Education for Civic Life and Work

Promise 

Each student is prepared for global workforce competition and
equipped to vote, volunteer, and lift their voices in public life through
stage-appropriate instruction, learning about their culture, democracy, and history.

Problem 

The United States spends 2.7 times as much (per person) on
incarceration as it does on education. In 2022, we saw the most severe drop in math scores for 4th and 8th graders since the first National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) was conducted in 1990. Thirteen states have no civics course requirement, and only seven require a full year of government or civics instruction.

Policy Path 

In this zone, CDF will advocate for public policy related to: (1) Positive youth development, (2) Civics education, (3) Workforce development, (4) Culturally-responsive pedagogy, and (5) Equitable education funding formulas.

Moonshot Generational Commitment

Lower the federal the voting age to 16 years old. Evolve public school funding from primary reliance on property taxes to more equitable revenue model.

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