Find information on Career Pathways at www.gadoe.org and information on Law and Justice at Cambridge High School at www.justicebears.com
I always hoped my children would finish high school equipped with the knowledge and critical thinking skills they’d need to make the world a better, more peaceful place.
I’ve seen that happen thanks to several teachers, especially Thomas Washburn. Our last child has taken his classes during her three-year career pathway program in law and justice at Cambridge High School in Milton.
With Washburn, students learn the nature and history of justice and how it’s applied (and misapplied) in American society. They read texts on the origins of crime and use math to decipher crime scenes. They also collaborate with fellow students to solve complex cases. Such work, says my daughter, makes kids “ready to face reality.”
Washburn cuts an imposing figure at around 6 feet, 8 inches tall. In truth he’s more like an authoritative teddy bear, garnering respect from a diverse array of students who know when to joke, and when to pay attention.
I came to know “Wash,” as students call him, during a weeklong field trip to Washington, D.C.
I later volunteered to grade policing demonstrations and act as a juror during a class “mock trial.” Students took turns as prosecutors, defense attorneys and witnesses in an impressive display of courtroom tactics.
I’ve seen Washburn’s program impact many kids, including my daughter. She has a better understanding of police work, but also sees how poverty, poor education and mental illness can lead to criminal behavior. Problems can’t be solved unless people understand all sides of issues, she’s come to realize.
I sat down with Washburn recently to discuss how he got into education. He obtained a degree in political science and became a police officer, eventually working in school security. He pursued advanced degrees to teach at a time when the Georgia Department of Education was retooling traditional vocational education, creating more enhanced “career cluster” options.
Foresighted school administrators asked Washburn to start the law and justice career pathway in 1997 at Centennial High School in Roswell – among the first in the nation. He moved to Cambridge High in 2012, allowing space for a crime lab and mock court for students to process crime scenes, train for emergencies and practice police and courtroom procedures.
“We teach the kids to be sensitive to diverse backgrounds and to history, and to use the skills we teach in many different areas,” Washburn told me.
He’s proud that former students work as federal agents, police officers, forensic scientists and security experts. Washburn continues to fine-tune the program on the national level, where he develops curriculum for other systems looking to replicate the program.
Exposure to law and justice education may enhance the chances our kids will build a better future of safety, security and justice. If only more students had this unique opportunity.
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