News at the School of Government
Ann McColl told Constitutional Tales at the Civic Education Consortium's training, "We The People."
Teachers Immersed in History of NC Constitution
Civic Education Consortium presents "We The People of the state of north carolina"
If you’re a student and want to know more about your rights under the Constitution, you might ask your teacher. And if you're a teacher? You might look to the North Carolina Civic Education Consortium. Recently the Consortium held a training for middle and high school teachers from across the state. “We the People of the State of North Carolina: Discovering the Relevance of the NC State Constitution” was designed to help teachers show their students how the state Constitution affects their daily lives.
- A few things participants learned about the North Carolina Constitution:
- There have been three constitutions – adopted in 1776, 1868, and 1971. Other states have adopted as many as 10 constitutions.
- Citizens have more individual rights protected under the state Constitution than under the federal Constitution.
With the 1868 Constitution, North Carolina created one of the best state Constitutional rights to education in the country.
Constitutional Tales reveal courageous leadership
The constitution is not only a historical document – it provides the foundation upon which laws and policy are made in our own times. Ann McColl, adjunct professor of public law and government at the School of Government at UNC-Chapel Hill and associate professor of educational leadership at UNC-Charlotte, says, “The 1868 Constitution continues to shape our understanding of requirements for public schools and universities.”
In her presentation of Constitutional Tales, McColl weaves together stories of the leaders and significant events that led to the writing of the 1868 Constitution. “The 1868 Constitution is a product of the courageous leadership of black freemen and freedmen, and northern and native whites during Reconstruction,” she says. “In the midst of extreme racism, poverty, and political turmoil, North Carolina created one of the best state constitutional rights to education in the country.”
The tales include the following:
- How a carpetbagger led the way to a constitutional right to education
- How the Freedmen’s Convention set the agenda for a general and uniform system of public schools
- How John Adams helped create the vision for education in North Carolina
In addition to her lively presentation as part of the Civic Education Consortium’s teacher training, McColl has presented Constitutional Tales to school attorneys, legal scholars, historians, justices, policy leaders, county commissioners, school administrators, and citizens attending public forums.
For information about scheduling a presentation of Constitutional Tales, contact Ann McColl at mccoll@sog.unc.edu.
The Civic Education Consortium works with schools, governments, and community organizations to prepare North Carolina's young people to be active, responsible citizens. For more information about the Consortium, including programs, publications, and to access a searchable Database of Civic Resources, visit the website or contact Kelley O’Brien, the Consortium's director, at 919.962.8273 or obrien@sog.unc.edu.