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An important educational question lies beneath the ruckus over political comments at a Tucson High School assembly: Just how should we prepare our young people to be full participants in this inefficient, contentious yet liberating form of government we call a democracy?

The question takes on urgency because as a society we are failing at the effort, according to two well-known experts, former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and former Colorado Gov. Roy Romer.

"Most young people today simply do not have an adequate understanding of how our government and political system work, and they are thus not well prepared to participate as citizens," the pair wrote in an op-ed recently in several newspapers.

"In recent years, civic learning has been pushed aside. Until the 1960s, three courses in civics and government were common in American high schools. . . . Today those courses are rare," O'Connor and Romer wrote. They contend we need to restore "education for democracy to its central place in school."

O'Connor and Romer are heads of the national advisory council for the "Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools" (www.civicmissionofschools .org).

The campaign wants schools to teach about government, history, law and democracy; to incorporate discussion of current events into classrooms; to encourage community service; to offer extracurricular activities that encourage young people to be involved in their schools and communities; to encourage student participation in school governance and to provide simulations of voting, trials, legislative deliberations and diplomacy.

Several reasons seem to lie behind the trend toward weakening civic education. Complacency undoubtedly plays a part. So does the No Child Left Behind Act, with its concentration on testing for math and reading proficiency. In Arizona, for instance, the AIMS test does not measure a student's understanding of government or civic processes.

A third reason is illustrated by the Tucson High uproar: Too many schools and communities have not developed a satisfactory approach for handling controversial topics with impressionable students. That is true even though it is obvious you cannot have civic education without dealing with controversies in classrooms, clubs and assemblies.

And a fourth reason, also illustrated by the Tucson High commotion, is that at least some political leaders are more interested in grandstanding and politicizing education, rather than in ensuring that the schools function effectively.

Specifically, I have in mind the House Select Committee on Government Operations, Performance and Waste, which is headed by Rep. John Allen, R-Scottsdale.

The committee's reckless inquisition into the Tucson High talk likely has set back responsible civic education in Arizona by years.

Excellence in teaching

Jeannine Relly, a former Arizona Daily Star reporter, last week won the Hugh and Jan Harelson Excellence in Teaching Award from the University of Arizona Department of Journalism.

I mention this partly because it was Relly's third straight year to win the award, a difficult feat, especially since students this year nominated 12 teachers. And partly because the nominations reinforce some of the qualities that make exceptional teachers, whether at a university or elsewhere.

"One day I expressed interest in a particular journalism topic," one student wrote, "and to my surprise, Professor Relly called me late that night, which was a Friday, and offered some advice and areas of study that she thought I should pursue." The student's name is not available because nominations are made anonymously.

"I have never heard a bad word uttered about her," the student's nomination continued, "except for maybe that her class is difficult, which to some students this is bad, but not for me."

Other students reported that Relly always responds to e-mails and phone calls, writes recommendation letters, regularly is available outside class to answer questions about graduation and careers, and, very important, makes class interesting. She's more a mentor than an instructor, one student wrote.

The award is named for Hugh Harelson, the former Arizona Highways publisher, who died in 1998, and his wife, Jan, who is a benefactor to the UA journalism department. I've had the privilege of being a judge for all seven years the award has been given.

Hugh Harelson was noted for being decent, thoughtful, honest, accomplished. I'm sure he would be pleased to know the UA offers a teaching award in his name. I'm sure, too, he would be pleased to know the most recent winner is a teacher of Relly's caliber.

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