Inquiries by Pupils Regarding Our Democratic System. Is Civics Education Equipped to Rise to the Challenge?
In the classroom of Shannon Salter, a high school civics teacher in Allentown, Pennsylvania, discussions about federal immigration enforcement and the country's values have been frequent this year. With around 80% of her students being Latino, these conversations are more than just academic—they're personal.
Across the country, civics education has long taught the story of American government as if it were the gospel truth. However, the incongruities between this narrative and real-life events have become increasingly stark, leaving out key realities.
Teachers like Salter are finding it challenging to navigate politically charged headlines about constitutional interpretation and the limits of the president's executive authority. They're also grappling with state laws that restrict how they can talk about race, gender, and other controversial issues in the classroom.
Leaders in civics and social studies education organizations advise educators to approach these topics with an inquiry-based lesson plan. This approach encourages students to ask questions, ground their investigation in the founding documents, and explore how courts have challenged the constitutionality of presidential actions in the past.
In rural Ohio, one high school social studies teacher has found her students eager to understand their own rights and how the system works. However, she noted that many of her students, who are mostly Trump supporters, are confident in the information they've learned on social media and challenge her expertise.
Meanwhile, in a deep-blue suburb of Milwaukee, Sarah Kopplin's students found inspiration from examples of how women and Black Americans fought for, and won, their rights to be enshrined in law. When they questioned why Congress wasn't doing more to check the executive branch's actions, they even reached out to lawmakers to voice their concerns.
The Trump administration's actions have been compared to those of former President Biden in terms of expanding executive power by conservative voices. Yet, it's important to note that the administration also reshaped some of the ways the government operates, a fact that underscores a larger, uncomfortable truth for civics education: There's always been a chasm between the Schoolhouse Rock version of government and the reality.
From evading orders from federal courts, canceling federal funding without congressional authorization, to threatening to send the National Guard to other major cities, President Trump's administration pushed the boundaries of executive power, according to constitutional experts.
As educators strive to convey to their students that change is a constant and an opportunity, they're also preparing them with a mindset of inheriting the decisions about how the system works. It's a challenging task, but one that's crucial in these turbulent times.
In the midst of impeachments, contentious elections, the rise of online misinformation, a pandemic, a racial reckoning, nationwide protest movements, and the storming of the Capitol, social studies educators have had a hard few years. Yet, they continue to adapt, innovate, and inspire their students to engage with the political world in meaningful ways.
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