Can schools save democracy? Not if teachers are afraid to teach civics

Public schools hope to prepare young people for college and careers, writes Robert Pondiscio in Commentary. Teaching citizenship is no longer a priority. Teachers are "eager to promote engagement and dialogue, yet reluctant to teach history and civics with the clarity, authority, and coherence that democratic citizenship requires."

Credit: Norman Rockwell

In The Cradle of Citizenship, James Traub observes "classrooms animated by discussion and concern but strikingly light on historical knowledge and understanding." Teachers aren't ideologues, he writes But they are hampered by "vague standards, weak preparation, and intense public, parental, and political scrutiny."

At the classical schools Traub visits, students learn history, Pondiscio writes. "Students read demanding texts, memorize foundational material, and engage in discussion grounded in shared knowledge rather than ill-formed or improvised opinion." Authoritative teachers believe schools "exist to initiate students into an intellectual tradition, not merely facilitate their self-expression or invite them to critique a system of government they do not yet understand.

Traub is impressed with the classical schools, but also defends "action civics," which gets students involved with projects in their communities.

Cultivating activism without background knowledge -- doing without knowing -- doesn't build citizens, writes Pondiscio. The result is "a kind of civic ventriloquism — preparing young people to march energetically in someone else’s army, convinced all the while that they are acting on their own."

Teaching civics feels difficult, teachers say in an iCivics survey. Fifty-nine percent worry about backlash for teaching the “wrong way,” and 35 percent have modified a lesson because of the school or community climate.

Most teachers say civics instruction shouldn't be partisan, writes Sarah Schwartz in Education Week. Eighty-nine percent say civics teaching should “foster respect for a pluralistic society with diverse viewpoints,” and only 12% say that their teaching should be “guided by their own affiliation.”

At Cypress High School in Anaheim, government teacher Teresa Shimogawa has her students examine a problem in their community and explore solutions. Students also participate in Social Justice Day, a science-fair type of event where they give speeches, do art projects and create exhibits inspired by policies they’re interested in.

Civics will be part of schools' accountability scores in California, writes Carolyn Jones on CalMatters. Schools will get points for the number of students who earn a Seal of Civic Engagement.

Teachers she interviewed aren't using learning materials developed for the nation's 250th anniversary, such as Freedom 250, backed by the White House, and America250, created by Congress. Civics is a one-semester course, and they don't have the time, teachers told her.

Teachers already are “treading lightly” in the current era of hyper-polarization, said Michelle Herczog, former president of the National Council for Social Studies, told her.

Civics teachers say they're focused on "why the Constitution matters, how to think critically about policies and ideas, why it’s important to vote and how to get involved in their communities."

Many teachers, like Teresa Shimogawa in Anaheim, use projects to engage students in civics issues.