What Texas kids need to know in order to become responsible citizens is up for debate.
After Gov. Greg Abbott named strengthening civics education as one of his priorities for the legislative session, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle filed bills with that goal in mind.
But some advocacy groups are concerned that the issue could become too politicized, potentially stymieing progress in Austin.
“Teachers want this. Parents want this. Concerned citizens want this,” said Wendy May-Dreyer, chair of the Texas Civic Education Coalition. “It doesn’t need to become a culture war.”
Texas GOP Chairman Allen West recently decried several of the civics education bills, saying in a statement that the Legislature is facing an “onslaught of … legislation that advances Critical Race Theory from a progressive socialist standpoint” and would “open the doors to left-wing activism among our children.”
May-Dreyer pushed back on those characterizations, saying some people are trying to bring political divisions into an effort backed by dozens of bipartisan organizations. The criticism, she said, is based on “misinformation.”
“We are not looking to promote student activism in the classroom. That’s not what this is about,” she said. “This is about teaching students to mirror good, responsible, informed civic behavior.”
Several bills before the Legislature have different approaches to revamping civics education across the state.
A bill from Rep. Keith Bell, R-Forney, would create “civics academies” for teachers to learn how to better guide classroom discussions on current events and model democratic processes. Legislation from Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, would provide training on how to identify propaganda and require students complete non-partisan “civics practicums,” such as holding mock trials or assembling mock legislatures. Other bills name specific founding documents that should be studied in the social studies curriculum, such as the Federalist Papers and excerpts from Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America.
Friendswood Republican Sen. Larry Taylor, chair of the Senate Education Committee, is championing a bill that would require the educators to cultivate “informed American patriotism.” Other lawmakers and advocates weighed in on the issue during a recent committee hearing.
Wouter van Erve, a Texas Woman’s University political science professor, said it’s important to pay attention to the emphasis on patriotism within civics education bills.
“Patriotism is a feeling. It’s a feeling of pride. In civics education, you have to watch out,” he said. “It’s not about feelings — it’s about facts.”
Maggie Stern with the Texas office of the Children’s Defense Fund urged legislators to interrogate which primary sources they choose to elevate as the country’s founding documents. She submitted a list of alternative texts that could also be considered critical to the country’s creation, such as Frederick Douglass’ speech “The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro.”
“Comprehensive civics education demands that we recognize that 69% of our Texas children are children of color, and that students of all races deserve an education that highlights the work of diverse civic heroes,” Stern testified.
Several groups are calling for the various civics bills to be merged, saying blending the approaches is key to tackling civics from all sides.
“It is long past time for a comprehensive legislative framework for meaningful civic education,” Pat Hardy, a former high school teacher and longtime State Board of Education member, said in written testimony. “Combining the strong civic education bills that have been filed in one bipartisan, comprehensive bill would accomplish the needed improvement.”
Why civics
During a time of intense political polarization, proponents say expanded civics education is vital.
While Texas students already are required to take a government class in high school, May-Dreyer said that’s “too little, too late.”
A strong civics education should show students the value of democracy and allow them to envision their role within it, van Erve said. It’s about letting students know that they can go to their city council member to demand better sidewalks, and it’s about demonstrating the power of voting, no matter for which party.
“You’ve got to train them early — not in what to think or how to believe — but in feeling that they can figure it out,” he said.
But what students are taught in their social studies classes has become a political flashpoint.
Before he lost his reelection bid, former President Donald Trump created a 1776 Commission to promote “patriotic education” in schools. The report it published was labelled political propaganda by many historians, and President Joe Biden quickly disbanded the group and dismissed its work.
Some Republicans have lamented what they believe are attempts to rewrite history. In announcing his intent to promote patriotic education in Texas — through a bill that would establish the “1836 Project” — Rep. Tan Parker, R-Flower Mound, said he was doing so because “many of our children are taught to denounce Texas history.” He did not provide any examples.
A pair of civics education bills from Republican legislators state that no teacher should be compelled to discuss “current events or widely debated and currently controversial issues of public policy or social affairs.”
Other bills focus on enhancing professional development for teachers to help them guide meaningful discussions on tricky topics. Some teachers fear being accused of bias if they talk about heated issues in the news, though their students likely have questions about what’s going on.
Teachers confronted this in real time this year as insurrectionists stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 and prominent politicians cast doubt on election results.
Teachers are “having to deal with history unfolding immediately and in a very intense time,” May-Dreyer said. “The good teachers wade through it. The teachers without training just shelve it.”
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The DMN Education Lab deepens the coverage and conversation about urgent education issues critical to the future of North Texas.
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