Most people have heard of the 1619 Project sponsored in 2019 by the New York Times, which served to accelerate the spread of “action civics” among other things including the related critical race theory (CRT) and antiracism curricula. For years, the concept of action civics lurked in the shadowy realm of leftist educational agitprop but was officially greenlighted in 2012 under the Obama Administration, when the U.S. Department of Education issued the report A Crucible Moment: College Learning and Democracy’s Future.

If one reads between the lines, the opening quote in this report provides a clue as to its intent: “Each generation must work to preserve the fundamental values and principles of its heritage ... to narrow the gap between the ideals of this nation and the reality of the daily lives of its people; and to more fully realize the potential of our constitutional, democratic republic....” (emphasis added). To many, this implies a need to deviate from teaching children about America’s founding documents, history, and system of government, and replace it with politicized instruction in identity politics and victimology.

The 2012 report emphasizes “a national call to action” and admits K-12 education lays “critical foundations for civic responsibility,” without which “developing crucial understandings of democracy’s history and principles [and] any hopes of raising national civic literacy and civic agency are likely to be undermined, both for those who will attend college and even more so for the portion of high school graduates who may never enroll.”

The report further states:

• Reordering current priorities and reversing the civic deficit will require unprecedented, widely coordinated, and collective commitment and action. No single entity can effect change at the level and scale required. Leadership will be essential from multiple groups such as K-20 educational systems, civic associations, religious organizations, businesses, community members, nonprofits, government agencies, unions, and youth.

Action civics, also dubbed “New Civics,” is essentially the teaching of radical activism in lieu of traditional civics content. The National Association of Scholars (NAS) recognized the problem in 2021 and answered by creating the Civics Alliance, a coalition of educators and policymakers committed to restoring “true civics education across the United States.” (See Education Reporter, June 2025, May 2023, and July 2022.) The alliance calls action civics “a grave new risk” wherewith proponents are seeking “to turn the traditional subject of civics into a recruitment tool of the progressive left.”

The Civics Alliance contends that action civics “has already advanced in America’s education system to a far greater extent than most people realize,” mostly because well-meaning reformers “have failed to see the many wolves in sheep’s clothing.” Alliance members say these folks “should not endorse supposedly nonpartisan New Civics education that is really left-wing activism in disguise,” but instead “must work for true civics education that explicitly excludes the imposter New Civics and its favored pedagogies.”

To counteract the new (or action) civics, the alliance created a Civics Curriculum Statement that calls on Americans to insist on civics education based on real historical dates and documents, and [that] bans the teaching of anti-American propaganda and “Neo-Marxist forms of ‘Social Justice’ Activism.”

The statement details what the ideal civics curriculum should look like at various grade levels, with a focus on “educating students exclusively on the academic content of civics.” The courses, they say, “should not be exercises in partisanship or ventures in social activism.” With such a program then, students “will study primary sources throughout and read serious secondary books and articles in quantities appropriate for college-level courses.”

The alliance adds that civics courses must also teach students civic virtues such as how to engage in civil debate. “Civics classes must teach these virtues and capacities because legal protections of rights in a free republic ultimately depend on a cultural consensus that must be transmitted to each new generation. This consensus includes individual liberty for every citizen, especially with respect to political speech and conscience....”

The Civics Alliance website offers a variety of information, including toolkits parents and supporters of genuine civics education can use to advocate for such curricula at the federal, state, and local levels.

Trump Administration wants ‘informed and patriotic’ civics instruction

Early this month, news broke that the U.S. Department of Education issued sweeping actions in several areas, including civics education, for which it is making “a record $153 million investment.” These new initiatives reflect the Trump Administration’s focus on “restoring civics education and advancing a shared understanding of America’s founding principles.”

According to an article on NPR.org, the department is partnering “with more than 40 conservative organizations to create programming around civics aimed at the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States.” The project is called “the America 250 Civics Education Coalition,” and will be overseen by the Education Department and led by the non-profit America First Policy Institute (AFPI). The coalition “includes Turning Point USA, the Heritage Foundation, Hillsdale College, and other conservative state and national organizations.” Not surprisingly, the NAS’s Civics Alliance is also among the participating institutions.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the purpose of the coalition’s initiative is “to ensure every young American understands the beauty of our nation and is equipped with the civic knowledge required to contribute meaningfully to its future.”

It’s no secret that President Trump has long supported traditional civics instruction. During his first term, he advocated for the President’s Advisory 1776 Commission and its Final-Report, which was created to restore American civics education based on a history of our founding principles that is “accurate, honest, unifying, inspiring, and ennobling.” Early in his second term, the president issued an Executive Order striking down radical indoctrination in America’s public schools, including anti-American civics instruction.

The recently announced Education Department grants “will fund American History and Civics Seminars hosted by universities and nonprofit organizations ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary in 2026.” They will also support the “creation of civics toolkits, classroom resources, and events promoting civil discourse and constitutional literacy.” The goal is to continue fostering “informed and patriotic citizenship” among the nation’s youth.

Education Department status

While many are applauding these latest efforts by the Trump Education Department to overcome woke anti-American propaganda and restore faith in America’s founding principles, others are wondering when the department will finally be shut down.

Recent reports indicate that the process is moving forward. The Daily Caller reported that the administration has launched a new web portal “for streamlining federal workforce development programs,” as it moves to shift this responsibility to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL).

This change includes the transfer of funds and staff to the DOL, as the Education Department announced in a Sept. 8 press release. Secretary McMahon expressed confidence “that the Department of Labor is well positioned to cooperatively administer, implement, and streamline these critical career and adult education programs.”

The press release further stated that the collaboration between the two federal agencies began in May with the signing of an “Interagency Agreement (IAA), a tool routinely utilized by government agencies to procure services, share resources, collaborate, and ensure efficient service delivery.”

The transfer of federal workforce development programs was actually announced in early March via one of Trump’s many Executive orders, and is the latest development in the administration’s efforts to dismantle the Department of Education.

Around that same time, the department began a “reduction in force” affecting nearly half of its employees. More recently, special education programs covered under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) are being moved to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), for which the administration has been accused by liberals of causing “disruption and uncertainty.”

The president appears to be doing what he can through executive and regulatory actions to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education. However, the overarching consensus is that a complete dissolution requires legislative action by Congress.

In the meantime, conservative organizations, backed by the downsized Education Department, are hoping to restore traditional civics education that fosters pride in America’s youth along with the belief that the American Dream is still alive and well.

Want to be notified of new
Education Reporter content?
Your information will NOT be sold or shared and will ONLY be used to notify you of new content.

Click Here

Return to Home PageEducation Reporter Online - October 2025