Education News in Brief

Retired Justice, Revealing Dementia, Steps Away From Civics Efforts

By Mark Walsh — October 30, 2018 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor revealed last week that she has been diagnosed with dementia and would be stepping aside from public life, including as leader of iCivics, the organization she founded to improve civic education for the nation’s students.

O’Connor, 88, stepped down from the court in 2006. Upon her retirement, she occasionally served as a visiting federal appeals court judge and spoke out on causes such as bringing an end to popular election of state judges. But her true passion became improving civics.

Her efforts led to the 2009 creation of iCivics, a nonprofit that promotes learning about government through online games.

In a letter to the public, O’Connor called for efforts to improve civics education to move to the next level. To that end, a new organization is being created, called CivXNow.org, that will focus on making civics a greater priority in schools.

A version of this article appeared in the October 31, 2018 edition of Education Week as Retired Justice, Revealing Dementia, Steps Away From Civics Efforts

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Webinar
The Future of the Science of Reading
Join us for a discussion on the future of the Science of Reading and how to support every student’s path to literacy.
Content provided by HMH
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
College & Workforce Readiness Webinar
From Classrooms to Careers: How Schools and Districts Can Prepare Students for a Changing Workforce
Real careers start in school. Learn how Alton High built student-centered, job-aligned pathways.
Content provided by TNTP
Mathematics K-12 Essentials Forum Helping Students Succeed in Math

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Follow Education Week’s K-12 Coverage on Bluesky
Education Week has joined the social media platform Bluesky.
1 min read
Illustration of Education Week and Bluesky logos.
F. Sheehan/Education Week
Education Quiz Who Qualifies to Receive the First-ever Federal School Voucher? Take the Quiz to Find Out
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Education Quiz Trump’s Surprise Freeze on School Funding—How Much Do You Know?
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Education Quiz What Lowers Teacher Turnover? Take This Weekly Quiz
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read