PARKER 250-350 WORD RESPONSE (REViSED)

“A proper curriculum for democracy requires both the study and the practice of democracy“.
-Parker
“How important is it to teach democracy in U.S. public schools?”

The quote states: “A proper curriculum for democracy requires both the study and practice of democracy” (Parker, page 6). I agree with this quote. It is important to teach the children about democracy in schools. It is what our country is run by, so we need to teach it to the kids throughout their learning process.
We were all taught the basis of our government in school. We learned about the president, vice president, House of Representatives, the Senate, etc. We learned about the different branches of government and how they are run. Schools are run like a mock government. For example, as a class, you elect a president, vice president, secretary and treasurer. The student body voices their opinion and the representatives try and meet the needs of the class. By doing things like this in schools, it prepares students for what they are going to encounter in the future.
We are also taught other ways of democracy throughout our education. We learn how to work together, how to cooperate with each other, and how to use teamwork. Even in the younger grades, everyone was given small jobs such as line leader, board eraser, etc. Skills like these will all help the students function when they go out into the American society. Another key concept that we learn during our school years is how to create our own opinions, form our own ideas, and how to express them.
Teaching the concepts of democracy in schools is essential. It prepares students for when they graduate and go out into the working world. From the minute they walk into the doors of pre-k or kindergarten until they graduate, we shape their minds to become American citizens. Everything around us is based on the values and morals that our country has been run on for years and years. This is why we need to instill those values into the minds of the youth.