Groomed for
A focus on politics and public service promotes
student expertise both in and out of school.
Web Hutchins
At Franklin, Seattle’s oldest high school, the annual “Preach” is always a big deal for students—and for me. Preach is slang for the
end-of-year summative oral presentation, or speech. During my 14 years at
Franklin teaching history, government,
and American literature, I’ve seen how
a civics and political science perspective
ignites enthusiasm in all students.
Although I consider myself a semi-tough old coach, I typically need to
bring a few tissues to the Preach because
it’s so powerful. Each June, after their
final exams, my scholars take to the
PreachBox (the podium) and give a
formal speech that answers the question that shaped the year: What are your
political views and conception of civic
duty, and how have they evolved this
year in response to what you’ve learned?
Most students say that they had initially
either hated or ignored politics but that
the course’s relentless connection of past
to present got them interested. Students
typically report a dramatic increase
in their desire and ability to make the
world a better place.
Last spring, as always, the presenta-
tions were scholarly and touching. Han-
nah’s and Ralayzia’s were particularly
memorable. Hannah is one of the few
white kids in the school ( 93 percent are
students of color, and 72 percent qualify
for free and reduced-price lunch). With
poise, erudition, and a clearly drawn
rhetorical plan, she argued powerfully
for a rebirth of the Progressive Era’s
culture of political activism. She drew
connections between Upton Sinclair’s
book The Jungle—which describes the
tainted food, unspeakable working
conditions, and corruption in Chi-
cago’s meatpacking industry during
the Gilded Age—and issues facing our
food industry today. She praised Teddy
Roosevelt’s creation of the U.S. Food
and Drug Administration as well as his
bold conservation measures, and she
made a public commitment to intensify
her civic engagement in environmental
issues.
