Last Friday, the Senate passed, by a 90-0 vote, the "American<\/p>\n
History and Civics Education Act”<\/b> (S. 504), that had been introduced<\/p>\n
by Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN). The bill would create summer institutes for<\/p>\n
k-12 teachers in college settings, where they would study civics and history.<\/p>\n
It would give some high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to attend a<\/p>\n
different set of summer academies; and it would organize a National Alliance of<\/p>\n
Teachers of History and Civics, for the sharing of information and ideas. <\/p>\n
Senator<\/p>\n
Alexander said, “Civics is being dropped from many school curricula. More<\/p>\n
than half the states have no requirement for a course in American government.<\/p>\n
And American history has been watered down, textbooks are dull, and their pages<\/p>\n
feature victims and diminish heroes. Because of politically correct attitudes<\/p>\n
from the left and right, teachers are afraid to teach the great controversies<\/p>\n
and struggles that are the essence of American history.” <\/p>\n
I heartily<\/p>\n
agree and think that Alexander’s points can be substantiated with solid evidence.<\/p>\n
Partly as a result of the way we teach (or fail to teach) civics, the actual participation<\/p>\n
of young people in politics and civic life is dropping, and the least advantaged<\/p>\n
are the most often left out. <\/p>\n
Many people in the "civic-ed" world<\/p>\n