Cepeda: Nation is in desperate need of a history and civics revival

In May 2015, the National Assessment of Educational Progress released its report card on history, civics and geography and found that only 18 percent of all eighth-graders assessed were at or above proficiency in U.S. history. Only 23 percent were at or above proficiency in civics.

This came as no surprise to anyone who knows what passes for “history” class in districts across the country. If you have children in public schools, you know the curriculum is heavy on personal essays about hot-topic “social issues” and light on reading historical texts or having to remember historical dates, figures or events.

In 2015, the conservative-leaning Thomas B. Fordham Institute analyzed public schools’ mission, vision and values statements to see whether the educational system views the preparation of students for participation in democratic life as central to education and an essential outcome.

The Fordham Institute found that 60 percent of the country’s 100 largest school districts (which represent about 11 million students) had mission statements that did not mention civics, citizenship or democracy. Of all the mission statements they examined, the term “U.S. citizenship” appeared only once.

In a recent column about the ways in which American patriotism can be used to provoke positive political change, The New York Times’ David Brooks lamented that “many schools no longer teach American history, so students never learn the facts and tenets of their creed. A globalist mentality teaches students they are citizens of the world rather than citizens of America.”

Ultimate teaching moment

As someone who trained in a social-justice-focused teacher preparation program and has seen a whole lot of social studies homework both as an educator and a parent, I can vouch for Brooks’ assertion: There’s a lot of overtly anti-American “American History” instruction going on in public schools.

There is an argument for public schools teaching history and civics in a manner that is both rigorous and critical in order to prepare students to make smart choices about their role in a democratic society.

But most students on the last NAEP civics test could not correctly answer questions about checks and balances or understand the policy implications of a trend using a graph. And they’re supposed to someday understand the implications of our current reality-TV presidential election?

“Presidential elections have always been the ultimate ‘teachable moment,'” wrote Robert Pondiscio, a senior fellow at the Fordham Institute, in an email. “Given the strong feelings created by Trump and Clinton, and widespread disappointment in both as reflected in polls, it would be lovely if the election led to an enhanced interest in civic education, or a civics and history revival. We could certainly use it.”