As a parental rights advocate in New Hampshire that focuses on literacy and academic achievement, you would think that I would have numerous allies supporting the same agenda. Sadly, that’s just not true.
In the 20 years of advocating for parents and our public schools, with NO compensation, it still shocks me to see the people lining up to oppose improving literacy in our public education institutions. The latest is HB319, which recently passed the New Hampshire Senate. HB319 will require students to pass the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services civics naturalization test before graduation from our public colleges and universities.
This is now a requirement for high school graduates attending a public school in New Hampshire. But if a student from another state attends one of our public colleges, they will be required to pass this test too. For New Hampshire students who already passed this test in high school, they will not be required to pass it again in college.
Why is that important? As I reported:
1) 80% of the respondents to an NH Journal poll supported this graduation requirement. It is widely popular.
2) Purdue University added this civics testing requirement.
3) An embarrassing 2018 study by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation found that only 36% of Americans could pass the citizenship test. But 98% of naturalized candidates now pass the abbreviated oral versions.
4) High school graduates who already passed the civics assessment meet this requirement and would not have to repeat it in college.
5) There are exemptions to this requirement, like foreign nationals.
6) A few years ago, Teacher of the Year from Exeter spoke before the State Board of Education on civics education after receiving his award. He was critical of the over-emphasis on STEM (Science Technology and Math) because it has negatively impacted civics literacy.
7) Supreme Court Justices have been highly critical, and concerned about the lack of civics literacy. They called for more civics education.
8) Civics education tends to focus on political activism versus academic content knowledge.
9) This is one way to help ensure an educated citizenry.
10) Those opposed have mentioned that we can Google this information. That’s another way of ignoring an illiteracy problem.
11) The test can be taken online as many times as needed in order to pass.
12) 63% of college graduates didn’t know the term length of a U.S. Senator.
13) Passing this assessment would increase the value of the college diploma.
Knowing the illiteracy problems we are facing in this country when it comes to civics, this new requirement finally helps stop these trends.
Why wouldn’t everyone want to stop this trend? I keep asking that question myself.
When HB319 was introduced on the senate floor, it was Senator Jay Kahn (D- Keene) who wanted the senate to kill this important graduation requirement. Compare what Senator Kahn said to what Senator Bob Guida (R-Warren) says in support of HB319. (Start at 28 minutes)
It can be shocking to hear a New Hampshire Senator refuse to raise the bar for students attending our public institutions. What’s worse is, this vote was down party lines. Republicans supporting HB319 and Democrats voting to kill it.
Who supports improving academic achievement and who does not? Sadly, it’s become partisan in this state. The New Hampshire senate just showed us that republicans support improving civics literacy among the college students and the democrats do not.
Everyone should be first thanking the republican senators for doing something to improve our public institutions. Then make sure you let the democrats know that we expect better from them. Let’s work together in a bi-partisan way to improve our public institutions. If we can’t agree on something as simple as improving civics literacy, we have bigger problems.
Finally, HB319 still needs the signature from Governor Chris Sununu. So if you are reading this, please take one minute of your time and call (603) 271-7676 and ask Governor Sununu to sign HB319. If you are tired of hearing about college professors indoctrinating their students, this is one way to make sure that they are educating them in the most basic academic content when it comes to civics education.
YOU can do something to help move this forward by making a one minute phone call.
Thank you to Representatives Michael Moffett and Deborah Hobson also on all of their work.
