Douglas Alexander: “I chose two urgent issues I care most about: The education of our children, No. 1; and the principles that unite us as…”

“I chose two urgent issues I care most about: The education of our children, No. 1; and the principles that unite us as Americans, No. 2. I then introduced S. 504, the American History and Civics Education Act of 2003. Its purpose is to help put the teaching of American history and civics in its rightful place in our schools so our children can grow up learning what it means to be an American. Its purpose is to inspire better teaching and more learning of the key events, key documents, key persons, and key ideas that shaped the institutions and democratic heritage of the United States of America. This legislation would do that by creating summer academies for students and teachers of American history and civics. There will be up to 12 Presidential Academies for teachers. And there will be up to 12 4-week Congressional Academies for students. It also creates a State-by-State national alliance of history and civics teachers, and authorizes $25 million for these purposes. We need this legislation because our children are not learning what it means to be an American.”