To the Editor:

On 2 March, the Educating for American Democracy (EAD) project, a collaboration of over 300 diverse researchers, teachers, students, curriculum developers and educational leaders, released their report and roadmap calling for a new commitment to excellence in the K-12 teaching of civics and U.S. history.

This work was undertaken in response to a call for research by the National Endowment of the Humanities and the U.S. Department of Education, prompted by a widely held view that resources and attention had moved away from the teaching of history and civics to the point where our constitutional democracy is at risk. In fact, a recent study by the Pew Research Institute on possible reforms that might improve the American sense of community found that only reform in civic education was supported by a majority. Though supported by the federal government, the project, and its resulting framework, does not call for a standardized national curriculum in the subjects; rather, it seeks to inspire local and state responses, supported by federal resources.

Cited in the report is the federal case brought by a group of R.I. students against the state (Cook v. Raimondo) for failing to provide an adequate civics education. This case was dismissed (13 October 2020), reluctantly, by U.S. District Judge William Smith on the grounds that the U.S. Constitution provides for no such right. Nevertheless, in his ruling, Judge Smith made very clear his sympathy with the plaintiffs and their complaint: “What these young people seem to recognize is that American democracy is in peril.”

I would encourage all stakeholders in this dialogue (and that would be all of us) to read the report and roadmap and to advocate for them. The implementation of the roadmap will inspire the inquiry – and dialogue-based approaches that will allow our young people to become what the EAD calls “reflective patriots.” The future of our constitutional democracy may very well depend upon this.

Bob Grant

Warwick