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.
Learn MoreRelated Updates
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Black History Month: Youth Voices on Racial Justice
For many students in the Black Student Leadership Network (BSLN), Black History Month arrives in the middle of real-time organizing, hard conversations, and deep questions about what justice looks like now.…
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For Our Children: It’s time to “do our first works over”
Every January is an opportunity to press the reset button. But this year…
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Immigration
Tell City Officials in Austin: Protect and Support Families
A recent 911 call in Austin led to the arrest, detention, and deportation of a U.S. citizen child. This incident underscores how collaboration between the Austin Police Department (APD) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is putting children and families at risk and eroding public trust. …