Senate bill seeks increase in civics education

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March 23, 2009

Senate bill seeks increase in civics education

Tennessee's senior U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander has introduced S.659, with co-sponsors Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia and Sen. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts, which aims "to improve the teaching and learning of American history and civics."

A new-to-me blog called the Posterity Project picked up the story, and asks readers to contact their Members of Congress to advocate swift passage of this bill.

On this blog I have advocated for an increased role for civic education in our classrooms. This legislation is just one step in that process, but it is a significant one that I hope Congress will pass quickly and send to President Obama's desk for his signature.

I agree with Mr. Belt. Whatever the inevitable evolutionary trajectory of this nation in our rapidly changing world, the importance of understanding how it works (and how it got here) cannot be understated. Our students should be given ample opportunity to learn these subjects from qualified educators, and so I applaud Sen. Alexander's repeated efforts toward that end.

HT: Post Politics

Education , Policy | By joe lance | 10:32 PM

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