California teachers ‘slow down’ on civics education for America’s 250 years

from Carolyn JonesCalMatters

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The national political climate may be polarized and combative, but California is taking steps to ensure K-12 students learn to have respectful debates, get involved in their communities and understand their rights.

The State Board of Education is poised on March 11 to add civics to the California school boardthe primary accountability tool for public K-12 schools. The goal is to encourage more students to excel in their government classes, demonstrate a good understanding of the Constitution and the foundations of democracy, and get involved in extracurricular or community activities related to citizenship.

Moreover, the state is promote a wide range of civil rights activities commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States and the 175th anniversary of California statehood. Governor Gavin Newsom’s office convened a panel of experts to come up with lessons, events, field trips and other activities for students and communities. The idea is to inspire students to get involved, become regular voters or even run for public office.

“Something to Learn”

The moves could not have come at a better time, advocates said.

“The issue is urgent. There is great concern right now about the state of democracy and the role of schools,” said Michael Matsuda, former superintendent of the Anaheim Union High School District. He has long been a champion of civic education. “Who is responsible for ensuring that the next generation supports democracy? It’s not up in the air – it’s something that needs to be taught and schools need to teach it.”

For decades, civics education was neglected in California schools, in large part because of the intense focus on reading and math prompted by the No Child Left Behind initiative in the early 2000s. Although it is woven throughout state framework for history and social studies, civics is not included in standardized tests and is only required for one semester senior year. Some schools and individual teachers have strong, vibrant programs, but many do not.

To promote civic education, Governor Jerry Brown signed an account in 2017, creating a Seal of Civic Engagement, similar to the state’s Seal of Biliteracy, recognizing students who excel in the subject. Students who earn the seal receive a gold seal on their diploma or transcript.

The program went to slow startas researchers have found that lower-income students and those in politically “purple” areas tend to have fewer opportunities for a solid civics education. In politically mixed communities, teachers are reluctant to discuss current events or raise controversial topics for fear of parental pushback. And low-income schools are less likely to have student governments, student newspapers, trips to the Capitol or other activities that enhance civics.

In the program’s first year, only 1 percent of high school graduates earned a seal, and only 103 high schools — out of 1,200 — offered it. But the numbers are rising. Last year, more than 23,000 students earned a seal, representing just under half of all high schools.

Increasing accountability

Under the proposed changes to the dashboard, citizenship education will be part of measuring school accountability for the first time. Schools will receive college and career credit based on the success of their Civic Engagement Seal program.

But it won’t be obvious to the public: Civic education will be part of a larger set of metrics that include the number of students who graduate with careers or complete the courses required for admission to California’s public universities.

Still, it’s a step forward for a topic that some say rarely gets the attention it deserves.

“Civic engagement is an important skill for every adult in a democracy,” said Elizabeth Sanders, spokeswoman for the state Department of Education. “(By strengthening the civic engagement stamp) we can engage in an important conversation about what it means to prepare our young adults for full, empowered participation in our communities and society.”

Competitive curricula

Meanwhile, at the federal level, policy changes have led to some confusion about what citizenship is, what patriotism is, and what the country’s founding principles are. Civics education has traditionally been nonpartisan, but the Trump administration has shifted funding and curriculum creation to right-wing advocacy groups, while remove funding for long established organizations it was considered “divisive”.

Similarly, the U.S. Department of Education in September convened a coalition of about 50 conservative groups to come up with patriotic ways for schools to mark the country’s 250th anniversary. The group is led by the America First Policy Institute, which pushes schools to minimizing the role of slavery and racism when teaching US history. Other groups in the coalition promote religion in public schools and want restrictions on the rights of transgender students.

The effort draws heavily from Freedom 250one of two federally created organizations to commemorate the country’s 500th anniversary. Freedom 250, supported by the White House, offers a conservative view of American history, with an emphasis on God and the values ​​set forth in the Declaration of Independence.

The other federal organization, America250is a nonpartisan group created by Congress. Less political than Freedom 250, America 250 encourages students and others to visit American landmarks, volunteer in their communities, and contribute videos documenting their own “American history.”

California weighs in with its own website and lesson ideas. Newsom invited a group of experts to create a California version to wrap around the state’s 175th anniversary. So far, 175 years of the California dream the website includes a summary of the state’s history, videos focusing on different regions of the state, ways to volunteer, and text about what California has meant to the country and the world. It will eventually include lessons and activities for classrooms and community resources, said Marissa Saldivar, assistant deputy director of communications for the governor’s office.

America’s multitude of 250 curricula only makes life more difficult for civics teachers, who are already “treading lightly” in the current era of hyperpolarization, said Michelle Herzog, former coordinator of history and social studies for the Los Angeles County Office of Education and past president of the National Council for the Social Studies.

“How do you talk about the elephant in the room without mentioning the elephant?” Herzog said, referring to the Trump administration. “It takes a very special skill set for teachers to stay out of the political fray.”

Ideally, she said, students can learn about the promise of the Constitution and then ask whether the goals of the founders have actually been realized and where the country should go from here.

“Do we really have liberty and justice for all? Do all Americans really have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?” she said. “How can we continue the fight? I want them to commit to this.”

Giving students a voice

Civics teachers interviewed by CalMatters said they are bypassing the America 250 hype and instead focusing on the ideas they’ve always taught: why the Constitution matters, how to think critically about policies and ideas, why it’s important to vote and how to get involved in our communities. Some said there simply isn’t enough time in a one-semester class to go deep into the new curriculum.

At Cypress High School in Anaheim, public school teacher Teresa Shimogawa has her students research a problem in their community and search for solutions. Students also participate Social Justice Daya science fair event where they give speeches, do art projects, and create exhibits inspired by policies they care about.

“I don’t focus too much on what Congress did this week or what the president said. It’s too depressing and the kids feel hopeless,” Shimogawa said. “Instead, I try to make them feel like they have a voice and give them the tools to advocate for good.”

Amber Bradley, who teaches government at River City High School in West Sacramento, said regardless of the America 250 curriculum, it’s a stressful time to be a civics teacher.

“Being a civil law teacher right now is complicated,” Bradley said. “We teach kids their rights, but then they see the federal government ignore those rights. It’s disheartening for everyone.”

Like Shimogawa, Bradley gives her students lots of hands-on projects that allow them to feel empowered. And she tries to keep her classroom nonpartisan so that students feel comfortable expressing their opinions and ideas — whatever they may be.

“It’s an amazing time for them and me,” Bradley said. “But I know my children will matter. They will change things for the better.”

Freedom of speech and open investigation

At Futures High School in Rio Linda, a charter high school north of Sacramento, students said they want civics classes to be a place where they can ask questions about current events and express their opinions freely without feeling attacked or embarrassed. They also want to know what their rights are, how the legal system works and how they can protect them.

More than half of Futures students are immigrants, with most coming from Russia and Ukraine. Nikita Artemov, a senior who emigrated from Russia, said he values ​​free speech and wants to hear other students’ perspectives not only in civics but in all grades.

“I want teachers to encourage discussion among students, to encourage an open environment,” said Artemov, who attended a civic education conference in Sacramento recently with his classmates. “I want to hear from students from different countries with different perspectives.”

His classmate Zeenat Nabizada, an immigrant from Afghanistan, agreed.

“Just hearing someone else’s opinion is a really big thing,” she said. “If people want to ask a question or say what they think, they should be able to.”

Personal search

Matsuda, the former Anaheim chief, is now devoting himself entirely to promoting civic education. For him, it’s a personal passion: his parents, Japanese-Americans, were interned during World War II.

He sees similar threats to civil liberties happening now in the US, making civics education even more important at this point in history. Students need to learn about real-world problems, who is in charge and how to use democratic systems to address those problems, he said.

“The constitution is challenged almost every day. It’s easy to talk about democracy, but what does that mean on the ground?” Matsuda said. “We need to teach civics in a way that is non-partisan and doesn’t impose the opinion of adults. If that doesn’t happen, our country will be more divided than ever. This is absolutely vital for the next 250 years.”

This article was originally published on CalMatters and is republished under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivatives license.