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For the second year in a row, Law Academy students at Hialeah Gardens Senior High School have made it to the national round of the We The People, The Citizen and the Constitution competition. The event, which is sponsored by the Center for Civic Education, began in 1987 and is held in Washington, D.C. every April. It is staged as a simulated congressional hearing in which students “testify,” answering grueling questions about Constitutional issues before a panel of judges acting as members of Congress.
The Hialeah Gardens Senior High School team, one of just a few among Miami-Dade County Public Schools’ (M-DCPS) Law Academies, ruled over the fierce competition at the district level this year and then won at the state level to represent Florida at the national competition.
About 1,200 students from all 50 states visit Washington, D.C. every year for a chance at becoming the winning school. The competition lasts two days, and the top 10 teams compete at the U.S. Capitol, in the same rooms where real-life Congressional hearings take place.
“It all begins with the teacher, and Dr. Derrick Johnson is truly exceptional. What he brings to the table is remarkable,” said Hialeah Gardens Assistant Principal Steven Herrera. “These students are outstanding—intelligent, dedicated, and deeply committed. They’ve embraced this competition wholeheartedly and have put in tremendous effort to reach the national level.”
The 24 Hialeah Gardens students who competed are in the Constitutional Law class that Johnson teaches. The class, made up of juniors and seniors, is required in the Law Academy, which has 300 students.
The We the People curriculum is taught nationwide to middle and high school students as an elective intended to teach them about elements of the Constitution, its origins, and its relevance to our democracy today. Since its inception, 28 million students and 75,000 educators have participated in the program.
There are six units with three questions each, and students must give an opening statement and be prepared to answer questions on their positions. The questions can be brutal, most at a college or graduate level of difficulty.
“I think what impresses me the most is their tenacity. They don’t want to give up, and that speaks volumes,” said Johnson, who is also a practicing attorney. “This is challenging work—material that even graduate students might struggle with. Yet these students commit themselves fully. They master their speeches and conduct in-depth research to answer the competition questions as thoroughly and accurately as possible.”
This involves more than just conducting extensive research to craft thorough responses. Students must also develop strong oratory skills to impress the judges, which requires countless hours of practice in the school’s moot courtroom. Students must back up their responses, often citing parts of the Constitution, source material from the Founding Fathers, and the philosophical concepts they drew upon. Often, landmark Supreme Court cases are cited as well.
“The students’ ability to speak in public, state and show respect for the differences of opinion, their debate and civil discourse skills all skyrocket,” said District Supervisor for M-DCPS’s Department of Social Studies, Jackie Viana. “Their knowledge of the Constitution is Harvard-level. Most of these lawyers who volunteer for this are amazed at the nuances and depth of knowledge these kids end up having.”
Johnson said he’s had several former students who became lawyers, who were hesitant about the class and the competition, come back to him years later, thanking him for requiring the class and claiming it changed their lives. Without this experience, they would not have considered a career in law.
“The reason why we’re in this business is because we are shaping the next generation of citizens and leaders,” said Johnson. “This program gives students an understanding of what it means to be a citizen, to have civic virtue, and it gives them a sense of the struggles that occurred to achieve civil rights.”
Beyond academic knowledge, students in the program gain oratorical skills and confidence with public speaking that is beneficial in many areas.
“Through this program, I gained the confidence to speak professionally and effectively,” said Mariam Moreira, a rising senior in the Law Academy. “These skills will help me build connections, succeed in job interviews, and advance my future career.”
In the end, all the preparation, studying, researching, and writing make a big impact on these students. They see the gateway to a larger world, which could mean a career in law, government, or public speaking.
“I knew before this that I wanted to be a lawyer, but now studying legal briefs and Supreme Court cases has helped me see what an actual lawyer does, and I decided I would love to work in the field of constitutional law,” said Moreira.
Providing students with the opportunity to prepare and compete for complex legal and oratorical competitions, and the teachers to guide them, is yet another example of why M-DCPS is your best choice.
