Parents Say Schools Should Imbue Patriotism, Teach English

By Kathleen Kennedy Manzo

Just in time for Thanksgiving, a survey of what parents want schools to teach about the United States reveals an appreciation for the American system of government, the personal freedoms afforded citizens, and a traditional view of the nation's history.

"A Lot To Be Thankful For: What Parents Want Children To Learn About America," scheduled for release this week, found a new and "mature patriotism" among parents, most of whom want schools to convey national pride and an understanding of the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. For that aim to be met, students with limited proficiency in English must be taught the language as quickly as possible, even at the expense of other subjects, a majority of respondents said.

"Today, neither the reflexive antagonism fashionable in some circles in the '60s and '70s nor the reflexive patriotism that presumably held sway in the '40s and '50s predominates," the report by Public Agenda says. "Instead, widespread--and ... heartfelt--thankfulness about the things that are good in this country is coupled with an abiding remembrance of past...