Civics Isn't Extra Credit

Civic education has been a cornerstone of American school systems since the 1830s when public schools were expected to instill national loyalty. However, instead of creating real democratic engagement, early civic education was a tool to assimilate immigrants and people of color to American culture and systems, emphasizing American exceptionalism. As education systems modernized during the 20th century, civic education was pushed to the side to prioritize standardized test scores. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), widely considered the “Nation’s Report Card,” has reported low American civic knowledge scores in the last few decades. Since 1998, civic scores have been overwhelmingly Roshan Hoban ’26, Connor Hwang ‘26, Miranda poor—in 2018, less than 25% of 8th graders were considered proficient in civics. Federal education reform has exacerbated the issues. The No Child Left Behind act (2001) heavily emphasized test-focused math and reading, crowding out and ignoring civic education. Similarly, in 2009 the Common Core State Standards Initiative, a broad education movement, sidelined civic education once again. While 42 of our 50 states require at least one civics course, according to Brookings, only 11 mandate the service learning necessary to connect the classroom to real democratic participation. And the consequences are visible in declining civic engagement and literacy. In a 2016 survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center, 1 in 4 Americans could not name the three branches of government.

To increase civic literacy in America and encourage participation in democracy, civic education reform must be enacted. In New Jersey, there is no standalone civics course required for high school students. While there is a civics course required on the middle school level (per Laura Wooten’s law, passed in 2021), New Jersey lacks the education structures necessary for high school students who are about to vote to understand their civic responsibilities. Assemblyman Scharfenberger, who is a professor at Monmouth University and represents Middletown NJ, proposed a bill that would require a High School civics course twice in the assembly.

He also collaborated with Assemblywoman Dunn who proposed the most recent version of the bill. We had the pleasure of meeting with him, and learning more about why he thought civic education at the high school level was important. As a teacher, he noticed that whenever he asked his students about “anything remotely related to government”, he was “shocked at how little they knew”. He had a similar experience as mayor of Middletown township–adults would call him blaming things on the local government body, but knew very little about “local government and about how things work”; that there are “laws that dictate” decisions being made. Assemblyman Scharfenberger believes that high schoolers are “knocking on the door of adulthood”, and have already gotten “a little taste of the way the world works” with some high schoolers already working summer jobs. He also argues that adults do not participate in local democracy as much as they should–”100 percent of the people complain, only 27 percent come out to vote…they don’t realize how much power they have. I don’t mind who people vote for as long as they know the issues, and understand what people will do once they’re in office”. We definitely agree that having more voices participating in democracy is better, and that civic education is often a tool to boost voter engagement and citizen participation. In terms of the bill itself, Assemblyman Scharfenberger proposes that high schoolers learn “what a planning board does, what a zoning “ ” “Scharfenberg. . . also argues that adults do not participate in local democracy as much as they should– ‘100 percent of the people complain, only 27 percent come out to vote.’” board does, what a municipal, county, state, and federal governments do.” He also wants to ensure that his “bill would be more logistics and mechanical rather than ideology. They should be able to show some kind of proficiency in all the levels of government…if it’s taught right, kids should ace this.” Overall, we shared the assemblyman’s view that citizens should have a shared understanding of how government systems work, and we believe this is crucial in having a more engaged pluralist democracy. If New Jersey wants to prepare the next generation of citizens, we can’t keep treating civics as an afterthought. Before taking place in front of the education committee in Trenton, reform has to start at a local level, like classrooms, school board meetings, and town halls. Every township’s board of education has the power to push for the bill of implementing a civics course in New Jersey high schools, as local advocacy is able to make lawmakers pay attention. Grassroots support from different communities across the state could help to build momentum behind Assemblyman Scharfenberger’s bill A778. When students, parents, and educators wholly call for requirements, it becomes harder for the state education committee to ignore. As mentioned above, New Jersey only requires a middle school civics course under Laura Wooten’s Law. This is a positive step, but not enough. High schoolers, most of which are either on the edge of voting or are eligible, need civic education that can connect classroom learning to real world participation. Town level efforts could include urging aforementioned boards of education to adopt local civics initiatives, create partnerships with municipal governments, or petition to pilot service learning projects that enable students to directly problem solve for the community. These are small, practical methods that, together, could mold a generation of informed citizens and engaged voters. Timing also matters. With the 2025 gubernatorial race on the horizon, education policy is once again in the political spotlight. As Assemblyman Scharfenberger mentioned, this race is pivotal to how this bill will be perceived moving forward. With large political polarization and A778 being a Republican-sponsored bill, the results of the election will give advocates real leverage. If local boards of education, educators, and students make their voices heard, whoever wins the governor position will face growing pressure to reform civics instruction. To be sure, some critics, largely composed of teacher unions, will argue that schools do not have the time nor resources to adapt for a new civics requirement, claiming that teachers would be burdened and it would take time away from tested subjects. While those concerns are valid, even Assemblyman Scharfenberger has noted that he has not heard much pushback from teachers’ unions or educators themselves. That silence shows that teachers recognize the value of helping students become informed and engaged citizens. With proper support and training, civic education can strengthen classrooms. How many studies should be referenced before people realize the importance of civic education? Let us provide one last one: according to iCivics, “students who e x p e r i e n c e high quality civic education are more likely to complete college, vote and discuss current issues at home, be confident in speaking publicly and communicating with elected representatives, volunteer, and work on community issues.” If we want to ensure that more people participate in democracy, it has to be accessible. Making a high school civics course a state standard allows for any high schooler to get a solid base of understanding, regardless of what knowledge they are exposed to at home. This in turn makes civics more equitable and evens out the playing field of who is encouraged to get involved–letting students across New Jersey know that their voice matters and that they have a place in our democracy. “A high school civics course . . . allows for any high schooler to get a solid base of understanding, regardless of what knowledge they are exposed to at home. ”