School Boards Can Help Build Democracy

As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, civics education remains essential

School boards are where national ideals meet local realities—where self-government is up close and personal, write ASBJ contributors Emma Humphries and Jessica Ellison. As the nation prepares to mark its quarter-millennial milestone, they urge school board members to use this opportunity to ensure that civic learning is available to all students in every community. "That means treating civics not as a partisan flashpoint but as common ground: the shared commitment of all who wish to enjoy the blessings."

January 19, 2026

This year, we celebrate an extraordinary milestone: the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. It’s a time to reflect on who we are as a nation, how far we have come, and what it will take to renew our shared commitment to liberty and equality.

For our schools and their school boards, this event presents an opportunity beyond the fireworks and parades. We can ensure that the next generation understands why America exists and commit to providing students with the civic knowledge, skills, and dispositions to keep our democratic experiment alive.

Today’s kindergartners—what we at iCivics call the A250 kids—will graduate high school in 2038, the 250th anniversary of the Constitution. Their journey from A250 to C250 will unfold in a world reshaped by artificial intelligence, global instability, and domestic polarization.

What they learn about democracy over the next 13 years will determine not only their future but also the health of the Republic itself.

A nation in civic decline—and a big opportunity

The challenge is that we must do all of this while our country is hurting. The fractures in our constitutional democracy are evident in the news cycle headlines, our conversation with friends and family, and the omnipresent social media.

Worse yet, our young people are at a low point of civic literacy. Only 22% of eighth graders score proficient in civics, and scores are declining. Unfortunately, we’re not doing enough to stop the downward curve. Only seven states require a full year of civics for high school graduation. Many elementary school students receive less than 30 minutes of civics-related instruction a day.

This would present a monumental challenge in the classroom, even under the best of times. However, we are now asking educators to preserve democracy in an environment that has become nearly impossible.

A growing number of teachers report fear about covering even foundational concepts, such as the separation of powers or the rule of law. In a recent gathering of social studies educators with iCivics and school board members, nearly every teacher expressed a deep commitment to the Constitution and liberty. At the same time, nearly all of them acknowledged being afraid or at least somewhat nervous to teach civics openly.

This reluctance comes as parents are asking schools to help students navigate the new information landscape. A 2022 Common Sense Media report found nearly 7 in 10 parents worry their children are exposed to false or misleading information online. A 2023 EdWeek Research Center survey found three-quarters believe media and information literacy is a school responsibility. Amid these challenges lies a generational opportunity.

A250 is drawing attention to our shared story and creating space for renewal. Public support for civics is overwhelming. Bipartisan momentum is growing in the states, and communities are hungry for something that brings us together rather than drives us apart.

A challenge to school boards

How will school boards fulfill their responsibility to the “A250 Kids” that started their educational journey this year?

Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence, famously wrote to his friend James Madison, the primary author of the U.S. Constitution: “Educate and inform the whole mass of the people. They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty.” The conversation between the two men about the role of education is key to understanding the modern responsibility of school boards.

School boards are vital manifestations of how our democracy can work directly for the people they are meant to serve. They are a critical connection between public education and self-government. The school board is where students, families, and community members go when they want to address a grievance or collaborate toward district improvement.

How school board members model representation and steward this responsibility speaks volumes to what is possible for young people’s engagement with government and decision-makers. Modeling this representation requires boards to take time to learn about their constituents’ challenges and include many voices in the solutions.

Board members’ fulfillment of their civic obligations is an important lesson for young people in their communities. When board members engage in civil discourse, adhere to their specific roles and responsibilities, and publicly demonstrate that their service is to every student, young people have an up close example of democracy in action.

School boards must see the dire results of tests such as the NAEP not just as disappointing outcomes, but also as challenges that civic refocusing can address. Understanding the modern problem is key to finding ways to overcome it.

Although NAEP civic outcomes have remained flat, we know that civics courses are effective.

Those students who performed well did so because they learned about the subject area in a designated civics class. Those who studied the Constitution “a lot,” and those who were taught by teachers for whom civics and U.S. government were their primary responsibility significantly outperformed peers who did not.

School boards have an opportunity to capitalize on what works, support the professionals responsible for executing this work, and establish systems to adapt to evolving national needs.

What can school boards do?

School boards are where national ideals meet local realities—where self-government is up close and personal. Board members have both the authority and responsibility to ensure that civic learning belongs to all students in every community.

That means seeing civics not as a partisan flashpoint but as common ground: the shared commitment of all who wish to enjoy the blessings of freedom guaranteed by democratic governance.

It means reaffirming that civic learning—like reading and math—is foundational to every student’s success in life and work. And it means backing educators who are trying, often under pressure, to teach the habits of reasoning, empathy, and participation that democracy demands.

Build civic spirit through a civic learning plan

In 2021, a group of 300 experts in civics, political science, and pedagogy, led by iCivics, Harvard, Tufts, and Arizona state universities, released the Educating for American Democracy (EAD) Roadmap. It provided a framework for excellence in teaching civics and American history. The roadmap and its companion pedagogy guide provide a framework that district leaders, boards, and superintendents can use to turn A250 from commemoration into renewal.

Below is an EAD-aligned playbook for building civic spirit. Each step builds on principles central to the EAD roadmap: excellence for all, inquiry-driven learning, growth mindset, civic honesty, and student agency. The playbook illustrates the principles through district case studies that demonstrate civic renewal in action.

Step 1: Establish EAD principles and encourage student and community agency

Every strong civic culture begins with a shared vision. Alongside district leadership, school boards can:

• Adopt a districtwide Civic Learning Plan that makes civics a core subject, vertically aligned from kindergarten through high school graduation.
• Engage educators, families, and community partners in shaping the plan to reflect local context and culture.
• Guarantee time, resources, and staffing for civics and media literacy, making them as routine as literacy and math.

We have seen this course of action work in districts such as Jeffco Public Schools in Colorado. Jeffco started an EAD pilot of just six civics teachers, supported by professional development from the state’s Civics Coalition. Over the next three years, the district scaled up from the small pilot to encompass every middle and high school, implementing a core civic learning pathway while also investing in two complementary tracks: media literacy and service learning.

The key? A board-adopted civic vision that treated civics as an academic and cultural priority, not an add-on. Board backing allowed the district to align professional days, budget cycles, and community partnerships around a unifying purpose: preparing students to participate meaningfully in democracy.

Step 2: Sustain EAD-ready teachers and encourage a growth mindset

Districts that sustain civic learning invest deeply in their teachers. School boards can:

• Prioritize alignment with civic mission in hiring and evaluation.
• Support funding for ongoing professional development that begins in elementary grades and spans constitutional literacy, media discernment, and culturally responsive dialogue.
• Create teacher-mentor networks and leadership roles for civic champions.

In Chattanooga, Tennessee, the Hamilton County Schools have built a districtwide Civic Fellows program that trains teachers from all disciplines—including English, science, and math—to integrate civic reasoning into their lessons. Fellows collaborate monthly, share units publicly, and mentor new teachers. The school board’s support was critical: It established professional development stipends, celebrated fellows at public meetings, and set civics participation as a districtwide performance goal. The result is a civic culture that extends far beyond the patriotically decorated walls of social studies classrooms.

Step 3: Nurture school-family-community partnerships and seek excellence for all

Civic learning thrives when schools are seen as the heart of local democracy. Boards can:

• Encourage partnerships with libraries, museums, veterans’ groups, and local government to connect students to authentic civic experiences.
• Host annual Civic Spirit Weeks where students showcase inquiry projects and service learning outcomes.
• Recognize student service and engagement with Civic Seals or transcript notations, or publicly at board meetings.

Jeffco now partners with local historical societies and city councils to run student “Civic Inquiry Showcases” each spring. Families attend, local media covers it, and the district earns trust by making learning transparent.

Step 4: Create and maintain a democratic school climate

Democracy can’t just be taught through a textbook—it must be lived daily in schools. Boards can:

• Adopt restorative and democratic discipline policies that promote fairness and inclusion.
• Display mission statements and civic goals visibly in school spaces.
• Recognize teachers and students for modeling civic participation.
• Encourage the superintendent to include student belonging and safety in regular student surveys.

Hamilton County’s “Student Voice Compacts” formalize commitments between teachers and students for mutual respect and participation. These compacts are displayed in classrooms and reviewed quarterly, helping create a culture of accountability and civic empathy.

Step 5: Elevate student voice in decision-making

EAD principles are based on student agency. Student voice is not decoration—it’s democracy in practice. Boards can:

• Invite youth representation on the board itself; student members provide a direct connection to the student body.
• Include students as nonvoting members or advisers on district committees.
• Institutionalize feedback loops, publicly discussing how student input informs policy.
• Support journalism, mock boards, and debate programs as civic incubators.

Jeffco’s Student Advisory Council presents quarterly to the board, including policy proposals on issues such as sustainability and student wellness. When students saw their ideas put into action, civic engagement in clubs and councils surged in the district.

6. Put inquiry at the center of civic learning

Inquiry is the beating heart of the EAD Roadmap. Boards can:

• Ensure that the district’s strategic plan includes not only college and career readiness, but also readiness to participate civically.
• Support district and campus officials who seek to adopt EAD-aligned curricula that emphasize constitutional questions rather than ideological answers.
• Integrate civic reasoning with literacy and media discernment.
• Attend events throughout the district that showcase student capstone projects or exhibitions.

Hamilton County’s districtwide Civic Capstone Portfolio allows every senior to present a project connecting constitutional principles to a real-world issue in their community. This initiative was born from the board’s “Graduate Ready for Democracy” resolution in 2022.

Civics and courageous leadership

When implemented systemically, civics education yields measurable benefits. Students who experience high-quality civic learning are two to three times more likely to vote in local and general elections, 25% more likely to trust others and institutions, and significantly more likely to volunteer and engage in respectful discussions of controversial issues. These outcomes strengthen democracy—and the workforce. Employers from LinkedIn to the World Economic Forum rank the Four Cs—communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking—as the most essential job skills. These are the same capacities cultivated through civic inquiry.

Civic renewal in local communities will not come from Washington, D.C. It will spring from classrooms, communities, and the school boards that connect them.

Board members who stand up for civics education in this polarized time are doing more than protecting teachers; they are protecting democracy itself. The 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence offers us that generational moment. The question is whether or not we will seize it.