Any talk of trying to revive civics classes in public schools?

[LAS14]

I saw some quote today (no link, no author) about democracy not being able to survive too much ignorance. Remember those Jay Leno person-on-the-street quizzes? Funny then. Scary now.

[Glamrock]

1. Not with DeVoss as Sec. of Education.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. I sure hope so (though I haven't much hope).

Even here on DU, there is an awful lot of ignorance about how our government and legal systems work.

[Kath2]

3. Very scary.

I fear at all times that this idiot has the nuclear button.

[Luciferous]

4. Doubt it, they want people to be ignorant.

[Adrahil]

5. What schools don't teach civics?

My daughter has had one already, and will take another before she graduates.

I get the impression that people just ignore the information, not that it is not taught.

[spin]

9. Civics courses in secondary schools in only required in eight states. ...

Civics and government are disappearing as school subjects
By Mike Rosmann on Jan 13, 2017 at 8:15 a.m.

***snip***

According to an April 2015 article in The Boston Globe, teaching civics in secondary schools is required by only eight states. Fewer students than in the past learn about basic human rights and ethics in civics courses in schools.

Likewise, the teaching of separation of powers and other fundamental principles of the U.S. government and constitution are usually molded into American History courses, rather than posited in courses dedicated to understanding government.

Reasons for neglecting civics and government as worthy courses in their own right vary across states and school districts. Some people blame the George W. Bush era legislation called "No Child Left Behind" and the Barack Obama follow-up program, "Race to the Top," as contributors to the lack of knowledge by younger citizens about civics and U.S. government.

In their efforts to secure funding for curricula offerings, state education departments and local school districts modified their requirements to concentrate on educational basics: reading, writing and arithmetic. Emphasizing these requirements, they say, detracted from broader secondary educations.
http://www.inforum.com/news/4197921-civics-and-government-are-disappearing-school-subjects

It would seem the object today is to turn out good workers rather than good citizens. Back when I was in high school in the 1960s the school systems were able to turn out both. It also seems to me that high school grads in those days had a much better knowledge of American history than those who graduate today.

[Adrahil]

17. Huh... weird. NT

[spin]

22. In a well functioning representative democracy you need a well informed citizenry. ...

High school graduates should have at least some knowledge of civics and the history of our nation.

[Raastan]

21. As a HS social studies teacher, I agree with you

It all gets taught, but little is retained. Or, there is selective memory; we ignore what we don't want to hear. The whole "history repeats itself" thing...

[DURHAM D]

6. The first step would be to explain what "civics" means. nt

[elleng]

7. Dunno.

Superintendent Luring Iowa Teachers With Minnesota Paycheck

Fairmont School District Superintendent Joseph Brown, who grew up in Iowa & even served as an Iowa state senator in the 1980s, says Minnesota is ready to welcome Iowa teachers who are afraid of losing income & even their jobs after Iowa Republicans gutted collective bargaining rights for public workers, noting that “as a born and raised Iowan, I gladly tell people that I have the best of both worlds: an Iowa education and a Minnesota paycheck.” Superintendent Brown spoke with Des Moines FM Podcast host Chance Dorland after expressing his regret for the change in law to Iowa politicians in a letter that was also published by IowaStartingLine.com/. The letter also notes how Iowa will now be the 2nd state to lose highly qualified teachers after Minnesota successfully poached educators from Wisconsin after “governor Scott Walker’s efforts to gut that state’s collective bargaining rights”, with Superintendent Brown anticipating the same would happen to Iowa.

interview at link
http://desmoinesfm.com/2017/02/minnesota-superintendent-ready-to-hire-iowa-teachers-after-house-senate-republicans-dismantle-iowas-four-decades-old-collective-bargaining-law/

http://www.democraticunderground.com/112411993

[Blue Idaho]

8. 39 states currently require at least one civics class

For graduation. Currently only nine states use a state wide mandatory test of knowledge, which may be a good thing given the state of mandatory testing. Maybe the bigger question is what exactly should be taught in a civics course?

[sarah FAILIN]

10. Alabama of all places

Trying to make students pass a citizenship test

http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/2017/01/alabama_bill_would_require_stu.html

[hedda_foil]

11. In Illinois, students are required to pass U.S.and state constitution tests twice.

They have to pass the test in 8th grade to graduate and go on to high school.

Then they must pass a more demanding constitution test as high school juniors.

Civics is taught at both levels, along with U.S. history.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

12. Washington State is

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10826247

[X_Digger]

13. I propose a $500 tax credit for taking and passing a civics 101 class for adults.

Topics like, what are the powers of each branch of the government; does the constitution create or grant rights; what are the checks and balances between the branches of government.

It doesn't have to be down to the level of the differences between Locke and Rousseau, or what was the holding in Mabry v Madison.. just enough information to kill the moronic claims that we see coming out of faux snooze and their ilk.

You pass the test? Take $500 off your adjusted taxable income this year.

[Blue Idaho]

14. That is a pretty cool idea! nt.

[Initech]

16. I could get behind this idea!

There's a whole lots of people who need to be educated about how our government and constitution really work.

[eniwetok]

20. But "our system" gave us Bush and Trump!

We need to move past a system designed for class warfare and to protect slavery...

[TheBlackAdder]

15. If there is, it will be crafted by the Texas School Board so as to keep the children ignorant.

[AJT]

18. The Dreyfus Civics Initiative

It's an organization trying to get civics back into schools.

[eniwetok]

19. The problem with "Civics"....

The problem with Civics is that it indoctrinates students into understanding our antidemocratic system... the system that gave us the Bush2 and Trump Juntas... a system where GOP senators represent 33 million fewer people than Dems, yet the GOP controls the Senate. Civics NEVER teaches more basic theory that the moral legitimacy of government is derived from the CONSENT of the governed... and our system violates that standard.

[LAS14]

23. Just caught a story on NPR about NH requiring that students

pass a year long civics course in order to graduate from high school. Didn't catch wither it's just under consideration or whether it passed. I wonder if this is a result of the current political climate.

[Sissyk]

24. In Tennessee

TN - HB10
Students - As enacted, requires a student, during the student's high school career, to take a United States civics test. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 1; Title 49, Chapter 2 and Title 49, Chapter 6.