May 21, 2019
Are public schools meeting their longstanding obligation to prepare students for the responsibilities of civic life? For the past year, a team of reporters and editors at Education Week has focused on the state of civics education in the U.S., from the instructional materials used by schools to examples where students are “living” civic engagement rather than just studying it. Reporter Stephen Sawchuk discusses the “Citizen Z” project, and how journalists can use it as a blueprint to inform their own work on this critical subject. How is this latest push to reinvigorate civics education different from prior efforts? Why did a potentially teachable moment in civic disobedience go awry at a Colorado charter school? What lessons can be learned from efforts in Boston Public Schools to boost student engagement in local policymaking? And what role should education journalism play in efforts to help students become not only civically engaged but media literate?