Boehner will resign from Congress
Speaker of the House John A Boehner will resign at the end of October. His term was fraught with a polarized and paralyzed Congress.
Civics
Pope Francis speaks to Congress
Pope Francis delivered remarks and zoomed in on examples of 4 Americans: Lincoln, King, Dorothy Day, and Thomas Merton.
New civics graduation requirement in Illinois
A new law in IL makes it a H.S. graduation requirement to include at least 1 semester of civics as part of the 2-year social studies requirement.
Voters in Mass. might weigh in on Common Core
A possible ballot question in Mass. will ask voters what they think about the Common Core State Standards. We hope they’re never asked.
Carson won’t ‘believe in’ evolution. Should you?
A Republican presidential candidate and neurosurgeon says he doesn’t “believe in” evolution. Strange indeed. But so what?
No change in NAEP 8th-grade social studies
NAEP has released data from the 2014 social studies examination for 8th graders in the US: no significant change from the results in 2010.
The South will not rise again
Texas will be using new textbooks this fall, which give slavery an inferior billing when it comes to what started the Civil War. Wrong.
Pakistani teen, Indian activist win Nobel Peace Prize
A girl from Pakistan and an activist from India are working to protect children and provide them with an education. They are this year’s Nobel laureates.
Civics test has a new fan
Americans don’t know much about government, so a former Supreme Court justice wants to require all HS students to pass a civics test.
Teacher on leave; had students write why Jews are evil
If a teacher assigns a persuasive essay that makes students develop an argument that Jews are evil, can the teacher be put on leave or dismissed? It’s a 1st Amendment question.