Richard Dreyfuss creates initiative to teach civics to U.S. students

WHEN I think of Richard Dreyfuss, the first image that pops into my mind is Robert Shaw screaming "Hooper!" as Dreyfuss steers the ship in "Jaws." The most touching Dreyfuss role to me is music teacher Glenn Holland in "Mr. Holland's Opus." But his current role as "celeb citizen," trying to stem the tide of the growing lack of connection that America's students have to our basic history and civics, is probably his most important.

Dreyfuss is channeling his inner Mr. Holland with a civics twist. He's launched the Dreyfuss Initiative (TheDreyfussInitiative.org), a nonprofit that aims to prepare future generations to be effective and engaged citizens. As he puts it, "To teach our kids how to run our country, before they are called upon to run our country . . . if we don't, someone else will run our country."

To that end, I'm bringing Dreyfuss to the National Constitution Center on June 8 to talk with parents and kids about his program, the resurgence of civics and civics class.

Dreyfuss has his work cut out for him. In the results of the latest National Assessment of Educational Progress test, out just two weeks ago, fewer than half of eighth-graders knew the purpose of the Bill of Rights. Only one in 10 demonstrated acceptable knowledge of the checks and balances among the legislative, executive and judicial branches.

The New York Times quotes Sandra Day O'Connor, ex-Supreme Court justice, as saying that the "NAEP results confirm that we have a crisis on our hands when it comes to civics education."

I think the crisis revolves on the fact that

we've lost the fundamental focus that a major outcome of education should be the development of good citizens. Civics class used to help us reach this goal. But civics has become an endangered subject in many school districts.

The Dreyfuss curriculum not only instructs in the nuts and bolts of government, but also challenges kids to be good citizens. A good citizen votes in every election, even when the choices aren't stellar. A good citizen tries to serve the community, whether by coaching in Little League, checking on neighbors or helping keep the neighborhood clean. A good citizen knows as much about our history as about Eagles' draft picks or if Ashton Kutcher can really replace Charlie Sheen.