C H A P T E R 6 :
CITIZENSHIP AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
65
Competing Voices
"I think what America has lost these days is trust of each other. If there
were some way to develop this, then people would be able to get along
much better." (11th grade boy)
~
". . . Reinforce civics and an understanding of the local here and now.
Reinforce citizenship as the most important thing to possess."
( Mother of 1st grade boy)
~
"Spend more time on education instead of all the social issues they
currently deal with . . ." (Father of 9th grade girl)
Overview
As in other, broader life skills, many students, teachers and parents feel that their
schools are not preparing students in being good citizens. In addition, today's teens
are less likely than their parents to think voting is very important. Finally, while most
parents are involved in community service, only half of teens participate in this activ-
ity.
Civic Responsibility
In the midst of this election year, do secondary school students and parents consider
voting to be important? Nearly all parents of secondary school students (94%) agree
that it's very important to vote in elections. Secondary school students are less likely
to feel this way, although most (84%) agree that it's very important (Exhibit 6.1).
Exhibit 6.1
"I Think It's Very Important to Vote in Elections"
% "Strongly/somewhat agree"
