Advanced Civics for U.S. History Teachers: Professional Development Models Focusing on the Founding Documents. White Paper No. 139

The idea that the purpose of education, let alone history education, is to remove a student from the here and now and to get them to understand ideas and worlds beyond their immediate interests is anathema to proponents of today's trendy reform ideas. The idea, as well, that the stories of the past are intrinsically fascinating in and of themselves (let alone for what lessons their stories can offer us today) also appears to be beyond the realm of today's pedagogical standard setters. The idea that students are capable and desirous of rich academic content is also scarcely to be found among most proponents of "21st century" skills. Fortunately, many educators are growing tired of recent trends and realize that change is needed. Following a preface written by Paul Reid, this paper highlights several programs that buck the trends and afford teachers and students the possibilities of teaching and learning history in a rich, engaging, and rigorous manner. Pioneer Institute reached out to four professional development programs with nationally known reputations to learn more about their offerings: The Center for the Study of the Constitution, We the People, the Robert H. Smith Center for the Constitution, and the Ashbrook Center at Ashland University. The authors make the following recommendations: (1) States should mandate a statewide assessment in U.S. history with a strong focus on the founding documents; (2) States should create funding streams for professional development centered on teaching strong academic content; (3) School administrators should focus their hiring on teachers with strong content knowledge; and (4) Concerned parents and teachers should lobby school boards and legislatures, bringing to their attention the crisis that exists and proposing local solutions. [This document contains a preface by Paul Reid.]