Tribute to a trailblazer: Justice Sandra Day O’Connor was a champion of civics education

Charles McBurney
·2 min read
Sandra Day O'Connor laughs as she stands alongside Sen. Barry Goldwater, R-Ariz., just after her confirmation by the Senate to become an associate justice of the the Supreme Court, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 21, 1981. O'Connor, the first woman appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court, died on Dec. 1.
Sandra Day O'Connor laughs as she stands alongside Sen. Barry Goldwater, R-Ariz., just after her confirmation by the Senate to become an associate justice of the the Supreme Court, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 21, 1981. O'Connor, the first woman appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court, died on Dec. 1.

I was sad to hear of the death of former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor on Dec. 1.

I first met O’Connor in 2008 after she spoke to a joint session of the Florida House of Representatives and Senate concerning the importance of teaching civics at the middle school level. During my nine years as a member of the Florida House, other than the ceremonial start of session, this is the only time I recall meeting in joint session.

Coincidentally, at the time I was sponsoring a bill that would bring civics back to the classroom in Florida middle schools. After her speech, I met with the justice. She was so gracious, knew about the legislation in detail and was very supportive. To say the least, her comments about the bill sent me over the moon and I immediately renamed it the “Sandra Day O’Connor Civics Education Act.”

Despite the budgetary challenges of the time, the bill passed in 2010; in no small part due to her support in lending her prestigious name.

A couple of years later, O’Connor was a guest at the University of Florida’s Bob Graham Center for Public Service. I had another opportunity to visit with her, this time at length. O’Connor was very approachable, down to earth and very passionate for educating American students about our government.

Her own institute, dedicated to teaching civics, opined that the Sandra Day O’Connor Civic Education Act was the “gold standard” for civics education nationally. Millions of Florida middle school students have learned about how our government works, thanks to her support.

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Over the following years, O’Connor freely gave her help, time, talent and name to furthering the cause of civics education in Florida; particularly when the state’s budget was being crafted. She was a fierce champion of teaching young people about our unique form of government, so that future generations could thoughtfully engage in our process.

Although I am sad to hear of O’Connor’s passing, I will always be grateful for the opportunities I had to interact with her and support her leadership for such an important cause.

Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor is pictured with then-Rep. Charles McBurney in 2009 when she addressed the Florida Legislature.
Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor is pictured with then-Rep. Charles McBurney in 2009 when she addressed the Florida Legislature.

Charles McBurney represented District 16 in the Florida House from 2007 to 2016. He lives in Jacksonville.

This guest column is the opinion of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of the Times-Union. We welcome a diversity of opinions.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Florida middle-school students can thank O'Connor for civics lessons