Summit Will Focus on Decline and Future of Civics Education

Seattle, Washington, November 2, 2006 — In response to the national crisis in civics education, the Council on Public Legal Education (CPLE) is co-sponsoring a summit on Wednesday, November 8, titled "Educating for Democracy: Ensuring the Future of Social Studies Education in Washington's Schools."

"Fewer young adults are voting than ever before, and a recent survey revealed that more teenagers can name the Three Stooges than the three branches of government," says state Supreme Court Justice Mary Fairhurst, who will deliver the summit's keynote speech. "National leaders such as Sandra Day O'Connor are calling attention to this crisis in citizenship and demanding more and better classes in civics, history and other social studies subjects. It's time for us to take up this challenge in Washington."

The summit will bring together state legislators, education leaders, policymakers, and social studies advocates to learn about the status of social studies education in our state's public schools and create an action plan to arrest the decline of student learning in civics, history, geography and economics. The event will be moderated by Dave Ross of KIRO radio.

Hosted by the Washington State Convention and Trade Center, the summit was organized by the Washington State Council for the Social Studies (WSCSS). The mission of the WSCSS is to provide leadership, service, and support for social studies educators in the state through professional development, conferences, an informational website, and publications.

Other co-sponsors in addition to the CPLE include the Association of Washington School Principals, Seattle University's College of Education, the Washington State Historical Society, the Washington State Association for Multicultural Education, and the Washington State Coalition for International Education.

The event, which is open to the public, will be held Wednesday, November 8, at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in downtown Seattle, 3:00-6:00 p.m., Room 3AB. For further information, contact Educating-for-Democracy@seattleu.edu.

About the Council on Public Legal Education
The CPLE, formed in 2000, promotes citizen legal awareness by conducting, coordinating, and publicizing public legal education efforts in Washington state. Recent CPLE initiatives have included launching lawforwa.org, a legal information website, and expanding Street Law, a program which pairs law students and judges with high school social studies teachers. The CPLE is a committee of the Access to Justice Board, which is administered by the Washington State Bar Association.

About the Washington State Bar Association
The WSBA is part of the judicial branch, exercising a governmental function authorized by the Washington State Supreme Court to license the state's 29,900 lawyers. The WSBA both regulates lawyers under the authority of the Court and serves its members as a professional association — all without public funding. As a regulatory agency, the WSBA administers the bar admission process, including the bar exam; provides record-keeping and licensing functions; and administers the lawyer-discipline system. As a professional association, the WSBA provides continuing legal education for attorneys, in addition to numerous other educational and member-service activities.

The governance of the WSBA is vested in its Board of Governors. There are three governors from the seventh congressional district; one from each of the other eight districts; and three at-large members, one of whom represents the Young Lawyers Division. The 2006-2007 president is Ellen Conedera Dial, of Seattle. The 2006-2007 president-elect is Stanley A. Bastian, of Wenatchee, and the immediate past-president is S. Brooke Taylor, of Port Angeles. The Board meets regularly (every six weeks) at various locations around the state, and its meetings are open to the public. Much of the work of the Bar is carried out through 23 standing committees; 26 sections; and a Young Lawyers Division, with its many committees.

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