![]() ![]() And if the test scores were good enough, the school was going to get money. So they provided federal money to public schools to be distributed to them for that purpose on the basis of test scores in those subjects. The president and Congress thought that was frightening. And our students came in near the bottom in math and science. We tested American high school students, along with those of up to 20 other western nations. But one is the unintended consequence of the No Child Left Behind laws. Many parents might be surprised to learn that. Half the states no longer make civics and government and American history a requirement for high school. ![]() It’s sad but true that today, barely one third of Americans can even name the three branches of government-much less say what they do. Why become involved with the Our Courts project? The two of us rented space in a John Long shopping center near Indian School Road and 57th Avenue. So I opened a law office with a young man I met while studying for the bar exam. In 1957, none of the law firms in Phoenix would hire a woman. They think it came from a different era, or country. They wouldn’t talk to me.ĭo you think that the middle schoolers of today, the audience you are trying to reach with the Our Courts project, have any familiarity with that kind of experience? Not one of them would give me an interview. “Stanford law graduates: Call us, we want to talk to you about a job.” And I called them, and I’d had a very good record in law school. There were notices on the placement bulletin board at Stanford from law offices all over the state. You’ve talked about how tough it was for you, as a woman, to find a job with a law firm in those days after graduation. I didn’t even know if I wanted to finish law school! I applied to the law school for early admission, and to my surprise I was accepted. One reason he was so inspiring was his legal background.ĭid that lead to your decision to enter law school? I don’t know if you’ve ever had a teacher or a professor who absolutely affected your life. I took a class as an undergraduate from a law professor named Harry Rathbun, who was absolutely inspirational. Talk about a school experience that had a lasting effect on your life. O’Connor appeared on the August 2009 cover of Raising Arizona Kids. With interactive games and videos for middle schoolers and curriculum-building modules for teachers that meet state standards across the United States, the website is the fulfillment of O’Connor’s vision to inspire young people to remain active participants in our democracy. Experts considered the way 21st century students learn, the practical needs of teachers and schools and what is missing from basic civics understanding. O’Connor recruited experts in law, history, education and technology to develop the project, a collaboration between Arizona State University and the Georgetown University Law Center. Recently, the Arizona native has been promoting her newly published children’s book and her Our Courts project, a website designed to boost interest in civics education. Since Justice Sandra Day O’Connor retired from her seat on the Supreme Court in 2006, life’s been busy. Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor at her Paradise Valley home in spring 2009. ![]()
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