Democracy Forum

Host: Ann Luther, League of Women Voters of Maine     Engineer: Amy Browne Program Topic: The Civic Mission of Public Education (NOTE: This was an abbreviated version of Democracy Forum. Due to technical difficulties the show was 30 minutes rather than the usual 60.) Key Discussion Points: a) We discuss whether inequities in public education and the failure of public schools to prepare all children for citizenship contribute to political inequality. b) Has there been a decline in civic education? Or an evolution in what constitutes civics instruction? c) What do kids typically learn about how government and democracy work in Maine and in the United States? d) What do citizens need to learn to be effective in civic life? e) In what ways do disparities in the quality of education among school systems widen empowerment gaps between rich and poor children? Guests: Meira Levinson, Professor of Education at Harvard Graduate School of Education www.gse.harvard.edu/faculty/meira-levinson Bill Richards, Maine educator