Joanne Jacobs
It's only Schoolhouse Rock (but I like it)
I'm so old I don't know the words to Conjunction Junction. Schoolhouse Rock, animated musical shorts on grammar, history, civics,...
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Joanne Jacobs
- Feb 3
- 2 min
Teach civics -- not activism
"Fixating on activism misses the point of civics education," write Frederick M. Hess, a former civics teacher now education policy...
Joanne Jacobs
- Nov 23, 2022
- 2 min
Blamesgiving: Public schools teach that America is 'bad and broken'
Public schools have lost touch with their mission and purpose, writes Robert Pondiscio, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise...
Joanne Jacobs
- Oct 30, 2022
- 1 min
Serve your country to clear your student loans
Link college loans to civilian or military service, writes Steve Cohen in City Journal. "President Biden’s plan to 'forgive' student...
Joanne Jacobs
- Oct 19, 2022
- 2 min
Fuzzy civics: Teachers don't value knowledge
I learned about separation of powers, checks and balances and the three separate and equal branches of government -- executive,...
Joanne Jacobs
- Sep 17, 2022
- 2 min
Freedom of ... um ... uh ...
Happy Constitution Day! How many First Amendment freedoms can you name? If you get more than one, you're a civics star. Americans' civics...
Joanne Jacobs
- Sep 12, 2022
- 1 min
Do good citizens listen to leaders?
Do "good citizens" always listen to leaders? Ilya Somin was taken aback by the worksheet his seven-year-old daughter brought home from...
Joanne Jacobs
- Sep 2, 2022
- 2 min
We used to share a story about America, but not any more
New laws restricting how teachers can discuss "divisive issues" try "to impose a singular narrative of the United States, because —...
Joanne Jacobs
- Jul 4, 2022
- 2 min
Celebrate US
The City of Orlando's email promoting a Fourth of July fireworks display set off fireworks of its own with a sour jape: “A lot of people...
Joanne Jacobs
- Jun 7, 2022
- 2 min
Teens back free speech for unpopular views
U.S. high school students and their teachers agree that people should be allowed to express unpopular opinions, according to the Knight...
Joanne Jacobs
- Oct 13, 2018
- 1 min
What should every American know?
What should every American know? Aspen’s Citizenship and American Identity program is asking. The video features four immigrants talking...
Joanne Jacobs
- Oct 3, 2018
- 1 min
1/3 can pass U.S. citizenship test
When was the U.S. Constitution ratified? Which countries did the U.S. fight in World War II? Asked multiple-choice questions from...
Joanne Jacobs
- Sep 3, 2018
- 1 min
Return of the hero
“We live in an era where we knock down old American heroes for all their imperfections, when no leader wants to admit to fault or...
Joanne Jacobs
- Jul 31, 2018
- 3 min
‘Right to read’ fight shifts to California
The right to an education doesn’t include a right to literacy — yet. However, “a judge has ruled that California can be put on trial for...
Joanne Jacobs
- Jun 28, 2018
- 1 min
Teaching citizens: How are we doing?
High school students observe a moment of silence outside the North Carolina Capitol in Raleigh in memory of the victims of the Florida...
Joanne Jacobs
- May 14, 2018
- 2 min
Educating citizens
Public schools are supposed to developed engaged, informed citizens — not just prep kids for college and careers, notes Fordham fellow...
Joanne Jacobs
- Mar 15, 2018
- 1 min
Can school OK some protests, but not others?
If a school lets students walk out, without penalty, to protest gun violence, is it obliged to allow walkouts for other issues? What...
Joanne Jacobs
- Mar 8, 2018
- 2 min
Young, passionate — but not wise
The Parkland survivors are experts on how it feels to be terrorized by a gunman. That doesn’t make them experts on what policies would...
Joanne Jacobs
- Mar 5, 2018
- 2 min
From anger to activism: Is this civics education?
A month after the Parkland, Florida massacre, students across the country plan to walk out of class for 17 minutes on March 14 to honor...
Joanne Jacobs
- Jan 1, 2018
- 2 min
The new college try
The “Ivy sisters,” who came from Cameroon to the Bronx, will be attending Dartmouth, Yale and Harvard in the fall, reports NBC. A video...
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