top of page


Classical ed -- Great Books and George Washington -- is coded conservative
Teaching classical literature, history and philosophy is considered conservative and lacking in diversity.

Joanne Jacobs
Apr 232 min read


SF's OKs new ethnic studies class: Will teachers follow the curriculum?
San Francisco is replacing a controversial ethnic studies curriculum with a middle-of-the-road curriculum. Will teachers teach it?

Joanne Jacobs
Apr 222 min read


Can we celebrate America?
Can we celebrate America for our 250th anniversary?

Joanne Jacobs
Apr 223 min read


Can schools save democracy? Not if teachers are afraid to teach civics
Teaching citizenship focuses on engaging students: Doing substitutes for knowing.

Joanne Jacobs
Mar 172 min read


Teach history in elementary school -- not social studies
Elementary students should learn history, told as stories, not social studies "skills," argues the Knowledge Matters Campaign.

Joanne Jacobs
Mar 162 min read


Test history, geography and civics knowledge or schools won't teach it
Committed to "inquiry," Virginia social studies teachers want to "pause" a state test on students' history, geography and civics knowledge.

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 52 min read


Where in the world is ... Greenland? Gaza? Ukraine? Iran?
It's impossible to discuss what's going on in the world without knowing geography.

Joanne Jacobs
Jan 283 min read


'Students spout opinions based on personal experience,' because reading is 'stressful'
It will be hard for young Americans to save democracy if they don't know much about civics or history. Many have opinions, but few facts.

Joanne Jacobs
Jan 204 min read


New pro-American history standards stress the evils of communism
In "red states," students will learn that America is an exceptional (and great) -- and communism is evil.

Joanne Jacobs
Dec 8, 20252 min read


Thankful to be Americans
"Gratitude is the lifeblood of healthy schools and civic institutions, writes Rick Hess, being very Old School. Despite " classroom materials that depict Thanksgiving as just another evil exercise in settler colonialism," he writes, most teachers think schools should teach that the U.S. is "a fundamentally good country. " And they want to "teach students to question the policies of their nation’s government." That's right, Hess writes. Students should count our blessings a

Joanne Jacobs
Nov 27, 20252 min read


Teach children that America is a good country, say teachers
Most teachers think it's "very" or "extremely important" to teach America's virtues and instill patriotism.

Joanne Jacobs
Oct 29, 20252 min read


'Patriotic' education isn't just flag-waving
We need rigorous history teaching -- not a switch from left-wing to right-wing takes on America.

Joanne Jacobs
Oct 27, 20252 min read


Kids don't know enough to 'do history' like historians
Students don't know enough history to "do history" like historians. They have to learn what happened before they analyze it.

Joanne Jacobs
Oct 22, 20251 min read


Despite the Holocaust, 'competitive victimhood' is a loser for Jews
Anti-antisemitism rules for schools won't work, and more Holocaust education isn't the answer.

Joanne Jacobs
Oct 14, 20253 min read


Knowledge matters: 'You can't think critically about nothing in particular'
Schools want to teach "critical thinking" without teaching knowledge. It can't be done.

Joanne Jacobs
Oct 9, 20252 min read


How many Americans could pass the new citizenship exam?
Most Americans would have trouble passing the new citizenship exam.

Joanne Jacobs
Oct 2, 20252 min read


Won't read, can't think
We "think and read less, and see and feel more."

Joanne Jacobs
Sep 28, 20252 min read


U.S. Ed Dept will fund 'unifying, uplifting' civics, history lessons
The U.S. Education Department will fund patriotic education for America's 250th anniversary, but will schools go along?

Joanne Jacobs
Sep 23, 20252 min read


Civics teachers 'don't know what they can and can't say'
Civics teachers don't agree on the goals of teaching civics, and fear controversy.

Joanne Jacobs
Sep 9, 20252 min read


Know-nothings: It's hard to think in a vacuum
If students don't learn facts, they won't be able to understand what they read or think deeply or critically.

Joanne Jacobs
Sep 8, 20252 min read
bottom of page