Policymakers on both sides of the aisle agree: Students need access to civics education. But the best ways to teach the subject—especially amid current events like political violence and the deployment of the National Guard across the country—remain a source of debate.
On Sept. 17, the same day that the U.S. Department of Education unveiled plans to promote an emphasis on “patriotic education” that “emphasizes a unifying and uplifting portrayal of the nation’s founding ideals,” educators at a civics symposium here expressed concern about how to teach social studies in this political climate.
Many social studies teachers report in surveys that it’s harder than it used to be to discuss anything that could be considered controversial, especially those in states with laws on the books that restrict how they can talk about race, gender, and other concepts deemed divisive. In a survey of 24 veteran teachers who participated in a summer program on the Constitution, about 75% said they have “self-censored or avoided certain civics topics due to fear of pushback or controversy.”
So, how can educators teach the U.S. Constitution and civics in today’s political climate?
The role of civics is to teach kids how to think critically, and that is the framework teachers should follow when addressing it in the classroom, said Christina Grant, the executive director of the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University, during a panel discussion on how to teach the Constitution at the symposium, which was held at American University’s law school.
Engaging students in respectful conversations
Tyler Brown-Dewese, a college student and civic life fellow at American University, said during the panel that students often struggle to have civil discussions about controversial issues because they forget that behind a thought is a human experience that’s shaped that belief.
“Everyone has different lived experiences, and we forget that—that’s where the human is taken out of politics,” said Brown-Dewese.
He added that students learn how to communicate with one another from adults. If students see adults on social media acting negatively toward one another, they will bring that into the classroom. Teachers can establish classroom norms by modeling respectful behavior during tough conversations.
“We can leave [a classroom discussion] disagreeing with each other, but at least we heard each other out, and we spoke to each other like we are humans,” he said.
Indiana Secretary of Education Katie Jenner and Grant added that students should experience—either in the classroom or through an extracurricular—what a proper civil discussion or debate looks like. For example, teachers can do this by having students argue both sides of an issue with supporting evidence.
“Children are not being trained in the art of debate, which is deeply understanding your position and then being able to counter that position, and doing it over and over again,” said Grant.
Educational leaders talk about how they expanded civics
Indiana has expanded its civics education in the last five years. Jenner said this expansion is due to Indiana’s civics literacy policy.
Two recent laws have bolstered this policy. One requires middle school students to take a semester of civics education and establishes a Civic Education Commission, which develops standards for civics education.
The other requires the state education department, the Commission for Higher Education, and the State Board of Education to establish criteria for an Excellence in Civic Engagement designation for high school students. Criteria include volunteer hours and engaging with a local community or statewide initiative.
Students are also required to take a portion of the U.S. citizenship exam before graduation. In addition, teachers can take K-12 civics professional development courses during the summer, which are supported by a partnership between the Indiana State Department of Education and the Indiana Bar Foundation.
“As a state chief, how easy is it to move on civics policy ‘cause you point to [the law]—’this is what Indiana said’ matters,” said Jenner.
The road to civics expansion in the District of Columbia was different, said Grant, who previously served as the D.C. state superintendent. Unlike in other parts of the nation, the district is not required to update its education standards on a regular basis. Before its most recent update in 2023, the social studies standards had not changed since 2006.
According to the city’s Office of State Superintendent of Education site, the social studies standards update was initiated by community partners and philanthropic support, with student involvement. The new standards have social studies teachers cover a wider range of underrepresented communities and more modern events. For example, teachers can incorporate LGBTQ+ history and D.C.’s Black Renaissance, according to the DCist, a local news site.
“That’s how we got it done here—it wasn’t quick, and at times it wasn’t friendly, and it cost a significant amount of money in order to do so,” said Grant.
As the country’s 250th birthday next year approaches, civics education will likely remain top of mind for policymakers. On Sept. 17, the U.S. Department of Education also launched the America 250 Civics Coalition, a group of about 40 national and state organizations—including many conservative and religious groups—that will create educational programming to engage K-12 and university students in civics education.
In the meantime, Jenner told Education Week in an email that “K-12 schools play an important role in preparing students to serve as proactive, engaged contributors to society.”
“This includes creating an environment where students can ask questions, wrestle with ideas, and learn how to think—not what to think,” she said.
