Lynne M Taylor (aka Common Core Diva)
July 2024
Author’s note: This is the third in a series about the state of education for our county.
As citizens it’s our duty to help out where we can. After all, our taxpayer dollars are being used in ways we either support or don’t. This special opportunity is a way to help in ways you may embrace as an American.
LMT
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Recently, I was contacted by one of our local I-SS School Board members, Mike Kubiniec or as he’s sometimes called “Captain K”. Mike had shared on social media this great opportunity for volunteers (no age limit) willing to be a part of the Iredell County schools’ observance of Constitution Day, September 17, 2024.
Knowing our busy schedules, this may be an opportunity you can only devote a few hours to.
Maybe, like myself, you find a rare day that’s not booked on your calendar.
Either way, Captain K’s call is a ‘golden gavel’, so to speak.
Among the different ways you can serve, there are:
1) Helping a teacher out for a day with activities geared for Constitution Day. 2) Maybe you could read a few books to the students and interact with them. 3) Are there any crafts or games that you could bring centered on the U.S. Constitution. 4) Maybe use some spelling words either from the Constitution or ideals contained in the wording. 5) You could even judge essays the students write centered on their understanding of what ideals the Constitution means to them.
From what I understood from Captain K, you can have the choice of age groups (elementary, middle or high school) students. You can also choose the school(s) you’d like to volunteer in.
Maybe you could split your day between two age groups at 2 different schools. Possibilities in how you serve are totally up to you and your schedule. If you’d like to learn more, be sure to contact the Captain (contact information is below)! The school board meeting is to be held on August 5th, 2024, in Troutman (350 Old Murdock Rd at the Career Technical School). The meeting begins at 6:00pm, during which additional specifics about Constitution Day activities will be shared.
Since Captain K was so gracious in inviting me to serve, I thought it would be a treat for we the people, he serves, to see what The Constitution means to him and why it’s so important for our students to explore this crucial document.
LMT: 1) What, about the US Constitution, means the most to you?
MK: The Constitution prescribes 3 co-equal branches of government and really speaks to limited government. It specifically calls out only what the government CAN DO and the government cannot do something that is not specifically stated. Less power should be in the hands of a centralized federal government and more should be in the hands of the states (the people). The Constitution is timeless – it is exactly what it is. It does not evolve over time subject to the political, social and cultural winds of the day
2) As a young American, was Constitution Day celebrated? If so, how?
>>> As a child in elementary and high school in New York state, I do not recall celebrating Constitution Day in school.
3) How much did your parents’ knowledge of the Constitution help you understand our freedoms?
>>> My parents were both lawyers and my father was also a judge, so they were very educated in the law. Our home was a law and order home! But I do not recall specific education or guidance from my parents on liberty, freedom,government, or the Constitution.
4) How much about the Constitution did you learn throughout your education journey?
>>> My high school courses in history, especially American history provided an immense amount of instruction on our Constitution and government. In a master’s program, there was significant discussion on our founding documents – the Declaration of Independence and Constitution – and how these documents inform our government and laws.
5) How much of the Constitution influenced your service in the US Armed Forces?
>>> I don’t believe the Constitution played much of a role in my decision to apply to the U.S. Naval Academy and to have a career in the Navy. I found the Navy to be cool and I wanted to serve.
6) As a local school board member, why is it important, especially in the amount of globalization Americans are facing, that children still understand the US Constitution?
>>> Increasingly important for two reasons. 1) Children and all adults must have knowledge of both the Constitution, Declaration of Independence and the founding of our country. Government is tasked with protecting our rights, freedom, liberty and our way of life. Not having this knowledge of these founding principles then gives government a pass to slowly erode our rights over time, thus subjugating us to be servants of government. That is exactly opposite of what our country was founded on – power of government comes from the people. Our citizens must understand this in order to always hold our government responsible and accountable for serving us, not the other way around. 2) Americans should never give up their rights and laws to global interests and those we certainly did not elect. The United States is a participant in the global order but must never subordinate ourselves to it.
7) In much of our education system, the UN Declaration of Human Rights is more valued than our Constitution; how would you address this issue?
>>> Similar answer as #6 above. The United States is a participant with the United Nations but we should never subject our sovereignty to it.
8) What encouragement can you offer parents in the importance of guiding their children toward the principles our Constitution supports?
>>> Parents should be active in their child’s education: Know what is going on in their schools, what is being taught in the classroom and what is going on in their extracurricular activities. Be involved with the day to day learning. Parents should also be aware and involved (as much as possible) in their communities and local government. Don’t be a passive bystander and accept whatever that gets thrown your way. Stand up for your Constitutional rights and freedoms for your children and for yourself. Be present for your children and hold them accountable. Instill in them a passion for learning, instill in them a patriotic sense of civil duty, and help guide them in their life’s journey.
9) As a serving school board member, what means the most to you about preserving freedoms laid out in the Constitution? What would you leave as advice on this area, for future school board members?
>>> To be involved is to be informed. Read and know our founding documents. Read the policies, procedures and laws that govern the schools. You will find that most people do not, therefore, they don’t know, and therefore do things because that is always the way it’s been done (whether right or wrong). Challenge the status quo. Ask: the “5 Whys:” Why, why, why, why, why; to get complete understanding why something is the way it is. Don’t ever settle for mediocrity: “It is the way it is.” Pursue continuous improvement. Strive for excellence not perfection. When you are done serving, leave the school board (and district) better than the way you found it. Be yourself. Don’t allow others to define you.
Serving on the school board requires a lot more time than you may think. Before deciding to run, talk to others to get a sense of the job. Perform some personal discernment: Why do you want to run for school board? What do you have to offer from your own experience and skills? What do you see are the problems you would like to solve and issues you would like to address? Can your schedule afford you the opportunity to devote significant times and energy in serving the school district and your community?
******************************So, my fellow Iredell Citizens, what say you? Will you step up and help the students learn what our base for government protected freedoms should be based on? I hope to see you at the meeting and maybe, we will be serving side by side, this Constitution Day! Be sure to thank Captain K for this way we can help steer our schools!
To Find Out More:
Contact Lynne for questions or to speak to your group: [email protected]
Visit her website: www.commoncorediva.com (click on the ‘donations’ tab if you wish to bless any of my work)
Contact “Captain K” at: [email protected] to sign up as a volunteer for Constitution Day 2024. He can also accept text messages at 980-284-6628
