The Status of Civics Education in New Hampshire's Public Schools

NH State law states:

"SB 45, which was signed by Governor Sununu on June 8, 2017, amends RSA 189:11 which requires instruction in national and state history and government. The amendment adds into state law a graduation requirement of a one - half credit course in United States and New Hampshire government/civics. This is already a requirement in the Minimum Standards for Public School Approval."

And, "In all public and private schools in the state there shall be given regular courses of instruction in the history, government and constitutions of the United States and New Hampshire, including the organization and operation of New Hampshire municipal, county and state government and of the federal government."

The law also specifies at which levels this is to be taught.

Most students' knowledge of American history, the US Constitution, or how our government is supposed to work in general, is limited.

You have likely seen some man-on-the-street interviews where students could not name their local public officials. Some couldn't even name the current Vice President. They could not discern the differences in economic systems run under Marxism, Socialism, Communism, Fascism, or Capitalism. It would seem they had little understanding of political or economic philosophies. For example, we saw a recent list of very conservative/libertarian principles posted on social media. It garnered a strange and confused reaction from a reader who suggested the principles "sounded just like socialism".

According to this article "The ignorant nation and its legacy" by Cal Thomas, September 18, 2017, a recent poll suggests that "37 percent of those interviewed could not name any of the five rights protected by the First Amendment. Forty-eight percent got freedom of speech right. Thirty-three percent could not name one of the three branches of government and only 26 percent correctly named all three."

Is it any wonder that even those who crafted the above-mentioned NH law did not properly refer to our form of government as a 'republic' instead of a 'democracy'?

No teacher is expected to be an expert on all of these subjects. However it is possible to use adjuncts to aid in classroom instruction. There exist many groups with qualified people who can provide useful resources regarding civics instruction. National Center for Constitutional Studies (NHCCS.org) and Camp Constitution, which are both based right here in NH, are two of the best. They and the 10th Amendment Center can provide wonderful materials for use in government and civics instruction. There are many Constitutional scholars like Tom Woods, Congressman Ron Paul and attorney KrisAnne Hall who offer books and educational materials, many for free on the internet, regarding the US Constitution.

But how often are these resources used?

While some groups are trying to address this important issue, the public should be extremely concerned about the nature of the Civics "education" they offer.

An upcoming event hosted by the New Hampshire Institute for Civics Education and put on by the New Hampshire Historical Society will feature keynote speaker Joel Westheimer on Civics Education for NH students. Maybe you've heard of his good friend William Ayers? Ayers, along with Barack Obama, held his first job with the Annenberg Institute. Ayers and Obama were granted millions of dollars to improve Chicago's public schools. Think it worked?

Bill Ayers, for those who don't remember, co-founded the Weather Underground, a self-described communist revolutionary group with the intent to overthrow imperialism, that conducted a campaign of bombing public buildings including police stations, the US Capitol Building, and the Pentagon.

Ayers once preached: ''Kill all the rich people. Break up their cars and apartments. Bring the revolution home, kill your parents."

He and Joel Westheimer (son of the famous 'Dr Ruth' Westheimer) often collaborate and promote similar visions for public education. You can watch these two good friends talk about their left-leaning ideas in Civics Education for public school students.

The Hill reported: "After Walter Annenberg’s foundation offered several hundred million dollars to American public schools in the mid-’90s, William Ayers applied for $50 million for Chicago. The purpose of his application was to secure funds to “raise political consciousness” in Chicago’s public schools. After he won the grant, Ayers’s group chose Barack Obama to distribute the money. Between 1995 and 1999, Obama distributed the $50 million and raised another $60 million from other civic groups to augment it. In doing so, he was following Ayers’s admonition to grant the funds to “external” organizations, like American Community Organizations for Reform, now (ACORN), to pair with schools and conduct programs to radicalize the students and politicize them.

Reading, math and science achievement tests counted for little in the CAC grants, but the school’s success in preaching a radical political agenda determined how much money they got."

So let's take a look at the NH Public School employees that will also be featured at this event: Barbara Tsiaras, middle school teacher from Bedford, Derek Hamilton, Dean of Operations at Pittsfield Middle High School, and Jenny Wellington, Justice Committee teacher mediator, Pittsfield Middle High School. Isn't Pittsfield the very same school system that is a client of the Carsey Institute and NH Listens, and which has already once invited another Annenberg friend of Ayers, Keith Catone, into their system?

Many school systems, including Bedford's, use a publication called "We, the People, and the Constitution" as well as materials from the United Nations program "International Baccalaureate". Each program has a political agenda.

A critique of the publication "We, the People, and the Constitution" can be found here.

More information on "International Baccalaureate" can be found here and by searching Bedford Patch for other articles.

What you can do

Let Commissioner Frank Edelblut know that we expect Civics Ed to focus on academics and NOT on political activism such as that shaped by Bill Ayers and the Weather Underground's communist agenda. Suggest they use materials that actually teach about our country's foundational principles and utilize documents that support those principles, not some "socially just" reinterpretation of same.

Here is the FaceBook link to details of the event.