It's On!
Our (Old) Young Lawyers Happy Hour is Thursday June 10, 7:00 pm at "Icons Sports Bar and Grille" at 10418 Main Street in Fairfax City (next door to Havabite Eatery). This Event is Open to Everyone and all proceeds benefit my re-election. You can RSVP and donate Today.
We'll see you there.
Dear Friends, Neighbors, and citizens of Fairfax:
In the early days of the Republic, Alexis de Tocqueville wrote a famous book on Americans' unique democratic identity. Forty years later, Lincoln described our democracy as "government of the people, by the people and for the people."
Part of our democratic tradition has been Americans' desire to create an educated citizenry. In the 20th century, the United States -- alone among industrial nations -- required both school children and new citizens to learn the mechanics of democratic government.
So what happened to that national belief in democracy? Why is civics increasingly treated as a step-child to the core subjects of K-12 education?
Last year, I was appointed chairman of the state's Civics Education Commission to answer this question and provide a blueprint for teaching democratic skills in the 21st century.
Three weeks ago, our Commission met at the Center for the Constitution in Orange County. The Center is located on the grounds of Montpelier -- the home of James Madison, author of the Constitution, President and architect of U.S. democracy.
Amidst the sun-dappled hills of the Blue Ridge, we spent two days hearing from some of the top minds in history and social studies, including famed American historian E.D. Hirsch and GMU Provost Peter Stearns. We also received an update from social studies teachers in the front lines of Virginia's public schools.
The mission was simple: how do we get modern-day students engaged in American government and political life?
Our ideas included (i) encouraging schools to allow wide-ranging political debate in the classroom, (ii) linking civic lessons to core subjects like reading and literature, (iii) ensuring that all teachers have basic knowledge in American history and government, (iv) comparing U.S. democracy with traditions in other nations and (iv) lessening the testing burden on students so that there's more time for innovation and extracurricular projects.
One idea I proposed was to "re-brand" civics in Virginia by changing the name of the subject to "American Democracy."
After all, that's what we're trying to teach.
After the data has been sorted and the ideas discussed, our Commission will make proposals to the Assembly and the state Board of Education. Eventually, these should mature into a new curriculum for our Virginia students so they might consider their own role in the exceptional story of this great country.
JCP Notes: Last Wednesday, the Senate returned to Richmond for the annual veto session. With that finished, I am now back in Fairfax full time. You can reach my office by phone at 703-349-3361 or by email at kathy@fairfaxsenator.com.
As noted above, our (Old) Young Lawyers Event will be June 10th. A dinner buffet will be served. If you're on this list, you'll be getting an on-line invite shortly. It is a critical event for me to raise money this year BEFORE we enter re-districting.
Sponsorships are $250 and up. Attendance is not charged (but this is a fundraiser so don't stiff us). You can find info on the event at www.fairfaxsenator.com. We look forward to seeing you.
Let us know how we can represent you better.
Sincerely,
Chap Petersen
