Teaching America

David Feith is an assistant editorial features editor at The Wall Street Journal and directs the Civic Education Initiative.

• Preface: Keeping the RepublicIntroduction: Civic Education, DevaluedPart I: Making the Case1. The Democratic Purpose of Education: From the Founders to Horace Mann to Today2. Safeguarding American Exceptionalism: An Uninformed Citizenry Risks Ceding Excessive Power to Government3.The Right to Know Your Rights: Civic Literacy, the Miranda Warnings, and Me4. My Immigrant Tale: Assimilation and the Road to SuccessPart II: From the White House to the Statehouse—Policymakers' Lessons Learned5. Civic Nation: My White House Mission After 9/116. Civic Literacy and No Child Left Behind: A Lesson in the Limits of Government Power7. A Failure of Leadership: The Duty of Politicians and Universities to Salvage Citizenship8.Forgetting MLK's Dream: How Politics Threatens America's Civil Rights Memory9. Revolutionary Ignorance: What Do Americans Know of the Original Tea Party?10. Core Curriculum: How to Tackle General Illiteracy and Civic Illiteracy at the Same TimePart III: In the Classroom—What Works, What Doesn't11. Fighting Civic Malpractice: How a Harlem Charter School Network Closes the Civic Achievement Gap12. The KIPP Approach: Be the Change You Wish to See in the World13.The Wisdom of 20,000 Teachers: Strengthen State Requirements, Stop Marginalizing the Founders14. Teaching Political Sophistication: On Self-Interest and the Common GoodPart IV: Among the Ivory Towers—Fighting Civic Neglect in Higher Education15.Good History and Good Citizens: Howard Zinn, Woodrow Wilson, and the Historian's Purpose16.Talk is Cheap: The University and the National Project, A History17.Don't Believe the Hype: Young Voters Are Still Disengaged, and Universities Have Few Incentives to Fix It18. Donor Intent: Strategic Philanthropy and Civic Education on CampusPart V: A Vision for the Twenty-First Century19. After the Digital Explosion: Education and the Threat to Civil Liberties in the Internet Age20. How School Choice Enhances Civic Health: Vouchers and Informed Politics21. Education vs. Indoctrination: What Separates Sound Policy from State Overreach?22. Letter to President Obama: A Policy Approach for the Federal Government

The American experiment in self-governance relies on a citizenry conversant in American history and government process. Feith (assistant editorial features editor, Wall Street Journal) and his knowledgeable group of contributors-public officials, law and education scholars, and educators-sound the alarm with impressive clarity about the current state of American civic literacy. Their case is straightforward and without divisive rhetoric. The included essays explore the historical place of civic literacy within the American education system, look at current and past government programs intended to effect civic literacy, present snapshots of existing civic-education programs in K-12 and higher education, and consider options for the future. VerdictA well-documented case for civic-education reform articulated by policymakers, lawyers, educators, and academics who share their expertise and involvement with government programs and relevant curricula. This collection is distinctive for its breadth of coverage and the first-hand expertise and knowledge of its contributors. Highly recommended for students in education and teacher preparation.