

With the bill signed into law, Gov. Warner will now officially appoint members to the commission. Perry and Bragaw expect to serve through their respective leadership roles in the Sweet Briar-based Virginia Law-Related Education Center (VALREC) and its "We the People: Project Citizen." As VALREC's executive director, Perry will serve as an ex officio member with voting privileges, while Bragaw will serve as a nonlegislative citizen member.

A legal-education center under the U.S. Department of Justice's Youth for Justice Program, VALREC coordinates educational programs and initiatives in Virginia. "Project Citizen" teaches middle and high school students to identify civic problems in their communities, research solutions, and present public policy proposals to local and regional governmental officials. Both entities are part of the CCR.

Perry, who is anxious to see what kind of feedback emerges from a statewide teacher survey on civics education and SOL's, believes the commission will hit the ground running once overall needs are established. "I'm confident that the support for this commission is there and that we will accomplish our goals of determining how to improve civics education in Virginia in order to produce engaged and knowledgeable citizens," Perry said.

About the Center for Civic Renewal:

Founded at Sweet Briar in 1999 by director Perry and associate director Bragaw, the CCR creates and promotes innovative programming and learning strategies to foster civics learning and engagement in the American constitutional system. For more information, please visit www.civicrenewal.org.

—By Shannon Wells, SBC staff writer