It’s been a busy couple of weeks here at the Civics Alliance! We’ve jointly released two new sets of state policies that will serve as a guide for policymakers who seek to improve public K–12 education within their states. Our nationwide campaign for social studies standards reform is also advancing in full force, with special opportunities to get involved in Mississippi, Virginia, and Kentucky.
Model Education Licensure Code
The National Association of Scholars, California Policy Center, Californians for Equal Rights Foundation, Goldwater Institute, James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal, John Locke Foundation, Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, Palm Beach Freedom Institute, and Washington Policy Center are jointly releasing the Model Education Licensure Code.
The Model Education Licensure Code provides three model bills state policymakers can use to reform education schools and the education licensure process—the Education Licensure Nondiscrimination Act, the Education Licensure Review Act, and the Education Licensure Certificate Act.
The three model bills work together to eliminate the radical establishment’s power to select America’s teachers.
- The Education Licensure Nondiscrimination Act forbids a broad range of the different means the radical establishment uses to politicize the education of our teachers.
- The Education Licensure Review Act gives state policymakers the power to veto politicized licensure requirements imposed by state education department bureaucrats.
- The Education Licensure Certificate Act, building on initial work done by states such as Arizona, establishes a standard path toward licensure that bypasses requirements for an undergraduate degree and minimizes education-school requirements.
These three reforms together will work to make it possible for a new generation of liberty-minded teachers to enter the classroom. This new generation will support education reform policy with a good heart.
Social Studies Standards: Reform Campaign
The Civics Alliance continues its nationwide campaign for social studies standards reform.
Mississippi: The Civics Alliance has drafted but not yet released a public comment on the proposed Mississippi social studies standards. The Mississippi standards have some solid content, but also could use significant improvement. All public comments must be received by the Division of Secondary Education no later than 5 pm on October 28, 2022. Please submit written comments to Tammy Crosetti, Bureau Director, Division of Secondary Education, 359 North West Street, Post Office Box 771, Jackson, MS 39205-0771. You may also submit comments in writing by email at socialstudies@mdek12.org. If you are interested in social studies reform work in Mississippi, please send an email to David Randall (randall@nas.org).
Virginia: The Civics Alliance and the National Association of Scholars submitted a public comment urging Virginia’s Board of Education to make substantial revision to their draft social studies standards. If you are interested in social studies reform work in Virginia, please send an email to David Randall (randall@nas.org).
Kentucky: The Civics Alliance and the National Association of Scholars submitted a public comment urging Kentucky’s Department of Education to make substantial revision to their draft social studies standards. We have also published an open letter, where Kentucky citizens can write to urge the same. If you are interested in social studies reform work in Kentucky, please send an email to David Randall (randall@nas.org).
Model State Laws: Joint Release with the America First Policy Institute
On September 29, the National Association of Scholars and the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) jointly released “10 State Policies To Restore Excellent K–12 Public Education in America.” These policies are ten model laws for the states drawn from the Civics Alliance’s Model K–12 Civics Code.
Monthly American Birthright Zoom Meeting
The Civics Alliance will have its second monthly Zoom session devoted to social studies standards reform on Monday, October 17, at 2 pm Eastern Time. Please email randall@nas.org if you would like to join these monthly Zoom meetings.
Social Studies Standards Revision Schedule
2022/Current: Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky (partial), Minnesota, Mississippi, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia
2023: Alaska, California, Connecticut, Indiana, Maine, Ohio, Oregon, Wyoming
2024: Alabama, Arizona, Montana, Oklahoma, West Virginia, Wisconsin
2025: Kentucky, Texas
2026: Colorado, Maryland, North Dakota, South Carolina
2027: Hawaii, Kansas
2029: Louisiana
2031: Illinois
No Revision Currently Scheduled: Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri (but could change), New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Washington
Waiting Confirmation: District of Columbia (current process), North Carolina (2021)
Please email David Randall (randall@nas.org) if you are interested in further information about your state’s social studies revision process and what you can do to participate.
Call for New Civics Alliance State Affiliates
The Civics Alliance is building a network of state affiliates—groups dedicated to removing action civics in their state, whom we will list on our website. We now have seven affiliates, in Alabama, Georgia, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Texas. If you would like to form such an organization, or suggest an existing organization, please get in touch with David Randall (randall@nas.org).
Continuing Priorities: Federal Legislation
At the federal level, the Civics Secures Democracy Act threatens to impose action civics nationwide.
The Civics Bill Tracker
Civics Alliance members may now use the Civics Bill Tracker to track all proposed federal and state legislation related to civics.
Public Action
We encourage Civics Alliance members to inform the public and policymakers about the stakes and consequences of action civics bills.
David Randall is Executive Director of the Civics Alliance and Director of Research at the National Association of Scholars.
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