Don't Let Freedom Become Extinct

We must be intentional about teaching children why America is unique

We are excited to publish a guest submission from Claudine “Beanie” Geoghegan who is a mother of four children, a teacher to several others, and an advocate for all. She works to build strong youth who will grow into stronger adults by pursuing what is true, good, and beautiful. You can find her work on her Substack.

We welcome guest submissions (anonymously, if necessary) from insiders in the education and children’s book space as well as educators, parents, and advocates in the fight to protect their kids. Please be in touch.

“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction,” I remember reading this quote from Ronald Reagan years ago and thinking it sounded a bit alarmist. As someone who grew up in the 80s standing for and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance with my peers every morning at school and proudly singing the National Anthem before ball games with crowds of strangers, I had a romanticized notion that everyone knew and appreciated why America was unique. That idea has deteriorated over the past few years.

I knew things were bad when I watched so many people give up their freedom and liberty in the name of “safety” without question. When they started calling for other people’s freedoms and rights to be stripped from them because they refused to adhere to these “safety measures,” I began to understand better what Reagan meant so long ago. Still, I am an eternal optimist, so I had hope.

Following the school closures in 2020, a local pastor in my city opened a school at the pleading of the families in his congregation. “Virtual learning” opened their eyes to what their children were and were not being taught in their local public schools, and they wanted better. Most of them could not afford the tuition of the existing private Christian schools. Additionally, they wanted a school connected to their place of worship. I had the pleasure of meeting the pastor and getting involved with this school as a regular volunteer in the fall of 2021. 

My initial involvement with the school consisted of reading to the students once a week. That soon evolved into teaching civics and history. I was excited and promptly ordered pocket Constitutions for everyone to use as our “textbooks”. Imagine my shock and surprise when I asked my students (middle and high school) if they were familiar with the Declaration of Independence, and I got blank stares. When I asked them if they knew what we celebrated on July 4th, they did not. This is not a reflection on the students. It reflects how devoid of important information most civics and history curriculum is in America’s public schools. Students should hear and learn different aspects about Americans declaring their independence from Britain repeatedly throughout their k-12 years. What should be common knowledge is not.

According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, “The average U.S. history score for eighth-grade students in 2022 was 5 points lower than in 2018, the previous assessment year” and “not significantly different compared to the first U.S. history assessment in 1994.” American students don’t know how or why our country was founded, nor do they know or understand how it is to function. They can not appreciate, celebrate, or participate in a government they don’t fully comprehend. They do not understand the fragility of this grand experiment, and that is what Reagan was alluding to.

Rather than adopt a solid civics curriculum and teach history using primary source documents, schools have adopted curriculum such as Action Civics that stir emotions but does little to increase knowledge or understanding of how our government was designed to work. There are better alternatives for schools to choose from if they want to change the trajectory for their students. The Civics Alliance has worked to create solid standards necessary to teach the next generation of self-governing engaged citizens. Another great resource is Core Knowledge, and much of its material is free. 

As we approach Independence Day, I challenge everyone to pick up a copy of the Declaration of Independence and read it with their children or at their July 4th picnics. Until schools decide to safeguard freedom through education in the classroom, we must ensure every generation knows, understands, and values what it means to be “the land of the free” before it’s too late.