NY Civic Learning Week 2024 Webinar Series
From critical panel discussions on civic readiness to meaningful conversations around civic engagement in the digital world, here’s everything you missed from the DemocracyReady NY New York Civic Learning Week webinar series:
The Second Annual Summit on Civic Readiness, Civics Gets Real: Teaching Civic Readiness Amid Increased Political Conflict
The Second Annual Civic Readiness Summit explored teaching civic readiness amid increased political polarization, featuring opening remarks by Teachers College President Thomas Bailey, a keynote by SUNY Chancellor and former US Secretary of Education John B. King Jr., and a panel discussion with school stakeholders moderated by Cynthia Sandler of the North Salem Central School District. TC's Jonathan Collins concluded the event by hearing from policymakers, including NYS Senate Education Committee Chair Shelley Mayer, Jay Worona, Deputy Executive Director and General Counsel of the New York State School Boards Association, and Jeffrey Matteson, Senior Deputy Commissioner for Education Policy at the NYS Education Department.
Authentic Assessment of Civic Readiness: The Challenges of Implementation
In a webinar event hosted by Democracy Ready NY and iCivics, the Center for Educational Equity's Michael Rebell unpacked critical questions like, “Can we get beyond the limits of standardized testing?” “Can we have authentic assessments that are flexible and reliable?” and “What are the equity implications of performance-based assessments?”
Speakers David Kidd, head of research of the Democracy Knowledge Project at Harvard University, Margarita Olivera-Aguilar, Senior Researcher of American Institutes of Research, and Phyllis Tashlik, Director of the Center for Inquiry at the NYS Performance Standards Consortium, discussed each of the cutting-edge responses their centers are leading to address the challenges of implementing authentic assessment.
What’s a School's Role? Learning Civic Engagement in a Digital World (A Youth-Led Event)
On Thursday, the DemocracyReady NY youth members, composed of high school students across from New York State, moderated a panel discussion on Civic Education in our digital world. They spoke with youth activists from Encode Justice and AI Consensus and interviewed media literacy educator Chris Sperry of Project Look Sharp at Ithaca College and Dr. Betty A. Rosa, New York Commissioner of Education, to investigate how schools have adapted to the rise of artificial intelligence, online misinformation, and digital activism. The youth moderators explored critical questions about what school educators, leaders, and policymakers need to know about responsible technology.
Voice & Choice: Civic Education the Early Grades
How can educators help our youngest citizens, who are inherently passionate about justice, liberty, and happiness, create a foundation of civic-mindedness? On Friday, New York State Regent Frances G. Wills joined a panel of educators and students in a special event moderated by Rashid Duroseau of Democracy Prep Public Schools to address best practices for early civic learning. The event was produced by Inquiring Minds Institute.