Last week’s curation at RealClear’s American Civics portal starts with Chester Finn’s overview at the Washington Examiner of the state of civics education. Finn implores us to “ignore the culture warriors and demand that education and political leaders embrace the consensus that already exists among the public on what schools should teach children about civics and U.S. history.” Part of his evidence is the recent survey done by the Jack Miller Center, which found that 89 percent of parents deemed it “very important” that their child “have a basic understanding of the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the responsibilities of citizenship before they graduate from high school.” He also noted that 93 percent of parents “felt that schools should ‘portray historical figures honestly with the understanding that we can teach a person's achievements even if their views do not align with values today.” At a time when Americans need to have a solid understanding “about how the country came into being, what it stands for, what it’s accomplished, and what remains unfair or unfinished, the last thing we need is endless warfare over what schools should teach children about history and civics.” At TIME, Frederick M. Hess and R.J. Martin decry the politicization of civics education, arguing that surveys show that “too many teachers think of civics instruction as a chance to promote a particular policy agenda.” But focusing on “political participation alone doesn’t safeguard self-government or the health of the republic,” as the past few years have shown, with public battles over the 1619 Project and Critical Race Theory. Instead, Hess writes that “it must be leavened with appreciation for how our government works and the ways in which it has secured our liberty and allowed for profound social, political, and economic betterment over the course of more than two centuries.” He continues: “Students need to learn that self-government requires citizens who appreciate that disagreement is a healthy, inevitable part of the democratic process and that the legitimacy of institutions shouldn’t depend on whether we like the outcome of a given election, court case, or legislative vote. The American democratic tradition is not that we should expect to be happy with each result, but that we’ll get our say, our rights will be protected, and the rules will be fairly applied.” In the News Chester E. Finn, Washington Examiner Jennifer Schuessler, New York Times Sophie Hills, Christian Science Monitor Marshall Terrill, Arizona State University News Marquise Francis, Yahoo News Frederick Clarkson, Religion Dispatches Frederick M. Hess & R.J. Martin, TIME Christian Watson, Newsweek John O. McGinnis, Law & Liberty David Suissa, Jewish Journal Daniel Helms, Bill of Rights Institute Devin Dwyer, ABC Joe Little, NBC7 Colin Woodard, Smithsonian Kerry J. Byrne, Fox News We the People Last week, Representative Kevin McCarthy of California became the Speaker of the House, after 15 rounds of voting. It was... Uncancelled History Jonathan Horn joins Douglas Murray on this episode to discuss Robert E. Lee’s infamous legacy. The two dissect his childhood... American Idea Join Jeff as he Bill McClay discuss the state of American civics education, with an eye toward free expression, what's being... We the People In this episode, Professor Vincent Phillip Muñoz of Notre Dame Law discusses his newest book, Religious Liberty and the... Carl Cannon's Great American Stories Michelle Obama is 59 years old today, a birthday she shares with a slew of other American originals. The roster ... It's Monday, Jan. 16, the day Americans officially pay homage to Martin Luther King Jr., born January 15, 1929. The ... Good morning, it's Friday, Jan. 13 -- yes, Friday the 13th -- a day of supposedly problematic karma, as well as ... |