It has so far never been clear about the need for stronger civics instruction. Recently test scores were revealed that, American students simply do not have the civics knowledge which is essential to become thoughtful and engaged citizens. It’s very important to have the knowledge of basic facts.
Unfortunately, many K-12 civics teachers do not have the required training to succeed in the classroom. Schools of education do not typically afford aspiring teachers a chance for in-depth study of key texts in their tradition. High levels of polarization and a lack of trust in public schools mean many teachers are not sure on how to teach about key figures and moments in our history or how to explain controversial political issues in a nonpartisan way.
This year, multi-day programs were held in partnerships with nine campuses. Programs such as, Civic Literacy and Citizenship Symposium with the University of Wisconsin-Madison gave teachers a chance to discuss the importance of virtue for liberty, the evolution of the development of judicial review and Forst amendment.
Programs at Baylor University and the University of North Texas permitted teachers to confront race and American politics head-on through sessions on slavery and the American founding.
Special attention was paid to dissent regarding American politics, at the University of West Florida program. from the Anti-Federalists in the ratification debates, to the dissents in the Dred Scott case, to anti-slavery advocates such as William Lloyd Garrison and Frederick Douglass. At Florida Atlantic University teachers considered the American founding in 21st century contexts by examining Hamilton the musical in light of Alexander Hamilton’s actual writings and considering issues of free speech and civil discourse on social media.
Summer institutes and workshops such as these are extremely important, but credit-bearing graduate courses in American political thought and history are also essential. Graduate courses will help public school teachers to rise in district pay scales while offering the rigor of a formal class structure and graded assignments.
We sponsored four graduate courses for teachers this summer including Political Thought of the American Revolution through the University of Chicago, Alex de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America, at Tufts University.
The Mission of the Jack Miller Center is to help teachers and students to connect with and safeguard our nations ideals. By improving k-12 teachers’ knowledge, will help to preserve vital knowledge for the future generations. As JMC’s founder and chairman, Jack Miller says, the battle for the soul of our country will win or lose in our classrooms.
