At Kitchen Table Math, blogger SteveH finds himself irritated by the community service requirement at his son’s high school, and its heavy-handedness. His son was asked to play piano at a meeting by a teacher who offered him “a letter of community service” for his trouble. “My first reaction was irritation. My son would (should) make the decision without that carrot dangling in front of him,” he writes. “I don’t want my son always looking for an angle or for something to go on his resume.”
Comments on the blog from other parents offer a glimpse of just how common “service learning” has become. Student Service Learning is a high school graduation requirement in Maryland, one parent notes. Another points out community service is part of the International Baccalaureate program. Then there’s this mom’s novel response to an assignment requiring each child to “choose a public activity to raise awareness” of an environmental problem:
We (yes, we, these are projects that require massive amounts of parental energy) chose “global dimming.” (My kids’ dad joked that there seems to be a lot of that happening in education these days.) For our public activity we decided to make a sign “Stop Global Dimming” and stand on a busy street corner (right next to “The End is Near Guy”–no, not really but I wish he had been there!). It was quite an experience although not necessarily what the teacher was looking for I suppose…I’m just glad we didn’t get locked up.
SteveH remarks all of this compulsory volunteerism makes him feel like Oliver North’s lawyer Brendan Sullivan, who famously quipped ”I’m not a potted plant. I’m here as the lawyer. That’s my job” when members of Congress complained he was objecting too much to their questions.
“That’s how I feel,” he writes. “I’m not a potted plant. I’m here as the parent. That’s my job.”
“Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.”
As part of a program which students join voluntarily, it’s fine. My high school, a Jesuit school, had a service requirement. Attending this school, however, was voluntary. As a requirement for all students, it is blatantly illegal.
Comment by Obi-Wandreas — May 20, 2009 @ 8:05 am
Using that standard, making your kid take out the trash and wash the dishes is also illegal.
Comment by Miss Eyre — May 20, 2009 @ 10:36 am
Family and “community” are two different things, unless you are the fascist state which insists on having a seat at your dinner table.
Comment by tm willemse — May 20, 2009 @ 11:13 am
“Community service” and “service learning” often seem to be used interchangeably. But I question the “learning” part. The type of hard-core learning that I see as my primarily responsibility as a math teacher could not possibly come from any sort of community service. The type of hard core learning that I would expect in any eighth grade history or language class could not possibly come from any type of community service. Some types of learning could come from community service, but to me that hardly seems justification for a community service requirement.
And isn’t there a danger of cheapening the whole idea of service and volunteerism? I don’t think the message that life and learning consist primarily of jumping through hoops and collecting signatures that we have done so is a good message to send to the young. I don’t mind schools promoting the idea of volunteerism, even expecting it as prerequisite for some honors, but requiring it? That seems the sort of thinking we would expect from people who have no logical problem with “mandatory volunteerism”.
Comment by Brian Rude — May 20, 2009 @ 12:04 pm
I have always advocated for some type of social awareness that leads to service learning. “Mandatory volunteerism” is really just an exposure to helping others. Many of our students have never been exposed to the need to care for those less fortunate, whether they need blood, food, clothing, or clean water. If the prents or adults who serve as role models do not give back to the community, students will not understand its importance. Not only do volunteers help others, they gain a sense of self-respect and fulfillment that is not available through standard-driven content The key is to choose a project that interests you.
Comment by MrsBubbletree — June 5, 2009 @ 4:11 am