Senior students will be attending and participating in local city government meetings over the course of this school year, in holding with the longtime Civics curriculum tradition.
“This is something that’s been part of my teaching since I got here,” Civics teacher David Keller said. “The teachers that taught this before I came also did this particular assignment.”
Civics students are required to attend a city government meeting—School Board, Budget Advisory Committee, City Council, and other such meetings are all available options for student sign-ups—take notes, and then write an article about the meeting for the Piedmont Civic Association’s website, according to Keller’s assignment page.
Senior Addie Perkins was one of the first students to complete the assignment. She attended a School Board meeting on Sept. 14.
“It was interesting,” Perkins said. “I don’t think I’d do it again because I’m a student and this is my last year. I don’t really need to hear about the budget for next year. But I realize the importance of what they had to do.”
This assignment is dedicated to teaching senior students about how their city government works, and teaching them to become involved in local government and democracy, according to Keller’s assignment page.
“If young individuals who are becoming legal adults, that are going to be a part of their society and their government—if they don’t get an exposure and they don’t get experience, and they aren’t taught about [how government works], then government suffers,” Keller said. “So, this particular project gives people real life experience with participating in their government.”
With local and national elections and ballot decisions coming up in November, this project is announced at a relevant time for students who are eligible to vote or who are interested in local or national politics. Still, desire to participate varies among students.
“I don’t think [students] exactly need to get involved with government,” Perkins said. “But I think if you’re interested in government, and you’re really interested in improving our city and learning about these kinds of things, then I would say go for it.”
Senior Civics students are not the only ones with a tie to local government this year. Junior Sylvie Srinivasan Rood is also connected; her father, city councilmember Tim Rood, is currently serving out his first term in office.
Srinivasan Rood will not be eligible to vote come November, nor is she a senior in Civics, but her tie to city government has nevertheless given her a unique opportunity to observe—though perhaps not directly participate in—Piedmont politics.
City council members are essentially volunteers, Srinivasan Rood said. They do not receive salaries, and most councilmembers work paying jobs in addition to holding their government positions.
“I think in general, being involved in government is important, and I think that city governments are sort of a good stepping stone because it’s easier to be involved with the place that you live,” Srinivasan Rood said.
Especially in a place like Piedmont, a wealthy area with overall good access to education about politics and government, people definitely do get involved with city politics, Srinivasan Rood said.
Piedmont City Council meetings are held twice monthly and are always open to the general public. Meeting dates, agendas, and contact information can be found on the City of Piedmont website.
