Ever wonder what the difference is between rule BY law and rule OF law is? Do you like to randomly quote Thomas Paine? Have you ever thought about the relationship between colonists, rugged individualists and the secular humanism of the Renaissance?
In other words, have you thought about the Constitution lately?
Probably not. We understand here at VTDigger.org. Life is busy.
Vermont high school kids, however, make the time to do just that. Once a year they go whole hog on the founding doc thanks to the annual “We the People” state finals.
This year about 60 students from Essex High School and St. Johnsbury Academy competed for the opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C., and a chance to vie with kids from all over the United States in congressional-style hearings on the Constitution. By the end of the day and multiple rounds of legalese, the Essex team came out on top. They’ll travel to D.C. for the national competition this spring.
In similar “hearings” at the Statehouse, students declaim on a single question in an oral exam before a group of three judges. They’re evaluated on their depth of understanding of the constitutional precept at hand, their ability to make a connection between the legal construct of the Constitution and particular cases and their grasp of historical examples.
About 70 high schools across Vermont use the curriculum for the contest, and every year Anthony Iarrapino, a staff attorney for Conservation Law Foundation and WTP organizer, tries to get more schools involved. He hopes South Burlington will take the plunge next year. The rules require that a school offer a class roster.
