A paramount duty of education is to prepare young people for their role as citizens in a democratic society. Voting is one of the important responsibilities of a citizen but statistics indicate that young people often don't vote and don't believe they have a stake in the outcome of the presidential election. Storypath is a teaching strategy that…

Creating a meaningful high school diploma will expose students to the full range of adult options which will enable them to shape their high school education in a way that connects to their current interests and stimulates the growth of new ones. Fully connecting all students to these four worlds of knowledge will equip them to build one…

The extent to which people abhor or admire patriotism in the schools depends on how it is taught. If educators teach it narrowly as jingoistic, uncritical self-praise of the nation, then such instruction is wrong. It would be indoctrination rather than education. If, however, they teach civic education and define patriotism as a respectful…

Over three decades of teaching, the author has come to a deep understanding of the commitment she made in swearing her loyalty to a governing system dedicated to the virtues of democracy and equality for all--both those within the diverse society and those across a global mosaic of cultures. Every day in the classroom, teachers and students alike…

Asserts that young people today are less knowledgeable and engaged in civic life than parents and grandparents. Blames schools for failing to transmit civic knowledge to students. Discusses why civic knowledge matters in a democratic society. Describes characteristics of an effective approach to civic education. (PKP)

Thousands of U.S. citizens live abroad in communities whose mission is to support the nation's military and diplomatic corps. Many members of these overseas communities are deployed for many months at a time in support of U.S. military missions, and many of those so deployed will be parents of students in American overseas schools. Under these…

In light of Martin Rochester's questioning of his earlier article, in this article the author clarifies his positions and reiterates his belief in the essential connection between public education and the viability of democracy. He does thank Martin Rochester for his interest in "Teaching Against Idiocy." However, in this article, he addresses…

Civic education began wandering in the curricular wilderness in the 1960s, when Vietnam and then Watergate brought disenchantment, rebellion, experimentation, a loss of faith in traditional institutions and traditional leaders, the breakup of consensus, the weakening of the core culture and ultimately the erosion of curricular requirements in…

Introduces special section on democracy and civic engagement containing a series of articles arguing for the importance to a democratic society of continuing to emphasize the teaching of civics in schools. (Contains 12 references.)(PKP)

Offers five propositions to help schools prepare students to participate equally in a democratic society: Schools need focus; one size does not fit all; a democratic school culture would have lots of human interaction; forms of governance would differ, too; and reform consistent with democracy takes time. Describes how several exemplary schools…

In this article, the author comments on the article "An Ongoing Conversation", by Frederick Hess. The author points out that the increasing polarization of the public's views on public education serves us poorly and we need to revive the skill and will to engage in more thoughtful dialogue.

It has often been said that the Inuit have many words to describe snow because one would be wholly inadequate to capture accurately the variety of frozen precipitation. Like snow, patriotism is a more nuanced idea than is immediately apparent. Political scientists, sociologists, and educators would do well to expand the roster of words used to…

Describes common curricular components of 10 education programs to teach students democratic citizenship. Highlights characteristics of three programs: a high school government course, a college-level program, and an adult education program. Describes three broad priorities of successful programs: commitment, capacity, and connection. Includes a…

Recent developments in the provision of education in the U.S. mean that the old definitions of "public schooling" no longer hold. In this article, Mr. Hess offers his suggestions for a broadened definition that will help public education regain its status as a shared ideal. He offers five questions to guide the efforts to bring more precision to…

Contemplating the root of the word "idiocy" leads the author to explore the challenge that democratic societies face of developing public-minded citizens. The schools, he argues, are the most likely institutions to succeed in that task. Schools in societies that are trying in various ways to be democracies, such as the United States,…