A word from Humboldt County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Chris Hartley:
EUREKA (Jan. 8, 2021) – On January 6, as Congress began to ratify President elect-Joe Biden’s 2020 Electoral College victory, a shocking attack ensued on our nation’s capital and American democracy. Although prompting an evacuation of lawmakers and a lockdown of the Capitol building, our precious system of government held strong with Congress resuming the electoral count and finishing in the early hours of the next day.
The violence and objections to the certified state election results are events of historic proportions. As students in Humboldt County and throughout the nation return to school they will look to adults to help explain how and why this happened. As a former history teacher, I have taken in these events wondering how I would facilitate the conversation with my students.
A core tenet and value in our society is knowing that education is the foundation of a safe and civil democracy and it is our collective commitment to enhance civic learning in our public schools. All educators have an opportunity to take this moment to reinforce our critical role in preparing young people to be respectful, engaged, and active citizens. Across the curriculum and among all subject matter, we can use these events as a powerful opportunity to promote the values of civic responsibility, humanity, and the rights enumerated in our constitution.
There are many resources available for helping students discuss this crisis and American democracy. A few selections are below: