O the debt we owe to teachers, administrators, and support staff, and all who make education happen for our children year after year. Parents, of course, are our first teachers, and can do so much to support their children’s learning experience at school. The rest of us have a role here, too, as encouragers and mentors.
Now is a good time to recall that a chief purpose of education is to prepare us to be citizens. And in so far as it serves to form character and teaches us to reason, every aspect of education contributes to this end. But there remains a serious gap today in education for citizenship. With the emphasis on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and the testing pressures that come with No Child Left Behind, subjects like Civics have been deemphasized. Moreover, folks who study these trends, tells us that in today’s polarized environment it’s easier not to bother, and also that many teachers today feel unprepared. Not surprisingly, as a nation we are civically illiterate, not very knowledgeable about how our government was designed to work or about our history. This lack is detrimental for our nation.
But we can begin again and there are folks who are working at this effectively. There are good resources available for teachers and school systems. Just an initial internet search led me to The Sandra Day O’Connor Institute and then to the National Constitution Center’s Civics Virtue Course, featuring “primary source readings, interpretive essays, and guided reflection activities designed to connect historical ideas, civics, character, and the common good.” Among state and county system initiatives there is the Illinois Civics Hub/ Illinois Democracy Schools. They have staff in place committed to equipping teachers and fostering civics education. As they propose, “2026 marks a period of reflective patriotism in conjunction with America’s 250th anniversary, it is also important to look ahead—considering how we equip young people with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed for the future of our democracy.”
It’s important that educators not be cowed into not speaking about our political life because it is a hot topic. I suspect that our young people are eager to process what they’re hearing about national and world affairs to their credit, many of our schools already are actively promoting respect and kindness on campus. A next step would be for our school systems to adopt a policy of “institutional neutrality” regarding political opinions, while working to promote open and thoughtful dialogue. Also, we may recall here that knowledge and love tend to support each other. We are inclined to learn about what we love and to love what we learn about. Let learning flourish then and truth be honored that love may follow.
Because this is our 250th anniversary year and because of the brokenness we’re experiencing in our life as a nation, this is a teachable moment. And again, I suspect that our young people are more ready than we realize to be taken seriously as citizens. For the sake of their development as persons and for the health of our nation, may we do so.
Steve Bullington
Adrian
