Civics education must be improved in American education. Now.

[lees1975]

https://signalpress.blogspot.com/2024/12/civics-education-must-be-improved-in.html

The results of the 2024 election are just one more in a long string of examples giving us reason to reconsider the place civics education has in the mandated elementary and high school curriculum in this country. An educated electorate is one of the major keys to preserving the values of democracy and of the American Republic. The deterioration of education has become obvious in the results of multiple elections and in the divisiveness and the agenda-driven politics that have delivered gridlock
and partisan loyalty over patriotism.

For being as prosperous and influential in the world that we are, our education system doesn't match the responsibility that we have in the world. Our education system isn't world class. There are few places where students in this country have an opportunity, through the publicly funded education system, to get what their European counterparts get. For the most part, that kind of academic rigor is available mostly in private schools, though they are also not prepared or capable of teaching social studies at a high level.

And while there are social issues and community issues that are obstacles to education in many parts of the country, the biggest problem is that improving and funding education at a high level has become a progressive, left wing, Democratic party owned political issue. Republicans don't care. And when they're in charge of education, mainly at the state level, they generally underfund the whole system, and there's little in the way of any kind of educational initiatives included in the budget. Their solution to solving the difficulties and problems of American education is to teach the Bible in public schools, and cut the budget to eliminate anything innovative or that works.

The biggest hint we've been given, indicating where the GOP is headed as far as improving American education is concerned is that they're not going to improve it. Trump wants to disband the Department of Education, which will move public schools in exactly the opposite direction from which they need to go. Most Republicans see the public schools as the agent of progressive liberalism in society and their control of it involves doing anything to avoid that happening, including undermining the curriculum.

Elections do indeed have consequences. It's no accident that the states which have the highest achieving public schools are the ones who put the most money into them, and who are blessed with the best teachers. They pay well. They provide reasonable benefits. They require a high level of continuing education, which they help pay for. And they get good results, which set the example for those states who are struggling to provide quality education.

[Deuxcents]

1. Agree but is Civics even in the curriculum?

[lees1975]

2. In most states, there are a few objectives in early American History and the rest in one semester of high school.

High school alone should require one full year of Civics, and one full year of American History as well as the other standard social studies courses..

[Deuxcents]

3. I use to teach citizenship to people wanting to become citizens..

They had to know our history, our laws and usually how to read n write in English. Our school kids could never pass these tests..how many stripes on our flag n what do they represent. How many Amendments and their purpose. Our territories and their rights. Why three branches of government and their responsibilities. How many senators n representatives and how they’re elected and their responsibilities while in office. I guarantee you, these people have to know more than most of school kids will ever know and I learned a lot, too. I learned the passion and commitment of people making sacrifices to come here and want to be part of this country. When they passed and came back to tell their experiences, it was thrilling for them..and I felt their pride, too.

[lees1975]

4. Exactly. Here's an excerpt from the article linked in the blog.

When I was in graduate school, one of the part-time jobs I held was as a placement director and student supervisor for an organization which brought foreign exchange students to the United States. My job was to find families willing to host students for a school year, and then, to provide support for the students while they were attending school. Even after finishing school and while working full time, I continued to work with the exchange students because of the insights it provided for my own work as an educator.

Over more than a decade, I had the privilege of working with students from a variety of countries, primarily Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Spain, the Netherlands, Norway and Australia. Their primary motivation for joining the program was to improve and solidify their ability to speak English, to take driver's education, which was much more expensive in their home countries, and to see parts of the United States away from the tourist areas.

What these students knew about American civics and government was way above the level of Americans at the same grade level. As a history and government teacher myself, I was fascinated by how much these students, who ranged in age from 16 to 18 and who were in their third, fourth or fifth year of secondary school in their home country, knew about American History and government. The first year I did this, I had two students from Switzerland and one from Spain. All three reported that during the first few weeks of school, they'd had to pull back when it came to answering questions and participating in the discussions because most of their classmates didn't have the scope of knowledge of the objectives that they did.

These students, in studying history at multiple levels, had done far more outside reading and research than their American classmates were required to do, they'd had to use their critical thinking skills to analyze historical events and political movements, and then explain why they held their particular opinion or perspective, something American students aren't required to do until they get to college. And on top of it all, they had to know specific events, personalities, and dates, and they had to demonstrate an understanding of how all of that fit together to bring the culture, their country, and the world, to the place where it was at the moment.

[Deuxcents]

6. This is an interesting post. Not only do these students know our history, they know how to speak English

They do more than what’s required, as was mentioned. Then they were able to come here and experience the country. Now, that’s an education!

[CTyankee]

10. Civics was required in Jr. high when I was a kid, along with Latin if you wanted to take French or Spanish later.

Those two courses were the best courses I ever took, if you look at the foundation they laid for learning how your government works and how to acquire language skills in French or Spanish and also for lots of English words, too!

[Irish_Dem]

5. The GOP cannot allow classes which teach kids about US democracy and history.

The GOP is done with democracy and wants the white male minority rule to continue.
They want permanent power and access to all US assets which is fascism.

[valleyrogue]

7. Someone wrote it who doesn't know what they are talking about.

Last edited Fri Dec 27, 2024, 09:40 AM - Edit history (1)

No disrespect intended, but this assertion about schools and "civics" cannot go unchallenged. It sounds like the usual trashing the schools when in fact "civics" is taught all the time. It is called social studies, which includes history, political science, "civics," and all the rest. What people like YOU want is kids to be told what to think, and that isn't allowed in schools. A teacher's job is NOT to impose his or her political beliefs on students.

With all the Common Core crapola and other "reforms," you BET they teach "civics" in the schools. Hell, I was in a fifth-grade class last spring, and the teacher taught students how bills are introduced and made into law. They even had a mock Congress. This is a public school, a Title I school, in southern Oregon. This goes on all over the country. This is basically high school-level "civics" that has been filtered down to lower grades. You'd be shocked at how different the curriculum is. Teachers are even teaching about Greek myths in second grade, which used to be introduced and taught in fifth or sixth grade when I was in school as a student sixty years ago.

I am IN the schools, and I KNOW what is taught. Just because people don't vote the way you like isn't the fault of schools.

It is the same nonsense leveled at schools they don't teach "critical thinking." That is a load of crap, too.

I am not going to allow this myth to go unchallenged.

Just because people have viewpoints different than yours or vote differently than you do isn't the fault of schools. You don't get to make things up to try and make a point.

[lees1975]

9. Not a myth. But don't take my word for it. I dropped in some facts.

I was a social studies teacher for 20 years before getting into administration, and I've been in that for 17 years. I've seen social studies objectives removed from high school graduation requirements and the number of social studies credits required for graduation reduced. Common core, and its emphasis on technical education, science and mathematics core objectives, is the culprit. Prior to its implementation, American high school students had to pass four social studies courses to graduate, including a full unit of American History, a full unit of Government/Constitution and an exam, and a full unit of Economics. And the curriculum is nowhere near as rigorous as it was when I started teaching in the fall of 1979.

Common core placed the emphasis on technological education ,math and science objectives, as a result of American student achievement in those areas being well below the developed world. The reading core objectives are aimed at technical reading, not interpretation or critical thinking.

But, I've only been in the field for 40 years. And I've seen everything here, if you want to bother yourself with facts.

https://edsource.org/2023/latest-test-results-underscore-declining-knowledge-of-u-s-history-and-civics/689766#:~:text=May%203%2C%202023&text=Only%2013%25%20of%20students%20scored,decline%20from%2034%25%20in%202018.

https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/understanding-the-sharp-drop-in-history-and-civics-naep-scores-4-things-to-know/2023/05

https://www.rand.org/pubs/commentary/2023/05/social-studies-achievement-has-plummeted-nationally.html

https://www.smartstarteducation.com/eighth-grade-history-scores-on-the-decline-2/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2023/05/03/civics-history-education-naep-democracy/

13% proficiency in American History, and you want to tell me that doesn't affect the way people vote?

[valleyrogue]

12. I don't "take your word" for anything because I WORK in the field.

Last edited Sat Dec 28, 2024, 04:09 PM - Edit history (3)

The links are not impressive and prove you don't know the issue at all, at least when it comes to schools.

People have this habit of thinking because THEY went to school, that somehow that qualifies them to be "experts" in the field.

YOU want people to vote and believe the way you do. That is clear.

13 percent "proficiency"? LOL. Do you know how schools are at all, what teachers have to contend with?

Test scores are a whole different ballgame, and it is clear you know next to nothing about education. Test scores don't measure teacher competence. A lot of times, these kids blow through these tests in order to get them out of the way and don't try to do their best. The fact you point to "proficiency" regarding test scores is a giant red flag about your knowledge of education to anybody who is in the field. Do you know about ACES and the impact on student learning? Do you know anything about special education? Do you know anything about Title I schools? Do you know anything about second language learners? Do you recognize the impact of school closures during COVID? Do you know how diverse our country is compared to the itty-bitty European countries beloved by Bill Gates and the other "reformer" ilk who have really done a horrible disservice to the country? Do you know anything about family dynamics and how this impacts learning? Do you know about school attendance, a BIG problem in Title I schools, and how that impacts learning and test scores?

Nope, to you, the "expert" in the field trying to condescend to people like me who have worked in education for nearly 30 or more years, it is all the fault of the schools. ALL of it.

Test scores mean zip. It is clear to me you will never admit you are wrong.

The opening paragraph from your blog post proves my point you are upset many people in the 2024 election didn't vote the way you like:

The results of the 2024 election are just one more in a long string of examples giving us reason to reconsider the place civics education has in the mandated elementary and high school curriculum in this country. An educated electorate is one of the major keys to preserving the values of democracy and of the American Republic. The deterioration of education has become obvious in the results of multiple elections and in the divisiveness and the agenda-driven politics that have delivered gridlock and partisan loyalty over patriotism.

You really think you are better than people who voted differently from you, and the reason they vote differently than you is all because schools don't teach "civics" or history or whatever, and it is complete and total bullshit. They do teach it. Teachers just don't push their beliefs down everybody's throats. or they are not supposed to.

We live in a diverse society with all kinds of different beliefs, including political beliefs. If people feel differently than you do, that isn't the fault of schools. You are really no different than the right wing trying to force their beliefs on school systems. You simply don't have the self-awareness to see it.

[lees1975]

13. You've provided no evidence.

Last edited Sat Dec 28, 2024, 10:56 PM - Edit history (1)

And you clearly don't get the point, nor have you acknowledged the facts.

I work in the field, too, and have done so for 40 years. I've seen the deterioration of civics and social studies education, the reduction of objectives. I've served on two state committees where state objectives in social studies were removed, and where requirements were lessened to make room for more technical objectives, and to shorten the school days. I was one of just two votes against doing that both times. When I started, a standard school day was 7.5 hours, all but 45 minutes of it being instructional time. Now the average is 6 hours, 5.25 instructional time with courses like band and art counting as instructional time.

Social studies teachers can only do the job with the materials and time they are given. It's not enough. My proposal, which has been sent to the state DOE several times, includes grade level social studies objectives starting in Kindergarten, with basic American history objectives taught in the early grades, world history with racial equity and inclusion in 4th and 5th, and going back to American History with Civics and constitution, along with geography, in 6th 7th and 8th. In high school, 9th grade is a year of American History from Columbus to the Civil War, 10th is Economics and World Civilization, 11th is American History from the Civil War to the Present, and 12th grade is American Goverrnment/Constitution.Political Science. And that's only four high school credits.

I taught in two states, and that's how it was until common core knocked the social studies requirement back. In the former state where I taught, it was down to 2 required credits, in the current one, its just 3. And they are basic, introductory courses, nothing requiring a level of analysis or critical thinking. But I encourage my teachers to supplement heavily.

[valleyrogue]

11. And what do you think having student body elections, student councils,

Last edited Sun Dec 29, 2024, 05:01 PM - Edit history (1)

school clubs, and all the rest are about? They are all about students to be good citizens and participants in the larger society, to have a stake in the society in which they live, that's what. About "civics."

All of those seemingly trivial matters help prepare students for the real world, including community and politics. But "experts" like you think none of this happens in schools.

People who have never been in education as professionals in the field have no business trying to pontificate about things over which they know little about. You are clearly out of your depth.

[lees1975]

14. You might want to check that last statement.

I don't see any "pontificating" here, posted in any link, that isn't coming from someone in the education field as a professional, including the OP, who has 40 years of experience in education, 20 years of it teaching social studies.

How much do you have, again?

Yeah, that's what I thought.