All4Ed Submits Comments to U.S. Department of Education Calling for Broader Civic Education Framework

To: Zachary Rogers, U.S. Department of Education
From: All4Ed
RE: Comments on Proposed Supplemental Priority on Promoting Patriotic Education, Docket ID ED-2025-OS-0745-0001
Date: October 17, 2025

“I know no safe depositary of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion by education.”

— Thomas Jefferson

All4Ed appreciates the opportunity to comment on the U.S. Department of Education’s proposed Supplemental Priority and Definitions on Promoting Patriotic Education. We share the Department’s goal of ensuring that young people develop pride in our nation, a sense of belonging in its democratic traditions, and a deep understanding of the ideals of liberty and justice for all.

All4Ed believes that fostering informed patriotism is central to strengthening our democracy.  Patriotism calls on us to celebrate America’s achievements while acknowledging its struggles and unfinished work. When students study both our triumphs and our trials, they learn that true patriotism is a commitment to helping our nation live up to its founding ideals.

Shared Values and American Ideals

The proposed priority defines ‘patriotic education’ as a presentation ‘grounded in an accurate, honest, unifying, inspiring, and ennobling characterization of the American founding and foundational principles … and the concept that commitment to America’s aspirations is beneficial and justified.’ All4Ed agrees that civic education should inspire pride and unity. Students should understand the extraordinary progress that has been made in realizing America’s promise of freedom and opportunity.

However, the definition’s additional framing of the ‘American political tradition,’ which centers on ‘the foundational documents, essential principles, and significant influences of Western Civilization, including ancient Greece and Rome, Judeo-Christianity, and English common law,’ is deeply concerning. It is deeply inconsistent for a civic education built on the foundation of a country that proudly displays the motto “e pluribus unum”—out of many, one—to limit itself to only a subset of the dynamic, diverse, and complex traditions that have contributed to our democracy.  From Indigenous governance systems that influenced democratic structures, to the resilience of enslaved Africans who fought for freedom, to the civic ideals brought by immigrants from Asia, Latin America, and beyond—America’s story is plural and evolving. Narrowing our nation’s civic education to these sources undermines the exceptional nature of American democracy, which was built not from one voice but, many, and not from one cultural tradition, but from the legacy of many peoples striving to become one nation. It also marginalizes the millions of Americans whose histories, cultures, and contributions shaped this country, weakening students’ understanding of how democracy thrives when all voices are included. A truly patriotic education must reflect the full diversity of the American experience.

We urge the Department to adopt a more historically accurate definition of “American political tradition” that recognizes the plurality of that tradition and its ongoing evolution. An accurate definition would recognize that our founding ideals and documents, including the U.S. Constitution, drew upon many sources, including both the ideals of the Enlightenment in Europe and Indigenous democratic traditions.  It would also avoid the anachronistic use of the term “Judeo-Christianity” to characterize influences on early American political thought. The concept of Judeo-Christianity dates only back to the mid-twentieth century; it is itself a term developed for political purposes at a moment when the American political tradition was undergoing significant change.

Legal and Constitutional Considerations

The Department’s notice clarifies that ‘nothing in this definition should be construed as implicating a particular curriculum, program of instruction, or specific academic content.’ Nonetheless, if applied as an absolute or competitive preference priority, the proposed language could lead to de facto guidance on what constitutes acceptable historical interpretation. This would risk crossing statutory and constitutional lines designed to preserve local control and academic freedom.

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as reauthorized by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), explicitly prohibits the federal government from mandating or controlling curriculum or specific instructional content (20 U.S.C. § 6575). By conditioning grant funding on adherence to a government defined‑ interpretation of history, even indirectly, would exceed its statutory authority.

The First Amendment likewise protects freedom of speech and inquiry in our schools. The Supreme Court in West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette (1943) affirmed that no government official may prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics or nationalism. Academic freedom, as reaffirmed in Keyishian v. Board of Regents (1967), is essential to a healthy democracy. The Department’s final rule should explicitly reaffirm these protections to ensure that patriotic education promotes free inquiry rather than constraining it.

Educational and Economic Imperatives

All4Ed strongly supports the Department’s stated intent to promote “accurate and honest instruction.” To meet that goal, civic education must remain evidence-based and inclusive. Research demonstrates that students learn best when they analyze primary sources, debate multiple perspectives, and engage in inquiry-based learning. These practices develop critical thinking, empathy, and civic responsibility. America’s economic and civic vitality depend on students who can think critically, collaborate across lines of difference, and solve complex problems. Inquiry-based, evidence-driven instruction strengthens these skills and better prepares students for college, careers, and citizenship.

Requiring instruction to be solely ‘inspiring and ennobling,’ as the proposed priority states, discourages complex discussions about America’s past and present. Honest engagement with our history—including the moments when we fell short of our ideals—teaches students perseverance, innovation, and humility. Those are the qualities that have always fueled American progress, from the Revolution to the Civil Rights Movement to today’s scientific and technological leadership.

The same spirit that powered our industrial revolution, civil rights movement, and technological innovation stems from Americans’ ability to question, debate, and improve. Preserving that capacity in the classroom is an act of patriotism and prudence.

As written, the priority runs the risk of undermining the Department’s objectives as laid out in the definition of “patriotic education.” Presenting an “accurate, honest, unifying, inspiring, and ennobling characterization” of the founding and showing how the U.S. has “admirably grown closer to its noble principles throughout its history” requires teaching about the moments in our history where we have departed from the freedoms enshrined in our founding principles and how Americans have fought to bring us closer to them. Across the centuries since the country’s founding, patriotic Americans—from abolitionists to populist farmers to suffragists to civil rights leaders to advocates for LGBTQIA rights—have drawn on our founding principles to demonstrate how those principles require us to extend the same rights and freedoms to all Americans. A presentation of American history that papers over moments of division or tension makes it impossible to understand when and how we have grown closer to our founding principles. And the founders proved that disagreement doesn’t undermine Americans’ ability to find common purpose. There were many bitter disagreements among those who attended the Constitutional Convention in 1787; the founders forged compromises and ultimately united around our Constitution. The founders’ belief in the importance of pluralism and disagreement is part of our political tradition—and something we should embrace, not ignore.

Limiting the scope of civic instruction to particular civilizational or religious traditions may also have economic consequences. America’s strength lies in its diversity of thought and talent, which drive economic growth. Workplaces and democracies alike depend on individuals who can collaborate across differences and evaluate evidence with independence of mind. Encouraging a singular ideological lens threatens to narrow the intellectual flexibility that drives innovation and national competitiveness.

Given these educational and economic imperatives, we must carefully consider the path forward.

A Constructive Approach

All4Ed strongly recommends that the Department rescind this proposed priority in its entirety. The priority, as written, risks undermining the very principles of local control, academic freedom, pluralism, and inclusive education that have long strengthened American democracy.

However, should the Department move forward with this priority, we urge significant refinements to ensure it strengthens civic education without constraining it. Specifically, we recommend:

• Clarify that any use of this priority—whether absolute, competitive preference, or invitational—will not create de facto content mandates or narrow interpretations of American history.
• Broaden the definition of the ‘American political tradition’ to reflect the full range of civic influences that have shaped the United States, including Indigenous, African, Asian, Latin American, and immigrant contributions.
• Affirm that evidence-based instruction grounded in primary sources and multiple perspectives is the best way to prepare students for civic engagement and national unity.
• Reaffirm that local communities, families, and educators retain authority over curriculum decisions consistent with federal law.
• Support authentic civic learning that teaches constitutional principles, civic participation, respect for differing perspectives, and career-oriented STEM learning that prepares students to contribute meaningfully to the nation’s future prosperity.
• Continue investing in programs that strengthen literacy, civic reasoning, and career-connected learning—all essential to the future strength of our democracy.

Conclusion

America’s students deserve an education that builds pride through understanding, not ideology. A comprehensive and inclusive civics education provides them with the tools to uphold our nation’s founding principles while advancing them. By promoting policies grounded in truth, inquiry, and unity, the Department can help ensure that patriotic education uplifts every student and reflects the full strength of the American story.

All4Ed stands ready to collaborate with the Department and with partners across the political spectrum to advance civic education that prepares every student to thrive in college, career, and citizenship.

For questions regarding these comments, please contact Rebeca Shackleford, Director of Federal Government Relations, at rshackleford@all4ed.org.