Civics

Illustration of tug of war.
Illustration by Laura Baker/Education Week, SvetaZi, and iStock/Getty
Social Studies Critical Race Theory and the Fight Over History Standards: 6 Things to Know
EdWeek examined how the backlash to classroom discussions on race has set back efforts to expand what students learn about American history.
Stephen Sawchuk, January 19, 2022
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2 min read
Image of a social study book coming to visual life with edits to the content.
Illustration by Laura Baker/Education Week (Source imagery: Orensila and iStock/Getty)
Social Studies Revising America's Racist Past
How the 'critical race theory' debate is crashing headlong into efforts to update social studies standards.
Stephen Sawchuk, January 18, 2022
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27 min read
Scales of justice and Gavel on wooden table and Lawyer or Judge working with agreement in Courtroom, Justice and Law concept.
Pattanaphong Khuankaew/iStock
Law & Courts Students Lose Appeal on Right to Civics Education, But Win Praise From Judges Anyway
A federal appellate court panel commended Rhode Island students for the novel effort, but said Supreme Court precedent stood in the way.
Mark Walsh, January 12, 2022
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3 min read
Supporters of President Donald Trump gather outside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Supporters of President Donald Trump gather outside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Shafkat Anowar/AP
Social Studies Opinion My Students Still Have Questions About the Capitol Riot. They Deserve Honest Answers
Jan. 6, 2021, is a lesson plan for the difficult but critical U.S. history that often gets left out of textbooks, writes a history teacher.
Chris Dier, January 5, 2022
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4 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
Social Studies Q&A Tackling Polarization Via a 'Cross-Partisan' Approach to Civics Education
Teenagers appreciate space to discuss and debate without fear of being placed in an ideological box, says civics educator Sanda Balaban.
Rick Hess, December 16, 2021
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5 min read
Thu., October 14, 2021, 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. ET
Student Well-Being Online Summit SEL in Middle and High School: What Works, What Doesn’t
Join fellow educators and administrators in this discussion on social emotional learning and what schools and staff can do to provide it.
Register
October 14, 2021
Conceptual image of 3 students working on constructing a government building together.
Mary Haasdyk for Education Week
Student Well-Being From Our Research Center How to Teach Older Students Social-Emotional Skills? Try Civics
Collaboration, empathy, social awareness, and relationship building are some of the same skills that power democracy.
Arianna Prothero, October 12, 2021
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9 min read
School & District Management Video Students and School Boards: The Value of Student Engagement
A student school board member from Maryland offers advice to educators, board members, and his peers on the importance of student activism.
Eric Harkleroad, September 10, 2021
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3:51
Education secretary nominee Miguel Cardona speaks during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing on his nomination on Feb. 3, 2021, in Washington.
Education secretary nominee Miguel Cardona speaks during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing on his nomination on Feb. 3, 2021, in Washington.
Anna Moneymaker/The New York Times via AP
Federal Fact Check: After Furor Over 1619 Project, Feds Adjust History and Civics Grant Plans
A previously obscure history and civics program has weathered a political storm, but what exactly has changed?
Andrew Ujifusa, July 19, 2021
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4 min read
Conceptual image.
Collage by Laura Baker/Education Week (Images: DigitalVision Vectors and iStock/Getty)
States Interactive Who's Really Driving Critical Race Theory Legislation? An Investigation
Education Week reporting documents a complex web of individuals and conservative organizations supporting this far-reaching legislation.
Sarah Schwartz, July 19, 2021
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15 min read
Illustration of a cluster of faces.
Kubkoo/iStock/Getty
Social Studies 'Divisive' or 'Necessary'? Comments on Grant Priorities Show Divide on Teaching About Race
Thousands of comments on a history education grant proposal appear to have been submitted through a group that opposes "woke" education.
Evie Blad & Andrew Ujifusa, May 19, 2021
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8 min read
Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, right, talks to 12th grade art student Madri Mazo at White Plains High School in White Plains, N.Y. on April 22, 2021.
U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, left, talks to 12th grade art student Eugene Coleman at White Plains High School in White Plains, N.Y. in April.
Mark Lennihan/AP
Education Funding Miguel Cardona's First Budget Hearing Becomes Forum on In-Person Learning, 1619 Project
In his first public testimony to Congress as education secretary, Cardona also touched on standardized testing and student discipline.
Andrew Ujifusa, May 5, 2021
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6 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
Social Studies Opinion Civics Ed. Is on the Precipice of Becoming Common Core 2.0
Recent efforts to promote civics education suggest little was learned from the Obama-era dispute around the common core.
Rick Hess, May 3, 2021
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3 min read
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., talks on Capitol Hill in Washington on April 20, 2021.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., talks on Capitol Hill in Washington earlier this month.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Social Studies GOP Leader: Biden Grant Plan Referencing Anti-Racism, 1619 Project Is 'Divisive Nonsense'
Sen. Mitch McConnell's letter to the Education Dept. about a small history program amplifies a political scrum dating back to last year.
Andrew Ujifusa, April 30, 2021
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3 min read
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