##VIDEO ID:83171N5kwag## e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e a very good morning ladies and gentlemen uh welcome to your nation's capital to the committee on education and Workforce subcommittee on Early Childhood Elementary and secondary education I'm Aaron Bean welcome we're glad to have you here the subcommittee will come to order I know a quorum is present without objection the chair is authorized to call a recess at any time if you want to find Aaron Bean uh at the mall or in the library I'm going to give you a hint where I love to be it's the self-help section of the books I'm a junkie I buy them all the time I have a little mini Library uh what can I do to become more efficient or uh how can I do you name it to do it better so I'm always listening or or reading one of my favorites is Jim ran I don't know if you know him but uh just just a it's like talking to a friend when I read what he uh what he says his in fact his time management skills are are something that uh that I really pay attention to he actually is said time is our most valuable asset yet we tend to waste it kill it spend it in spend it rather than invest it and in no place is this more true than in our nation's classrooms our teachers have such limited time 180 days to teach our kids and they have such a limited window of learning new research published early this year by nwaa research shows that four years after the pandemic eighth graders are still a full year behind in math and reading in fact the average US student would need more than four months of school to catch up to prepandemic achievement levels we've had a committee based solely on how far behind the United States truly is after the pandemic but right now out of 38 major C countries the US sadly ranks 26 are you kidding me 26 in math Six in reading and 10th in science globally we don't have any time to waste and that should be a wakeup call to everybody we've got work to do so while the good news is we've turned to in-person instructions it's clear that our kids are in trouble why rather than a curriculum that focuses on helping students bounce back from covid setbacks our children are taught race inspired ideology today we're here to discuss the dangers of inher inherent in the curriculum being taught in American Elementary and secondary schools Chief among these dangers is that schools are substituting the traditional Narrative of this great but flawed Nation with political story built on racial resentment and Collective guilt the force is called critical race Theory or CRT it's a neo-marxist ideology that's crept into classrooms Across America and it's now reshaping how young people inter their identity and it's changing how they see themselves each other in our country now you may hear people say oh this isn't happening no that's just a thing of the past that can't possibly exist in American KR classrooms today well we've got evidence that it does and by taking these key elements and thrusting them on young impressional people that it's happening don't believe me we've got an Allstar panel represent presenting uh these 50 states that'll come bring their testimony CRT CRT teaches that every interaction between people is a struggle between oppressors and victims it tells children that race alone defines them this ideology creates division where none needs to exist breeding mistrust resentment and even hostility between young people who would otherwise share healthy friendships examples of CRT are abound in the classroom take for example California's ethnic studies model curriculum the program is rolling out next year and we require students to evaluate how their race gender class and sexual orientation involve oppression additionally crt's framework is distorted and applies how further division Foster animen animosity among the Jewish people we've had numerous examples that fail to give the full context of Jewish history on the Israeli Palestinian conflict we've had a meeting about that as well that anti-Semitism is Alive and Well in high schools Across America this isn't just about race or ethnicity in Chicago public schools have integrated gender ideology into their curriculum kindergarteners now learn about anatomy and by fifth grade students are introduced to Concepts like puberty blockers even more alarming the US Department of Education is quietly backing these approaches in 2023 it tied diversity equity and inclusion priorities to the long-standing American history and Civics grants program programs parents see this as a clear signal CRT is coming to the Local Schools but I've got good news America uh there are alternatives out there uh some that we'll hear from today the 1776 unites the Jack Miller Center and the University of North Carolina School of Civic life and leadership are organizations and initiatives built to emphasize the importance of Civic Civics understanding America's founding principles and promoting a free exchange of ideas now 10 or 20 years ago uh we would just simply call this history that's what we would call it uh now it's borderline rebellious to teach the importance of the American founding and the virtue of self-governance the stakes could not be higher time is ticking remember Jim Rome we got uh we' got uh we got Math and Science to teach so why are we even wasting any time on the on crazy stuff woke curriculum seeks to reshape the very Foundation of Western Civilization by rejecting the values of IND idual Liberty and responsibility that underpin our society it's educational malpractice to teach a generation of children to feel ashamed of who they are or see themselves as victims without hope or change we must fight for our kids and education the future of our nation depend on it that's why I'm looking forward to our hearing we've got a great panel that we'll get to in just a few minutes we'll have a great robust discussion and questions and so sit back and tune in thank you for America for watching as we have an an important hearing on curriculum in America I now yield to the ranking member for an opening statement uh thank you chairman bean and thank you to the witnesses for being here today and as we discuss the state of our K12 education system I want to emphasize that the federal government does not dictate curriculum nor should we this was once a non-controversial bipartisan value and I find it interesting that many my colleagues View School curriculum as a state and local issue only when schools are teaching Topics in a way they agree with the majority titled this hearing Back to Basics America's founding Civics and self-government in K12 curricula yet they often Advocate to block the teaching of facts and ideas set by state and local communities based on today's testimony one thing my colleagues and I can agree on is the importance of civics education students should be critical thinkers and informed participants in our democracy they should know and understand accurate and culturally relevant history I strongly support the great work of organizations like the national Center for civics education which runs excellent programs like project citizen with the Civics education program for Middle secondary and post-secondary students as well as Youth and adult groups in my home state of Oregon high school teams participate in the centers We the People competition organized in Oregon by our local nonprofit Civics learning project and I assure you that the students who participate know more about the Constitution than most members of Congress and although we appear to support civics education States and school districts ultimately decide what to teach their students that is how our national public school system has worked since America's founding so instead of spending time interfering with state and local decisionmaking we should talk about issues that Congress does have the power to influence we should talk about the unmet needs of students particularly students with disabilities students from low-income families students of color students who need counseling or Behavioral Health Care and youth experiencing homeless or living in foster care today committee Democrats will focus on one of those important issues the infrastructure of our schools our committee should be finding ways to make real tangible and positive differences in the lives of students teachers and our communities that's why we're here School infrastructure is not just about walls and ceilings of school buildings it's about the entire environment in which our children learn and right now far too many of these environments are unsafe outdated and desperately in need of repair the average public school in America is more than 50 years old and many have been crumbling for decades long before the pandemic poor ventilation broken heating and cooling systems outdated plumbing and lack of modern digital infrastructure those are just a few of the issues that students and teachers face daily these conditions are not only a distraction they pose serious health and safety risks to the millions of children and Educators who learn and work in these facilities the need for investment in public schools is evident that's why I want to emphasize the need for Congress to pass the rebuild America's schools act a crucial piece of legislation introduced by ranking member Scott and representative Norcross this bill represents a comprehensive investment in our school's physical and digital infrastructure focusing on those that face the most significant challenges and that's especially true in high poverty communities and I didn't know we were going to talk about Rankings today but so I didn't bring the statistics but if you adjust for income and socioeconomic status you're going to see very different results in school rankings this investment is not just about repairing buildings it's about investing in the health and safety of students and investing in our future as a nation it's not just a moral imperative it's an economic one according to the economic policy Institute each1 billion do spent on construction generates nearly 18,000 jobs this means that the rebuild America schools act $130 billion investment would create more than 2 million jobs when we invest in our schools we're improving learning environments while also stimulating the economy by creating good paying jobs across the country and notably nearly 54% of school districts report needing to replace or upgrade critical infrastructure in their school buildings according to a 2020 GAO report uh this NE neglect threatens students health and academic success and it's especially important in lowincome and rural areas where it's harder to raise local and state revenue we can and must do better there are many important issues we need to address in education and the condition of our school building should not be an afterthought it should be a top priority let's leave the curriculum to our local school boards and States children cannot learn in unsafe environments and a teacher cannot effectively teach in a building that's falling apart so I look forward to hearing from our Witnesses today I hope we can all agree on the urgency of this issue our children teachers and communities deserve schools that are safe healthy and conducive to learning thank you and I yield back thank you very much ranking man banamichi pursu to committee rule 8-c all committee members who wish to insert written statement to the record may do so by submitting them to the committee clerk electronically and Microsoft Word format by 5:00 p.m. after 14 days of the dated this hearing which is December 18th 2024 and without objection the hearing record will remain open for 14 days after this date uh of this hearing to allow such statements and other extra uh material reference during the hearing to be submitted for the official record I know for the subcommittee that some of the colleagues uh of our colleagues who are not permanent members of the subcommittee may be waving on for the purpose of today's hearing and now I turn to the introduction of our distinguished Witnesses making up our Allstar panel first up Mr Ian row who is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington DC where he focuses on education and upward Mobility Mr row serves a senior visiting fellow at the Woodson Center and is a writer for the 1776 unites campaign Mr row has an NBA from Harvard Business School and a BS in computer science engineering from from Cornell University Welcome Mr Ian our second witness is Dr Chad Atkins who is the director of the dean of the school of Civic life and Leadership at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill North Carolina Dr Atkins came to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in March of 2024 earli this year to become the inaugural director and Dean of the school of Civic life and Leadership previously he was at Duke University where he was a member of The Faculty since 20 9 there he was director of Duke's Civic civil discourse project which sponsored uh activities that promote uh an engageed discourse with the goal of creating intellect intellectually diverse communities and was also the faculty director of the transformative ideas programs for sophomores which includes an initiative on Civic life and thought Dr Atkins earned his uh his uh his degree in political thought and intellectual history and a PhD in in Classics both from the University of Cambridge and his AB in government and Classics from Bodwin College uh I yield to the ranking member for the introduction of our third witness uh thank you Mr chairman Mr Brian Kennedy is the director of legislative affairs at the international Union of Brick Layers and Allied crafts workers as a member of the build America's schools infrastructure Coalition or basic he advocates for the feder Federal role in modernizing public school buildings and grounds Nationwide he previously served as general counsel for the house committee on education and the workforce and held leadership roles at the US Department of Labor including National deputy director and assistant secretary Mr Kennedy earned his bachelor's degree from James Madison University and his JD from the University of Virginia school of law welcome Mr kened glad to have you here and our Final witness is Michael uh Weisner he's also a fellow Floridian from the free state of Florida uh we are suffering in this cold weather here but we'll get through it somehow Mr Weisner he's the chair of the board of directors at the Jack Miller Center in Philadelphia Pennsylvania Mr Weisner began his tenure as chair of the board of directors in March of earlier this year and serves as general partner of Lowel Associates LP a private investment partnership and as chair emeritus of the National Conference on citizenship the board which he led from 2008 to 2016 Mr Weiser uh received a b of Journalism degree from the University of Missouri and a native of Chicago He resides in Miami with his wife and serves as chair of the history Miami Museum from 2016 to 2020 we thank you for being here today all of our witness and I've mentioned to everybody except Mr Kennedy this five minute rule where everybody gets five minutes including our Witnesses make the most of it if you if you stray I'll give you a little tiny tap but uh no need for that we're going to have a a robust discussion so welcome and with that I am pleased to introduce and welcome Mr Row for your testimony um good morning chairman Bean ranking member banamichi and all of the committee members thank you very much for the opportunity to testify on America's founding Civics and self-govern government in K12 curricula I join you today wearing Three Hats uh first as chairman Bean mentioned as a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute where I search education and upward mobility and also lead something called the free initiative where I study the intersection of family religion education and Entrepreneurship I'm also a senior visiting fellow at the Woodson Center where I help develop free k to12 lesson plans 1776 unites that have now been downloaded more than 200,000 Times by teachers in all 50 states who want a more complete history of the African-American experience in the United States and finally in my third hat for the last 15 years I have led public charter schools including now as CEO of vertex Partnerships a virtues-based international bakalor at Public Charter High School that I founded in the sound view section of the Bronx New York now the reason I run schools is that I want our students to know that they can do hard things even in the face of inevitable challenges they can lead virtuous self-determined lives with meaning and purpose in a country that is not hostile to their dreams The Guiding premise is that a self-governing civil and free Society depends on a society populated by individuals who understand their history and who have the ability to self-govern their own behaviors that are both constrained and liberated by a set of common Civic virtues towards this end our high school vertex is organized around the four cardinal virtues of Courage Justice Temperance and wisdom these are called the cardinal virtues from the Latin root cardo which means hinge because they are the root virtues upon which all other standards of moral Excellence depend our students also recite the preamble to the Constitution each day to remind them that we are the people to shape the future in an envir in an environment that promotes school choice effort efforts like what we're doing at vertex the Woodson Center 1776 units curriculum and the ninth grade curriculum that we're now developing at a AI in partnership with Johns Hopkins to cultivate personal agency within students these are all necessary given the infusion of divisive ideologies now appearing throughout ourc 12 system which posit this oppressor versus oppressed framework based on identity groups in every American law and institution unfortunately examples abound such as the discredited New York Times 1619 project and the Pulitzer Center who produced curriculum like reparations math that promote black dependency or spread other falsehoods that America was founded as a slavocracy and not a democracy or that the founding principles were false when they were written or that the country was founded in 1619 and not not 1776 these are all falsehoods yet Atlantic magazine just published the death of American exceptionalism which makes the case that Young Americans no longer believe that their country is anything special in the early 1980s 67% of high school seniors agreed that quote qu despite its many faults America's system of doing things is still the best in the world end quote 67% in the early 1980s that number has now fallen to 27% in 2022 as a school leader I believe we must encourage a certain reverence for the constitution in today's students especially given the documents remarkable endurance in helping our country navigate the arduous path of fixing past wrongs for nearly nearly 250 years the key is to be honest those who seek to teach a sanitized version of History to achieve some false sense of patriotic education do our country and students a disservice and ironically so do those who cherry-pick the most egregiously cruel acts to weave together A Narrative of a permanent American malignancy of racism or some other form of Oppression in order to achieve civic pride we must have the confidence to tell the totality of American history in K to2 schools warts and all as a dividend by telling the truth of the inspiration and the setbacks the adversity and the triumph over adversity we will also inspire a reverence for Liberty and the American experiment thank you well done Mr row thank you so much up next is Dr Atkins your W you're uh you're recognized my friend welcome chairman Bean ranking member bonami distinguished members of the committee my fellow citizens uh thank you for inviting me to speak to you uh on the topic of civic education and in particular about the school of Civic life and Leadership at Chapel Hill uh at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill the acronym for this school is skill and that's how I'll be referring it to to it in my uh remarks this morning uh I'll also wear two hats one is as the schools inaugural director and Dean and second of all as a scholar in uh Greek and Roman political philosophy the history of uh Civic thought and political thought and contemporary discussions on uh civic education and civil discourse America is facing grave challenges to our Democratic life the rate of polarization is increasing Civic knowledge is lacking among our college students the majority of whom lack Elementary knowledge of our Democratic institutions such as the basic powers of our federal government for the purpose of the 13th Amendment public trust in our universities is rapidly declining more Americans 30% now have very little or no confidence in higher education than have a great deal of confidence 28% as I describe in detail in my written testimony the founders of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill established our nation's first Public University in 1789 to provide the people of North Carolina with a civic-minded liberal education skill's mission for civic education renews the promise of uncc's Founders who advocated for the University on the premise that the young people of our state would benefit from an education that looked to their happiness and helped them understand their social duties in a pluralistic society uncc's uh Founders understood that the search for human meaning was linked to living productive lives in a democracy skill promotes this Vision by fostering a free speech culture that enables students to explore their own worldviews and those uh of others in a spirit of curiosity and charity by considering the best of what has been thought and said about the perennial questions of human and Civic flourishing by coming to understand the shared institutions and Civic values that unite us as Citizens and then by practicing the habits of speaking working and living with folks from very different backgrounds before the creation of skill there was no single department at UNCC uh Chapel Hill devot to providing the sort of civic education I just described as you know if there is an important job but no one takes responsibility for it then the work won't get done skill ensures that the serious work of educating citizens to live and thrive in our pluralistic democracy will get done we are hiring the best faculty in the world committed to this Mission we hired 11 last spring and will be hiring more this year students are already taking classes and enrolled in our minor our courses were full this fall and enroll are shaping up to be very strong for the spring our spring offerings will help our students understand the main ideas and institutions of the American Civic tradition explore the role of Science in our public policy debates and learn to talk in a spirit of friendship across our deepest divides our minor includes courses and civil discourse that fulfill a graduation requirement that all students must complete curricular and co-curricular opportunities will help students put into practice civil discourse and wise decision making of leaders within the context of their chosen careers most of the real world is outside of the classroom and skill aims to set the table in numerous other venues for our Campus Community to explore issues in a spirit of friendship my written testimony lists these in detail so I'll just mention one now we are partnering with residential life to provide a civil discourse residential community in which our students will be empowered to live learn and think productively across difference as a flagship State University UNC Chapel Hill also has the duty to enrich the Civic life of the people of our state beyond our campus skill will be partnering with the school of government to provide education and civil discourse for our freshman state legislators a longer term aspiration involves K through2 work focusing on equipping our state's high school students and teachers with the capacity for civil discourse and knowledge of American uh political tradition providing High School teachers with effective pedagogy and curricula will help them prepare their students for the responsibilities of democratic citizenship in a pluralistic society among college students developing the capacities for leadership civil discourse and achieving deep Civic knowledge is especially important for those who may become our future School teachers and who will educate the next generation of citizens who are the future of our democracy those are just some of the ways in which skill will educate generations of thoughtful citizens who can speak live and work in our pluralistic democracy imagine the impact of such a civic education after 40 years I am convinced that our students St will change North Carolina our country and the world thank you well done uh Dr Atkins thank you so much up next is Mr Kennedy you are recognized my friend welcome uh thank you uh chairman Bean ranking member banamichi and members of the committee uh thank you for the opportunity to testify today on the critical and urgent need for federal investment to modernize our nation's Public Schools my name is Brian Kennedy and I serve as director of legislative affairs at the international Union of brick layers in Al craft workers I also serve as a board member of the build America schools infrastructure Coalition a diverse nonpartisan Coalition United in advocacy for a robust and reliable Federal role in modernizing the nation's public school buildings and grounds I speak to you today not only as an advocate for America's construction Workforce but as someone deeply committed to ensuring that every child in this country has the opportunity to learn and thrive in a safe modern and healthy school environment a DE 2023 survey of the United States Department of Education found that the average age of the main instructional building of our nation's Public Schools was 47 years this means tens of thousands of our nearly 100,000 Public Schools were constructed during a wave of investment in the mid 20th century and have since fallen into disrepair a 2020 GAO study found that an estimated 54% of schools need significant upgrades to their heating ventilation and air conditioning systems and also had other major systems like roofs plumbing and electrical needing to be upgraded or replaced additionally many school buildings do not meet modern standards for resilience and will not hold up to extreme weather local communities are working hard to address these challenges in fiscal year 2022 school districts spent nearly $80 billion in 2024 however conservative conservative estimate for what is needed is $130 to 1580 billion each year over the next 15 to 20 years to ensure responsible stewardship of this essential public good this is not a red State issue or a blue State issue it's a community issue it's about ensuring that all children regardless of their zip code have access to safe and conducive learning environments without a local state and federal partnership to address the crisis the problem will only worsen the decrepit conditions of our school facilities have a profound effect on both health and academic outcomes poor indoor air quality caused by failing HVAC systems has been linked to higher rates of asthma and respiratory illness leading to increased absenteeism among students and staff Studies have shown that students in well-maintained modern buildings perform better academically with fewer disruptions and higher rates of teacher retention we must ask ourselves how can we expect our children to compete in a 21st century global economy when they are learning in 20th century or even 19th century buildings investing in school modernization is not only about improving education it's about creating jobs and bolstering local economies Federal funding to address School infrastructure would directly support the construction industry creating millions of jobs for skilled construction workers these are good paying middleclass jobs that help families build stable Futures while addressing a critical National need moreover modernizing schools strengthens communities public schools are often the heart of local neighborhoods serving as polling places and community meeting spaces a federal investment in school infrastructure is an investment in the social fabric of our communities historically the federal government has played a limited role in funding School infrastructure leaving States and local districts to Bear the Brun of these costs however the scale of the crisis demands Federal leadership and days dollars it requires a minimum of another $50 billion of stable funding per year over the next 15 years to directly Support Facility improvements that is why the BAC has endorsed the rebuild America schools act razza legislation sponsored by ranking member Bobby Scott and representative Donald Norcross that invests 130 billion in our nation's School infrastructure improves students academic performance and creates more than 2 million jobs and while while we continue to support razza we are open to other creative approaches to addressing this critical issue what we know for sure is that the status quo is not working today I urge this committee to Champion a bipartisan effort to provide robust Federal funding for public school infrastructure by doing so we can ensure safe and healthy learning environments create millions of jobs strengthen communities prepare for the future As We Gather here today millions of students are sitting in classrooms with cracked ceilings inadequate Heating and unsafe drinking water their teachers are doing their best under impossible conditions our children deserve better and as a nation we can and must do better modernizing America's Public Schools is not just an investment in infrastructure it's an investment in our future I urge the committee to take bold action and Lead the Way in providing the federal assistance our schools so desperately need thank you Mr Kennedy thank you very much well done uh brought it in for a landing very nicely let's go to our final witness Mr wiser you are uh recognized welcome to the committee thank you very much chairman Bean ranking member bonami distinguished members of the subcommittee thank you for the opportunity to appear today to discuss the state of civic education in America I am chair of the Jack Miller Center a nonpartisan Nationwide network of Scholars dedicated to reinvigorating education in America's founding principles in history I do this work work as a volunteer as a concerned Citizen and so it is a special honor to be here today to testify thank you at the Jack Miller Center we do not have a set of prescriptive policies to enact let alone a model curriculum to suggest rather I'm here to provide a descriptive vision of the democratic Heritage we must pass to each generation of Americans JMC stands neither on the right nor the left but on the side of optimism about America's future and faith and its fundamental principles we believe that the ideals of the American founding are the preparan inheritance of every citizen and we therefore believe that every citizen deserves an education in these principles anyone who has lived this decade can tell you our nation has had some hard days during another bitter election season civil dialogue was all but absent from the news media to social media even at our holiday tables our current Civic culture sees not seeks Common Ground especially troubling was a November 4th Wall Street Journal report that Civics teachers were steering clear of the election or really any current political issue in their classrooms political campaigns and National issues are crucial opportunities for teachers to engage students in the Democratic process and teach them to become thoughtful citizens yes there are teachers who have taken it upon themselves to teach their personal politics but many more teachers I believe understand their critical role and simply lack the confidence to lead their students in political discussions they are provided with limited uh educational resources and limited content-based uh Career Development while having to cope with a volatile political climate and a culture that devalues what Americans hold in common we need to work together to find solutions for this crisis of confidence we need to support Civics teachers in any way we can so they can teach students to grow into their roles as young citizens who take responsibility for self-government I come with hopeful news today last month JMC held its third National Summit on civic education our country is experiencing a Renaissance of interest in civic education and none too soon at colleges across the country traditional fields of liberal education from history and Poli iCal thought to philosophy and literature have been disappearing the move away from core knowledge has trickled down to the K through 12 cast classroom for 20 years JMC has worked to fill this Gap by supporting Scholars devoted to teaching America's founding principles in history our programs also aim to empower K through2 teachers with a deep understanding of core text great debates and great moments in our history we work with the top professor in our network of 1200 Scholars to provide rigorous professional development and Innovative classroom models that give teachers the knowledge and confidence they need across the country we've found Partners who share our reverence for the American political tradition we have witnessed for example a rising desire to reincorporate Civics into College University curricula expressed in new programs at Stanford Purdue and John's Hopkins to name a few and after Decades of underfunding a number of state legislatures are now stepping up to provide support for interdisciplinary departments at public universities dedicated to the kind of education and staffed by Leading political scientists historians economists and other Scholars that you heard about today from Jed Atkins another benefit of this emerging movement for civics and higher education is Advanced civic education for teachers Arizona State University and Utah Valley University the latter in partnership with uvu's school of education have introduced Innovative graduate programs for civics and history teachers to advance their knowledge of the subjects they teach the Beating Heart of American civic education will always be at the K through 12 level we need to redouble our efforts to teach students about all of America's history the good and the bad the occasion of America's 250th birthday presents an opportunity for this Civic education renewal we believe that the Civics curiosity that characterized our Bicentennial can again take hold in 2026 and we certainly need to make the most of that opportunity thank you very much thank you Mr Weiser well done uh well done under the committee rule nine we will now question Witnesses under the five minute rule I will begin first and will recognize myself for five minutes put the clock on me so I'm made some bold statements I've said critical race theory is here it's uh taking over our schools I need uh some backup uh Mr row is is it true that uh critical race theory is here in uh American schools unfortunately the answer to that question put uh your your mic you say yes is it yes should we be worried about it unfortunately the answer to your question uh is yes okay Mr uh Mr Dr Atkins is it here am I just making this up is the old is the chairman crazy or is it really here well this is not my yeah critical race theory in high school is not my area of expertise so I will uh uh yield to to Dr row on this one very good we're not teaching critical thought though that is your expertise and uh we could do better teaching kids how to think yeah certainly uh you know uh students come in uh to college as I said before uh uh not prepared to have conversations across difference and uh the good news is the desire for them to have conversation across difference is very high uh but their own assessment of their preparedness is is very low 104 104 uh Mr Weiser uh I know you're specializing in Civics and I appreciate the the uh your voice I can tell there's great excitement and enthusiasm and and you sense uh you must have read Mr Ron's book about a sense of urgency to get it done uh Civics is there a uh is there a problem with uh Civics being taught in American schools right now turn that mic on Mr Weiser certainly there's a gap and um it cannot be filled with alternative U uh theories about how we came to be we have something in common we have to share that and um uh in so doing we build citizens whole citizens self-reliant citizens very good thank you uh Mr row you mentioned that the Woodson Center curriculum offers lessons on black excellence in the face of uh unimaginable diversity how does the curriculum strike the balance between being honest about America's history without demonizing America good question and just on your question earlier about critical race Theory it's important to recognize some of its original uh constructionists you know they Define critical race Theory it Embraces incrementalism unlike traditional civil rights critical race Theory questions the very foundations of the liberal order including equality Theory legal reasoning Enlightenment rationalism and neutral principles of constitutional law this is exactly not the type of theory we need taught in our schools nor the practices such as privilege walks or professional development which separates uh teachers by race and other uh uh destructive actions in terms of the Woodson Center curriculum this concept of teaching American history warts and all let me give you one example from the free from the free units we've created the Tulsa Massacre is often a topic that's controversial in how it's taught some people say it's not taught at all or it's sanitized in our uh uh curriculum the first lesson within the uh Telsa masar is all about how was it that during Jim Crow segregation that these black entrepreneurs raise Capital build wealth create Black Wall Street if that kind of success could have been achieved when racism was essentially enshrined into law through Jim Crow segregation why can't that same level of success be achieved today so that's the first lesson the second lesson then talks about the Tulsa massacre in all of its horror not uh sugarcoated at all you just be very honest about what occurred but then the final lesson is about the rebuilding of Tulsa and our sens is that's the approach through the entire curriculum tell the entire story have confidence that American history rightly told in a comprehensive fashion will inspire the very reverence I think we all seek thank you thank you uh Dr Atkins uh you touched briefly uh on what you're doing you're teaching kids to think and having a space where there can be a dialogue of uh of diversity uh tell us uh how you have Set uh UNC Chapel Hill on fire and the whole nation now is watching what's going on there well that's a big question uh but uh essentially what we're doing is inviting uh students in to have conversations across difference giving the capacity uh in the classroom uh and outside of the classroom and fundamental to this is having uh uh again understanding the American political tradition so they're reading the founding documents uh they're reading the Declaration the Federalist Anti-Federalists the Gettysburg address the Emancipation Proclamation letter from the Birmingham Jail uh and then also uh being exposed to and participating in the vigorous debates of Liberty and equality creating diversity of thought thank you uh very much I know we'll hear more with other questions uh I have to call the gavel on myself because my time has expired I now recognize ranking member Bon anichi you are recognized five minutes thank you chairman me and thank you um to the witnesses for your testimony very much appreciated it I I I want to reiterate that the federal government does not should not dictate curriculum and you're using the term critical race Theory without really defining it and as you likely know is a legal Theory posited by Derek Bell who happened to be the dean of my law school but is not a K12 issue uh I have to say uh your own Witnesses Mr chairman uh support an accurate teaching of history and I don't think any of us debate that students should be taught an accurate uh rendering of History I support a public school system where every student has access to a well-rounded education that includes Civics and the Arts and the humanities in fact Dr Atkins you make a very good case for Liberal Arts education at the University level and it's a conversation I hope to have someday in the higher education subcommittee uh I don't think you will find a disagreement about the about that but you mentioned also the lack of confidence in higher education uh I've sat in this committee for several years and heard numerous times my colleagues on the other side of the albash higher education and I recall several years ago a senator who was once for president saying we don't need any more philosophy Majors we need more welders I happen to think we need both does anybody disagree that we need both philosophy majors and welders nobody's raising their hand there I like welders that study philosophy perfect but this is supposed to be a hearing about K12 curriculum but we are not a school board and instead of discussing the details of what schools are teaching we should focus on who has access to high quality learning environments and that's something that does in fact fall under the prview of the federal government our focus should be on Equity of opportunity and it's impossible to achieve uh educational Equity when school segregation remains pervasive many more students attend schools in high poverty districts at low poverty districts yet High poverty districts spend about a billion dollars Less on Capital Construction so Mr Kennedy how does the investment Gap exacerbate segregation and why is it important for Congress to include funding for school infrastructure in its year-end funding package as well as the next fiscal year budget to make long-term investments in New School construction well thank you for the question yeah the uh inequity in our school system is really reflected in the uh facilities that the students are attending that as you mentioned High poverty schools are not in a position to do the kind of financing that other schools can do uh the vast majority of funding for school facilities comes from the local level the state of our schools report indicated it was about 77% local which is mostly based on property taxes 22% State and the federal government at 1% so it the inequity in our educational system is reflected throughout in every aspect of education and it sends a a bad message to students that we send them to go to schools that are falling apart and on on the on the contrary think about the message it sends for students to go into a school building that's fully equipped and healthy uh I in the district I happen to represent I have some brand new school buildings in wealthier districts and I have some really old buildings that are uh in need of desperate repair particularly in the more rural areas so when you think about investments in school infrastructure um it sends a message to low-income students that we don't care about their communities and to uh if they're in Rundown buildings or lack the resources what to message does it send to parents what message does it send to the community and how does having a dilapidated and outdated School uh building affect the surrounding Community as well as the students who go to school there so I guess another aspect of that is that the fact that uh going to school is mandatory so we're requiring students to spend six to eight hours a day and sometimes in buildings that are safe and unhealthy so that it I mean as I said it it sends a bad message to them that we don't think their education is important that we don't think they're important uh that their Community hasn't invested in them and when a new school building is built or a building is renovated what does it do to the surrounding community and the property values it helps and and it also creates jobs good paying jobs that are career sust sustaining jobs it creates other jobs in the community for uh suppliers and uh others who participate in that uh it reflect reflects throughout investment in infrastructure is an investment that creates growth and so pays for itself to some extent I appreciate that and I'm just about out of time but I want to reiterate to my colleagues this is something we can and should be doing we want every student to be learning uh in a a building that is safe uh and and clean with safe drinking water and the technological advancements they deserve so I I would like to see that investment made and I urge my colleagues to to continue the conversation and I yield back the balance of my time thank you very much let's go to the great state of Pennsylvania Mr Thompson you are recognized for five minutes chairman thank you so much I know this s this uh hearing thank you to all our Witnesses for being here I know this hearing is not about infrastructure but I will say we don't need new legislation when it comes to infrastructure being a recovering School Board member but what we need are some corrections in terms of uh Congress F at some point meeting its obligation of 40% funding for special education that was the promise was made uh when ID a was enacted into law we're in the teens we're nowhere close and quite frankly uh I'll put a plugin for my as act all children are equal when it comes to Title One funding as many of the schools you're talking about um maybe would have some additional uh quite frankly uh uh Financial assets to be able to invest more in their schools so we don't need uh more bureaucracy I think there's some things that we need to correct um thank you for again for a Witnesses Mr wiser thank you for your leadership of uh of the uh uh of the center in uh in Philadelphia area uh an incredible organization I'm looking forward to actually working more with you on this in your testimony I was particularly struck by your statement that we have a crisis of knowledge in the country right right now when it comes to Civics education and unfortunately I agree as you noted I believe that there's no time better than the president to address this crisis given the 250th celebration of our nation's founding coming up in less than two years I've often said that education is a pathway to opportunity I believe there's no better occasion to help promote our nation's history values and traditions than our 250th birthday so Mr wiser how do you think we can use this upcoming celebration to inspire the next generation of Civic leaders it's an interesting question thank you for it Mr Thompson the um the bicentennial um uh in in 1976 triggered um an interest in Civics um uh uh Recreations um uh uh history novels became best sellers um um made the careers of people like David McCulla um uh we think that same interest can be kindled in 2026 we've worked closely at at the Jack Miller Center with Victoria Hughes uh whom you may know who is um uh the co-chair for civics education for uh America 250 I think um uh that's also a start because we'll have a second uh 250th celebration coming up some years after um uh on the 250th founding of the of the Constitution itself and so this Runway if if you will creates a real opportunity to uh rekindle interest and and activity yeah I think it's exciting opportunity absolutely um as we've heard in your testimony part of the issue is is a crisis of confidence in the classroom unfortunately too often these days facts are being needlessly politicized for example I think everyone can agree that all voting age adults in this country should be able to name the three branches of government uh however a 2023 survey from the anenberg public policy Center found that only 17% of all Americans uh could not even name one branch of government this is a failure in education and we must do better in K through 12 level educating the Next Generation each year I'm proud to organize and participate in an event called government Outreach uh back in my district um I use uh local universities I represent a third of land mass of Pennsylvania so we spread these three things out for accessibility and the event is for high school students throughout the northwest and central Pennsylvania an opportunity to get involved in government ask questions and discuss current issues with a variety of speakers from different backgrounds and over the years I found that what makes events like these so successful is that high school students have rarely had the opportunity to interact with their government at any level or ask meaningful questions of their elected officials and trust me these kids are prepared when they show up for government Outreach days I get my hardest questions from them um uh so Mr uh wiser given your work at the Jack Miller Center how can we as a nation make government and Civics more personal for our nation's youth to help educate them about our history civil discourse and our nation's values thank you for the question um we can talk about buildings and curricula and and and all the rest and those are important elements obviously in an educational system but the in they're two intangibles one is curiosity we talked about that before the other is confidence are we arming our teachers with what they need to do a really good job of teaching our culture of teaching our of our our um history of teaching our way way of doing governmental business I mean these are things that when we boil it all down we all have and and for some to get it and for others to not get it is one of the cruestv a chance to finish your thought in just a second but first let's go to the great state of Connecticut where representative Hayes is recognized for questions good morning everyone thank you all so much for being here I'm feverishly writing because my whole line of questioning is changing because I realize I don't really have any questions because I'm not really sure what the outcome or the expected outcome of this hearing is right now uh the title of this hearing is Back to Basics America's founding Civics and self-government in K12 curricula however as my colleague representative banamichi stated the federal government has no role in curriculum so I'm not really sure what it is we're supposed to gauge from this panel and as I've listened to the witnesses that information has become less and less clear I do agree with uh chairman Thompson over there about uh the need to fully fund Ida and special education that would be a tremendous use of our time and if it if this committee could actually achieve that I think that uh we will have done some good work I've heard reference to critical race Theory by several people on this committee I can tell you I was a public education a public school teacher history teacher for 15 years all of my training my undergraduate degree my masters my postgraduate degree were all in education and we never had any reference to critical race Theory I never had any professional development that separated me by race and taught this because it is just not taught or discussed at the K12 level so not really sure why it's a part of this hearing today it is a legal Theory taught in law school and if that needs to be said once again I'll say that I have sat on curriculum committees I have been a part of curriculum committees I have led curriculum committees I don't know that everyone in this room can say that and I can say on those committees we've had Regional School District leaders local Educators teachers parents and even students and never once did we solicit or ask for the input of federal legislators or or lawmakers so again this just doesn't make sense in the state of Connecticut the people decided by a vote at the state legislator that we would teach African-American and Puerto Rican studies so that is taught in state of C of Connecticut decided by the people of Connecticut and the curriculums are developed locally I do agree with Mr row when you were talking about teaching about the Tulsa race riots because I also taught African-American history and I agree that um we have to examine the successes that the people in that Community had but we cannot do that while ignoring the conditions that made that race riot happen it is teaching students all of the perspectives given them all of the information and then teaching them how to critically analyze how to evaluate primary and second secondary sources how to um determine bias all of those things but not to Shield or sugarcoat to use your word um areas that are in history I've never seen actually federal law prohibits the federal government from exercising control over local curriculums in section 438 of the general education Provisions acts it's states that the federal government and I quote cannot exercise any direction supervision or control over curriculum program instruction Administration or Personnel of any educational institutions schools or school systems or over the selection of Library resources textbooks or other printed or published instructional materials by any educational institution or school system end quote federal government has no role in local curriculum in my state State once again state of Connecticut the state decides the framework which is General standards like I said evaluating sources determining biases um human interaction geographical movements those really large overarching themes but the way that is taught is decided at the local level not in congress not here so while we can pretend and ignore that very basic fact I'm I'm going to State it over and over again this is a a solution looking for a problem and it is not our problem to solve we can work on funding education we can work on the way that the federal government interacts with State um school districts but deciding local curriculum is not our job and anyone who has any background and knowledge on Educators on education on what Educators actually do in the classroom on the people who choose the profession as a life choice and are truly invested in improving outcomes for students and making them College and Career ready will understand that this is not where that takes place I yell back thank you very much let's go to the great state of Utah where Mr Owens is recognized for questions first of all thank you uh so much I appreciate chairman V your open statement appreciate the innovators that sit in front of us um we have one promise that began from the very beginning of our nation um opportunity for life liberty and pursuit of happiness that begins with education um every child no matter what ZIP code they live in what color they have what the background deserves life living and pursuit of happiness let me tell you what that's not happening in some of the highest per student districts and states in our country State of California $22,000 per child State of California 75% of the black boys in state of California cannot read right and think Baltimore 22 $21,000 per student Baltimore 23 schools with zero Proficiency in math so do we owe our kids an opportunity to think how about Choice which the other side seems to have a real problem with that one choice works because parents have a chance to see failing schools failing curriculums to say you know what I do see critical race Theory and I want out of this one so for those who don't believe critical race theory is prevalent need to wake up my friends there's a reason why our country is heading direction we're going in right now and we're going to change that we're going to put moving forward innovators who understand the power of our country is to make sure our kids can think that's our national secur that's a national security issue if there's any ever if there's ever been one and we're going to make sure our kids moving forward thank goodness for the tracta our kids can think be proud of who they are be sought after around the world we don't have to bring in smart people from China students and parents trust teachers provide objective and corre uh correct accurate lessons of our to our children I believe our teachers operate in the classroom in such a manner many do there are some Educators who who utilize IDE uh ideas and lessons from harmful curriculum to indoctrinate our K children instead of opening their minds to a variety of perspectives and thoughts I'm glad that today our witnesses will be addressing how we can discuss difficult subjects in a very constructive manner by the way I love uh what we said earlier what do we've taught confidence and wi Mr wise I'm going to ask you confidence and curiosity thank you for that that's what we need we're going to get it back uh Mr Ro uh you you you point to the rise of divisive ideologies like critical race Theory and it's impact on education in your view how should lawmakers and Educators address the challenge of creating a curriculum that Fosters an understanding of American History while avoiding the narrative that divides students along ra racial and ideological lines y thank you for the question I know that it's just question what is the role of the Federal Government I think one of the benefits of this hearing is highlighting those examples of curricula that does reflect American founding principles that reflects the equality of opportunity the ideas that undergird uh America when we launched our Woodson Center curriculum we honestly had no idea that we would now have teachers thousands of teachers in all 50 states downloading this curriculum more than 200,000 times specifically because they were looking for curricula that was not being taught in their current schools it was either restrictive or embedded principles of critical race Theory so I think this idea that it's not happening um is is is missing what's act what's actually uh relevant in schools and let me just close with you just raised a a I think a crucial point that is intertwined with improved civic education and that's the concept of school choice we launched our school in the Bronx in a school district in which only seven per of kids graduate from high school ready for college right that means 93% of students started nth grade and either dropped out over the course of four years or they did earn their high school diploma but still could not do math nor reading without remediation if they were to go to school and yet in New York City there's a cap on Charter Schools if you had the idea to create a great school you couldn't do it so if you were imagine you were a 22-year-old mom in that district and your your sentence to send your kid to a school that is teaching content that you don't believe and yet you are uh restricted to send your kid even to a beautiful school that's a I built an 85,000 foot building in the heart of the South Bronx I'm a big big believer in infrastructure but if the parent doesn't have the right to the ability to send their kid to that school what have we done thank you and I'm so sorry we R out of time m w I was going to thank you for your uh highlight of uh UVU um doing some great things Utah and I want I I I really want to work with you as close as I can all of you because we need to make sure we're putting this as a priority we'll get that done as we innovate moving forward thank you so much for that thank you Mr Owens let's go to the great state of California Mr dool you're recognized welcome God those years in French class worked your pronunciation gets better and better all the time thank you just a observation following in the last uh conversation one of the things in Civic engagement in schools and just your comments about uh parents feeling accessible in the last 15 years we've hardened schools that we were spending money on on making them community- based schools particularly in people places like the Bronx and Harlem and where I live in the Bay Area and it was Working Families particularly single parent families felt like they could take their kids to school go to after school programs and the physical infrastructure was changing in California and around the country especially in urban areas like that and we knew that it worked that after school programs worked when parents felt like they could go there and it was a community center one of the things is so discouraging life last 10 years in particulars we've had to harden all those schools I mean we had to because of violence in schools about the access to guns in this country so the cause and effect on citizenship I think is just so remarkable to sit here and listen to citizenship and the basic principle of schools being community centers in this country where people and parents and kids can go and interact and we know that when parents are engaged with their kids physically and emotionally and in disadvantaged communities where they can go and feel safe there and what we've done because we allow for the pro proliferation of weapons in this country is just astounding to me on citizenship just a my two cents worth listening to this Mr Kennedy it's great to see you looking very distinguished I I know that Mr Scott NY didn't give you any of those gray hairs that you have but they look distinguished um I want to ask you ask you about um governmental accountability office and two-thirds of school districts in the US have schools with physical barriers that limit access for kids with uh disabilities and maybe out of compliance with the Americans at Disability Act school districts cited finding Rec constrains as a challenge to bringing their facilities into compliance so in the context of my earlier conversations and just how we've had to rep prioritize for affected communities um what do you have comments about that kind of money and disadvantages Civic engagement from at risk kids and dis kids with disabilities thanks for the question good to see you again I yeah the gray hair does come whether you want it or not I I think because we have schools that are 50 years old they don't reflect modern policies so they were built before we had uh the Americans with Disabilities Act they were built before we had standards to withstand severe weather so it's just another example of how important it is to get have updated facilities that can address all those modern needs I wanted to ask you about um the federal assistance from the American Recovery and reinvestment act and the requirement in oura in of 2009 uh to comply with Davis bacon Prov Visions to make sure in my community that makes sure that um local hire uh highly trained people go in and actually do the work that as a former small business owner you could physically see the effect of that as that multiplied into the community so could you speak to the importance of having Davis bacon Provisions in this in in terms of Civic engagement that the those folks go out and they work on the schools um their kids often go to those schools but they get livable weight in high cost areas like the ones I represent in the Bay Area so Davis bacon was enacted to protect local standards and part of it was because local workers have pride in the work they're doing and care about what they're giving to the community I Davis bacon was enacted back in the 1930s and the sponsors were John Davis a Republican senator from Pennsylvania and uh Robert bacon a republican congressman from New York uh it was signed into law by by Herbert Hoover and those members who sponsored the original Law did it because they wanted to protect local standards it's important to have good wages and benefits to help your community that Hoover you know he he's a socialist from the Bay Area um at least for four years well I want to thank you for those comments I do I do really want to thank um the chair and chair of the full committee and the ranking members I think this is a good subject um Civic engagement education at the federal level Although our limits around curriculum that's been stated but still the importance of our engagement in it it clearly is needed on a bipartisan level and hopefully future hearings will um be more like that nice to see you Mr Kennedy thank you very much let's go to the great state of Michigan where Mr wallberg is recognized for five minutes thank you Mr chairman thanks for allowing me to wave on to the committee and U thanks to our our chairman of the full committee for this new AV system it's been a long time coming but we're enjoying it today um I thank the committee for holding this important and I believe it is an important hearing today that we ought to be considering because uh 9% of federal funding goes to K12 schools but 90% of our bureaucracy regulatory environment goes to our K12 schools so we're having an impact um our children's future is built on the Education Foundation they receive in their Elementary in secondary school rightfully so education is not listed anywhere in our Federal Constitution and federal government should not dictate curriculum in schools I'll say that very clearly it is therefore the critical role of the state and local leaders to rigorously vet all curriculum in their schools and parents have a right to know what their students are being taught so they can be partners in their child's education and ensure their child is in the best setting for them to thrive even if it's a charter school we have known for years that despite historic investments in education buildings and other things schools failing our next generation are prevalent in Chicago my hometown two out of three students in third through 8th grade cannot read proficiently and when compared to other High developed countries the US ranks 26th in math the pandemic highlighted these deficiencies even further parents finally had a window into the indoctrination that was taking place with teachers focusing on crte that they were indoctrinated in in the schools of Education from which they gained their degrees rather than Reading Writing and arithmetic School staff were more concerned about their own pronoun rather than students understanding how to use a pronoun in a sentence and perhaps most concerning school districts and States saying to parents quote you don't have a right to know what's happening to your child in school this is wholly unacceptable and why parents across the country have said enough is enough Mr Ro thank you for your efforts and your examples that it can be done you mentioned that teaching critical race Theory distracts from widespread academic underachievement could you elaborate on this a bit more and explain in your view the harm of teaching CRT to students and again confirm that there is C CRT being taught in our local K12 schools the the uh the point that uh Congress person Hayes was mentioning was critical race Theory as a legal concept no you won't hear that in first grade but you will see practices such as uh learning walks where children are lined up in a horizontal line and a teacher will say take uh two steps forward if you're white and take three steps backward if you're black or there will be different policies around uh uh State assessments if there are racial disparities in outcomes and this ideology that racial disparities must equal racism or structural racism so therefore for let's eliminate objectives assessments and standards those are the specific practices undergirded by the ideology driving critical race Theory so those things are very very prevalent and we all want to eliminate those kinds of practices but then I come back to this point of choice if you're a 22-year-old mom who has a 5-year-old kid and you want the best for your child you don't have time to waste to wait for all these magical uh improvements to occur you want the ability to send your kid to a great school today and so this uh conference I think is very very important and it has to be intertwined with the importance of school choice thank you Mr row uh Dr Atkins congratulations on your show of success as well I know you've spoken a lot about the role that social media plays in coarsening our civil discourse how have you seen social media use harm uh use harm use harm young people especially when it comes to fostering values key to a self-governing society such as civil dialogue and mutual understanding I just uh finish reading the anxious generation uh I I agree with most all of what I read in there and I'm shocked with what I've what I've seen but could you respond sure well social media incentivizes people often to think in terms of in groups and out groups and often in binaries uh there's like and dislike buttons and there's no maybe like button s uh civil discourse is a base a human work that requires face-to-face interaction in truth that's AC and Trust that's acquired in formal and informal settings and that's one reason why we at Carolina are setting up a civil discourse community so that students can have uh those late night uh dorm conversations uh again uh getting to know one another face to face thank you my time has expired thank you very much let's go to the great state of Virginia Mr Good you were recognized for five minutes thank you Mr chairman the most historical state of all the great state of Virginia uh Mr row and our other Witnesses thanks for being with us here today we continue to hear stories of how and where CRT has been incorporated into government School curriculums blaming everything on Race look at it looking at everything through a racial lens determined to divide students and individuals based on race designating victims and oppressors based on race dishonestly presenting our nation's founding and our history denying the progress that's been made in this country uh for example the election of a black president the election of a black vice president our current Black House minority leader and yet somehow Democrats repeat the lie that CRT is not in arcad 12 schools of course we don't have in K2 schools a class called CRT but can you speak once again to how this harmful Dogma this harmful ideology permeates the classrooms and the curriculums in our government schools yeah I I did give a few examples but let me also say we are so fixated on Race according to the nation's report card the national assessment for educational progress there has never been a year in which a majority of white students are reading at grade level at fourth grade 8th grade and 12th grade so if we were to close this racial achievement Gap that we often talk about between black and white students all we will have achieved is achieving Universal mediocrity and so this obsession with critical racer we we're spending so much time talking about issues of race we have wide a widespread literacy crisis it's a huge distraction and it is much more likely that the reasons all kids across race are not reading at grade level is because we don't have focus on things like the science of reading accurate access to high quality curricula that is very uh comprehensive and accurate that's what we should be spending our time on versus the practices associated with critical race theory that often end up perpetuating the very division that it is uh asserting to address widespread mediocrity does seem to be the goal of some uh and you can see what the priorities are by what we Fund in Virginia there's many examples of uh racist CRT ideology in our government schools in albam Maro County in the Charlottesville area in my district parents actually sued the government schools over curriculum infested with CRT because they understood that teaching children to treat people differently based on race is not only wrong but it's illegal that's why I sponsored a bill by the way defending Stu student Civil Rights Act to clarify that it's a violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to teach critical race theory in schools that receive Government funding and with all of these examples it's even worse when it's the federal government that's funding it uh and we got numerous examples of that schools use their covid-19 funding to promote these CRT ideas under a guise of managing the problems or managing the pandemic I should say Virginia's Board of Education reported that covid-19 funds were used to support Virginia's quote roadmap to equity end quote the Virginia Plan promises to advance racial equity and hold a commitment to the principles of anti-racism of course the Biden Administration has made racial ideology a budget priority requesting $100 million in new spending recently to support racial and socioeconomic diversity in schools calling for 468 million for Community Schools program that embeds uh culturally relevant ideology and restorative justice practices and then in the parents defending education's online indoctrination map shows hundreds of examples of government schools promoting CRT curriculum and policies that directly impact students uh how widespread is this in your studies in your experience how widespread is this in our nation's government schools I would say it's relatively right widespread when you use the term racial Equity that is a euphemism for equal outcomes by racial group and so for example any racial disparity then becomes the goal is to close that Gap so again I share that there has never been a majority of white students uh reading at grade level so equaling so so achieving racial outcomes by group again it's this idea of universal mediocrity the idea of eliminating objective assessments at the state level there are many states now that are eliminating even in New York state we're about to eliminate the the New York state regions which for years has been the gold standard for how a student would demonstrate that they actually know reading and math sufficient sufficiently to graduate but those uh objective assessments are being eliminated across the country it's a real tragedy because now they're being replaced with a morphous mechanisms by which students demonstrate uh that they're graduating from high school ready for college thank you Mr row thank you all of our Witnesses and I yield back Mr chairman thank you very much let's stay with the great Commonwealth of Virginia and recognize the ranking member on the committee of Education Workforce Mr Scott you're recognized thank you thank you Mr chairman um you we've heard a lot about critical work race Theory and it is in fact an elective taught in some law schools so you need a high school diploma four years of college probably a year law school as a prerequisite to even take the course students G through 12 obviously don't have that background and calling every mention of race CRT is absurd and furthermore as it's been frequently mentioned on this side the curriculum is not directed by the federal government so if there is a decision to teach CRT and include CRT in the curriculum the Federal Ro federal government would have no role in that decision under present education policy now maybe we should revisit that policy and have the federal government involved in curriculum so I'd ask Mr row should the federal government direct how the Tulsa race riot ought to be taught H that's a great question the answer is no what I think is well okay well anybody on the on the panel think that the federal government or inject itself on local decisions on curriculum whether you agree with what is in the curriculum or not anybody want the federal government in that okay well again I would just offer up that I think it's very helpful again as we've learned from the Woodson Center curriculum there are hundreds of thousands of teachers begging for highquality curricular resources because they feel what they're teaching is not representative so when we have more than 200,000 downloads by teachers in all 50 states that does suggest that there is a role for exemplars of high quality we're we're federal government and the question was whether or not the federal government ought to inject itself in curriculum and the unanimous response I heard was no we should not involve ourselves in the curriculum um and so Mr Kennedy welcome back to the committee you've been here many times and you've outlined the problem of school infrastructure and how the problem is worse because we fund local education primarily with the real estate tax guaranteeing that low-income areas will have a harder time funding education than wealthier areas uh how do low income communities pay for schools now at primarily through local property tax and if they don't have much to deal with that's why the schools that's why schools are 47 years old on average and some a lot older than that they just don't build schools they postpone things they patch things up they try to make deal and so the problem that you've outlined will persist until the federal government steps up and helps needs to be a partnership federal government States and locals um let me ask the um in the final minute or two um as the panel what we should be focused on to improve academic achievement that is to eliminate achievement gaps um gradu improved graduation R rates and um the problems that the gentleman from Utah outlined where some schools just as simply not getting the job done what should we be focusing on well I would suggest um ensuring that low-income families have the same privileges that middle and upper class families have which is the Power of Choice which is the ability to move to the suburbs to send their child to a private school or religious school or to the school that they believe is best for their child and yet most low-income folks in the United States live in communities in which they don't have that choice so one of the first things we could do is make it so that Universal school choice is the first element towards giving people a shot that want to give their kid the best chance at an education well Choice doesn't improve the school um does anybody else have have a way to actually improve the academic achievement well studies do show that better facilities that are safe and healthy and conducive to learning improve academic achievement thank you and what else we should be focusing on to improve academic achievement well I think one thing that's very important is providing our future teachers with uh the capacities to have conversations across difference to teach those in the classrooms uh into to provide uh Civic knowledge uh such that uh you know uh our students the majority of our uh students recognize that the legislative branch has the power to declare war whereas right now only one-third of high school students are incoming college students uh recognize that improve teacher teacher preparation anybody else thank you Mr chairman uh Mr Scott thank you very much let's go to the great state of North Carolina where the chair of the education and Workforce committee is standing by and she is recognized for five minutes of questions uh thank you Mr chairman I think this has been a great hearing and I appreciate uh all of the witnesses for being here and I I agree that the federal government should not dictate curriculum I think that's both sides of the aisle believe in that and I will say that my understanding from all the research is that choice does improve achievement we have lots of data lots of information to prove that so yes Mr Scott asked what can we do to achieve uh uh to improve achievement and I think Mr row your answer was exactly right um I want to really thank you for pointing out the benefit of this hearing too and giving us a new term to think about Universal mediocrity um you mentioned the vertex partnership Academy is organized around the four cardinal virtues of Courage Justice Temperance and wisdom and many of our charter schools are are organized around principles um and like that how do you incorporate those values in your school's curriculum thank you for the question yeah any school that has kids uh you know 8 to 10 hours a day you are in the moral formation business uh it's just that some school SCH leaders take that role intentionally uh and others it's kind of happen stance for us we anchored our school around these four cardinal virtues because they are the root virtues upon which all other standards of moral Excellence Depend and for each um virtue courage Justice uh Temperance or wisdom there's what we call an eye statement so courage is I reject victimhood and boldly persevere even in times of uncertainty and struggle so when our students are standing up in their Blazers and their ties looking very strong saying those words you can feel this power in unison that they will reject this idea that they are just um uh a victim of circumstance or temperence is I lead my life with self-discipline because I am responsible for my learning and my behavior it's through these mechanisms and our Behavior systems our reward systems our curriculum is organized around these four cardinal virtues we find it very powerful as a vehicle by which our students develop the sense of agency that they can lead self-determined lives of meaning and purpose thank you for those examples Dr Atkins um thank you very much for coming and bringing your family I want to commend William and Caroline for being wonderful people in the audience tonight in or today in particular one of my concerns about post-secondary education is how intolerant much of the sector is that there's no room for free speech or free exchange of ideas much of Campus discussion especially around political issues is entirely one-sided that's why I think your work so important you touched on this briefly in your testimony but from your perspective as a dean and educator what's the worst consequences of a campus culture that shuts down free speech and remember I've got one more question to ask of Mr wiser well thank you uh for the invitation and for your hospitality as I discussed in my uh written testimony uh Central to the founding vision of uh UNC and truste mccorkel was the freedom of speech That's essential for the search for Truth uh and uh that can invite both students and faculty with diverse backgrounds and perspectives into that and as a tarhill I may uh be biased but I tend to agree with trusty MC the search for truth is foundational to the mission of a public university like uh the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and when the free exchange of ideas is hindered that mission is in Jeopardy uh the mission of the University itself is at stake when we fail to provide space for the free exchange of ideas and the Covenant that we have with the people of our state is liable to be broken thank you very much and uh you know for those of us who are from Carolina we call it the university uh Mr wiser you mentioned in your testimony that many teachers have simply never been educated and how to lead discussions about current events political debates or our system of government in your view why have teachers been prepared so poorly or often not at all to lead these kinds of discussions well what we are told repeatedly and thank you for your leadership Madam chair thank you what we've been told repeatedly is that in schools of Education they receive pedagogy but very little content and they are hungry for Content we have no difficulty drawing a crowd when we hold um a seminar a program with a a senior scholar and and um high school or grade school teachers it's they want it they want it they know they lack they know they need it and they want it and we also know from research that when we provide people who have strong content backgrounds but have never gone to a school of education because of their strong backgrounds in content they make excellent teachers often not always but often so you are verifying again what we know about the need for Content so thank you very much for doing that thank you Mr chairman I apologize for going over time a little bit but I do think this has been an important hearing to expose to the American people the benefits of these kind these programs that are being um displayed here today many many more out there and we need to highlight those when we can thank you Mr chairman thank you very much uh chairman Fox what a great meeting we have had we're nearing the end and uh thank everybody let's go for closing statements uh ranking member bonami you are recognized uh thank you very much Mr chairman and and thank you to the witnesses for your time your insights your expertise today it's been a very interesting discussion especially as a longtime supporter of civics education but it's clear that we should focus on something we have the power to legislate like School infrastructure like supporting lowincome students and students with disabilities and supporting schools and Rural communities I agree with my colleague representative Hayes who was agreeing with representative Thompson uh that we should fully fund idea we should fund Title One and Mr row you mentioned the the the need for professional development well we have professional development let's fund title two of the elementary and secondary Education Act so there's been here too much discussion about curriculum which is something the federal government again does not and should not dictate and we all agree on that I also call on my colleagues to stop highlighting politicized words like woke and CRT particularly when they're not defined we all agree that students should learn an accurate telling of History so let's focus on an issue where we can and take and should take real action like making our schools safe modern and conducive to learning the rebuild America's schools Act is just one of many examples that offer a tangible solution to a real problem it's an opportunity to invest in repairing and modernizing school facilities particularly in underserved communities creating jobs improving conditions for students and Educators and this is not just about fixing broken infrastructure it's about giving every child the opportunity to succeed in an environment that Fosters learning I I want to note that there was a comment made uh by the gentleman from Utah about the Baltimore city schools that students lack proficiency uh I want to mention that it was national news a few years ago that multiple Baltimore city schools had to close because they lacked heat I would like to enter into the rec two articles one that the Baltimore city schools closed because of a lack of heat and another that the Baltimore city schools had to close because of a lack of air conditioning without objection without objection without objection so order thank you Mr chairman it's it's extremely difficult for students to thrive in schools with poor ventilation outdated technology dangerous physical conditions and we can't expect that teachers will be able to deliver quality education in buildings that are falling apart it's a matter of equity safety and the future of our nation so I hope today's discussion encourages us to act with the urgency this issue demands our school should be a place where all students can reach their full potential thank you again to the witnesses Mr chairman I yield back thank you very much uh ranking member banamichi uh I have a closing statement but first uh for the purpose of uh of of a point of personal privilege that chair very good uh very good uh panelist I had high expectations for each of you you heard me as I come in I said you were an All-Star panel you exceeded uh expectations and uh we had a robust conversation about curriculum uh let the headline project tomorrow morning that uh Congress agrees we all agree do we agree on anything we do agree on this that the federal government shouldn't be in the curriculum business uh the Constitution doesn't say it uh and we acknowledge that uh that we shouldn't be a part but let this committee Sound the Alarm how about that we are failing and to your point uh Mr row whites or blacks we're all struggling uh any any segment we're all struggling to read and write and before you can re I mean before you can achieve anything that's just the basics and so going back to Mr ran we can't have a minute to waste uh as we go forward so yeah the alarm is there we're mediocre in the world and uh the world is a dangerous place and we need bright Minds to compete in tomorrow's uh segment so it's a wakeup call as we uh as we go forward we don't have the role but State leaders maybe maybe this will be replayed on C-Span and there is an educator out there how do I do it how do I get uh how do I get some curriculum that can focus back on the basics uh call us we've got our our contact information for our Allstar panel and we can get you uh teed up on uh making it happen here's the irony here's the irony I know we talked a little bit about school choice I know that's a subject for another day but the irony is the programs of which all of you gentlemen are associated with are attracting families and kids who want uh who who want who want in on uh that America has has uh has a chance to be there's no limit to what they can do and that's what I'll focus on teaching everything the warts and all Mr Ro to to uh to take your your words uh ranking member Bon amichi and I just talked about some of the the programs I know there's a there's a at least in my county in Nassau County there's the Constitution Bowl where high schools put together their altars team and it's sort of like a Jeopardy contest of just questions on the Constitution where learning can be fun I know you have such a similar program where we can make it happen uh Mr wiser would uh wiser would agree that uh Civics needs to be a focus as we go forward so uh I think we've planted the seed of curiosity that's another word there too and if you're curious about how we can do it better then certainly this is the place to uh look as we close what an honor it has been to serve as the chair of this committee ranking banamichi we met two years ago and said we'll have interesting meetings and uh discourse and certainly we have done that uh chair f thank you so much for giving me you recruited me how about that I got recruited to the committee and lo and behold to be given this opportunity to lead the discussion has been the honor of my uh freshman tenure so thank you all staff makes us look good and I struggled a little bit out of the gate I still probably do now they're probably going to tell me but uh that's what we want to do we want to have critical thought and dialogue of how we can do better so with all that being said wish everybody a happy holiday season as we go forward there's lots of work to do but today there being no further business before us this meeting is adjourned to our panelists I'd love to get a picture so don't leave we're going to come and get a picture so thank you e e