Small-Town Students See Big Possibilities at Supreme Court
By Csaba Sukosd | April 11, 2022
Tours of the Supreme Court of Ohio and the historic Thomas J. Moyer Ohio Judicial Center are in full swing.
One of the first visitors back in the building was Waylon Massie, an Advanced Placement government teacher at Jackson High School in southern Ohio. He was at the Moyer Judicial Center the last day it hosted tours in March 2020 before closures because of COVID-19.
"It's been a long two years, but it's neat to be back because it feels like we've come full circle," said Massie, a teacher for 19 years.
As an educator, he's a big believer in having his students explore possibilities beyond Jackson County, which is why he started taking class trips to the Supreme Court a decade ago. The initial visit was thanks to a Court transportation grant, which offsets the cost of travel for a school district. Those grants will be available again in the fall. Massie sees value in the in-person experience of the Court as a worthwhile investment, even if his district has to cover the expenses.
"My kids don't get to experience much in terms of civic institutions other than maybe a local city council meeting," Massie said. "I want them to understand that this is their government, also."
Preparation Enhances Experience
Social studies teachers know about state government. Lesser known might be practical educational opportunities where students can see the state judicial system in action. Massie's familiarity with the Supreme Court's offerings came through conversations with the Civic Education team. An email introduced him to school visits to the Moyer Judicial Center. After a couple trips, he discovered that students could also attend the Court's oral arguments.
"That's probably something a government teacher should know, but I didn't know that it was open to the public here," Massie said.
Since then, all his visits have included seeing the Court in session.
The appellate format is considerably different than what most of his teens watch on TV or in movies. To help them better understand the dynamics between the justices and attorneys, and the details of the cases, Massie incorporates the Court's Civic Education materials about how Ohio's courts operate and case previews into his curriculum.
Armed with that knowledge, the students can follow along. They can also observe how differently the proceedings play out in person.
