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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Health
New Texas executive order requires hospitals to ask about immigrant status. Here’s what it means for Texas children and their families.
Children’s Defense Fund-Texas (CDF-TX) is deeply concerned about the impact of Executive Order GA-46 on Texas children and families.…
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Education
Shaping the Future by Shaping Teachers
In the face of rising book bans and calls to eliminate Black history from school curriculums, CDF’s Ella Baker Child Policy Teacher Training Institute has never been more important.…
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Mentoring Tomorrow’s Leaders
Reagan believes in taking initiative. So when she learned about our Black Student Leadership Network (BSLN) and our NBA HBCU Fellowship Program, she was eager to do both.…
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The Lasting Benefit of CDF Freedom Schools®
Dr. Joy Carrington could tell you about the lasting benefits of CDF Freedom Schools. She and her mother are raising Joy’s twin nieces, Jayda and Jayde, together.…