On September 17th, President Trump made incredibly sweeping claims in a prepared speech about the state of social studies education in America, claiming – amongst many other things – that “the left-wing rioting and mayhem are the direct result of decades of left-wing indoctrination in our schools,” that “the left has warped, distorted, and defiled the American story with deceptions, falsehoods, and lies,” and that “teaching this horrible doctrine to our children is a form of child abuse in the truest sense of those words.” In Trump’s mind, the supposed radical left has seemingly co-opted America’s educational system to propagate anti-American sentiment. In response, Donald Trump has stated that he will sign an Executive Order to create the 1776 Commission, which will “restore patriotic education to our schools,” and make sure that students are “taught to love America with all of their heart and all of their soul.” While wading through this logically erratic argument that Donald Trump has put forth is difficult, it is important to analyze these claims closely to provide an evidence-based, nuanced look at Trump’s claims.
The first assumption that Donald Trump makes is that educators are radical leftists. However, the evidence suggests that, while educators are typically left-leaning, they are simply not radical, and overwhelmingly choose not to share their political views in the classroom. In a 2017 study conducted by The Education Week Research Center, over one thousand educators were surveyed about their political views and its influence on their teaching. The results were clear: nearly 70% were either moderate, conservative, or very conservative; only 5% identified as very liberal. It should also be noted that “very liberal” is extremely different from “radical,” and those two terms should not be conflated. Moreover, though the plural majority, fewer than half of the educators surveyed in this study were Democrats.
However, if we analyze these survey results even further, these results aren’t too far off from typical college-educated Americans. All states require teachers to obtain a minimum of a Bachelors of Arts degree from an accredited college; therefore, it is important to see if the survey results above differ dramatically from other college-educated Americans. In the 2018 Pew Research Poll, which aggregated data from over ten-thousand interviews, the data suggested that nearly 35% of participants with a Bachelors of Arts degree were Democrats. Moreover, 54% percent of Americans polled in the Pew Research study claimed they were Democrats or leaned left. When one compares those numbers to the 41% in The Education Week poll, it seems that the education profession is fairly in alignment with other college-educated Americans in regards to political viewpoints.
Moreover, even if educators were “radical leftists” like Trump claims, it also must be noted that teachers are not very free to mold their curriculum into some radical agenda. Teachers must follow State Board of Education standards in each state, which dictate what educators are required to teach in their classes. If this rampant radicalism existed in education, then perhaps those ideals would be reflected in state standards. However, there is not a single state standard in any of the fifty states that mandates educators to teach in a leftist manner, or even to teach in any way that resembles critiquing America (please feel free to look through all of them – I have). This is unless Trump believes that teaching students about the institution of slavery, Jim Crow Laws, redlining, and other historically factual and well-documented instances of racism in America is somehow an indoctrination of the “radical left.” If Trump does believe this, however, then I think it is clear that his vision of education is simply authoritarian nationalism.
It is clear from the existing evidence that teachers, though fairly more left-leaning than right-leaning, are simply not the “radical leftists” that Trump claims. The only other real measure for radicalism within our educators could, perhaps, be the teachers’ unions. While individual teachers themselves are not radical, perhaps their unions’ political contributions and endorsements may be. However, again, this is simply not the case. The major American teachers’ unions have, though, been overwhelmingly supportive of Democrats over Republicans. According to Open Secrets, in just the last year alone, nearly every dollar donated to a political campaign went to Democrats.
However, this – again – is not surprising. With a number of Republican politicians, Donald Trump, and Betsy DeVos all wanting to cut public education or divert funds away from it, it does logically follow that teachers’ unions – in the interest of their members – would support Democratic politicians.
If Trump labels Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren as “radical leftists” – which I am sure he would – then maybe he has a slight point in regards to teachers’ union funds. When looking closer at to whom these funds are sent to, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren are in the top twenty recipients. However, it should be noted that Sanders and Warren received $0 – not a penny – from teachers’ unions during their bid at the Democratic nominee. Rather, these donations listed to Sanders and Warren come from their races in the Senate. This is all to say that teachers’ unions funded a Democrat in Vermont and Massachusetts during Senate races, as opposed to not funding anyone or funding a Republican. Again, this makes logical sense, especially when Sanders’ Republican challenger was fairly silent on education, and Warrens’ Republican challenger was a large promoter of charter schools. Lastly, it should be noted that Donald Trump himself received some funds through these teachers’ unions. While the contribution amount to him was fairly low in comparison to other candidates, it is important to note in order to truly assess his claims of the “radical left” in education.
So far, it seems that the “radical left” educators that Trump has proclaimed to exist are fictitious. However, it is clear from both the teacher surveys and the teachers’ union contributions that educators are more left-leaning than right-leaning. Perhaps Trump was using hyperbole, and these Democratic views, however moderate, are spewing into the ears of students in classes across the nation.
Again, the evidence does not suggest this is true. In another 2017 study conducted by The Education Week Research Center, over eight-hundred educators were asked about how the Trump administration has changed the extent to which they share their political views in class. While many educators noted the difficulty of discussing national politics in class, and another 28% of teachers claimed they now avoid speaking about national politics altogether, the overwhelming majority – 82% – stated that they are as likely or less likely to share their political views in class. This reiterates that teachers are not sharing some “radical leftist” propaganda to students, and more teachers have actually chosen to withhold their political beliefs than share them.
If – somehow – all of the evidence is wrong, and Trump – somehow – is correct with his claim that educators are now radical leftists, then this survey makes it clear that those alleged radical views never actually reach the students ears. It is clear that Trump’s claim that there exists a “left-wing indoctrination in our schools” is simply not founded on any actual evidence – at least, there seems to be no such indoctrination through educators.
Perhaps a better metric to uncover this supposed “left-wing indoctrination in our schools” would be to see how patriotic students feel. If students were truly victim to the “warped, distorted, and defiled…American story” which is apparently akin to “child abuse,” perhaps students may feel less enthusiastic about their nation. In 2006, Joseph Kahne, a Professor of Education and the Dean of the School of Education at Mills College, and Ellen Middaugh, an Assistant Professor of Child and Adolescent Development at San José State University, conducted a study on over two-thousand high school seniors across twelve Californian schools. Even in California – an overwhelmingly Democratic state, where there exists twice the amount of Democrats than Republicans – students demonstrated high rates of patriotism. On a question that asked if students had a “great love for the United States,” 68% of students agreed, with only 12% disagreeing. If Trump’s 1776 commission seeks to have students “love America with all of their heart and all of their soul,” it appears he has succeeded almost fifteen years ago. However, the 2006 survey also suggested that students displayed alarming rates of “blind patriotism,” where one believes that one’s country is inherently superior to others and can do no wrong. In one question, researchers asked students if they agreed with the following statement: “I support U.S. policies because they are the policies of my country.” 43% of students agreed, with only 29% disagreeing. If the implications of supporting a policy simply because the United States created that policy isn’t damning enough, another 43% of students agreed or were neutral on the question of if they thought it was “un-American to criticize this country.” The researchers, who were interested in looking at students’ “constructive patriotism” levels (where students value democracy, fair criticism, and participation) in comparison to students’ “blind patriotism,” were somewhat appalled at the results, stating that “the fact that only 16% of the diverse group of students we surveyed in California expressed consistent support for a democratic vision of patriotism is cause for concern.” Clearly, patriotic education was, and has been, the norm in the United States, even in one of the most Democratic states in the nation. Moreover, some of that patriotic education spills over into “blind patriotism,” in which students believe America can do no wrong.
Since the 2006 study, there simply hasn’t been another peer-reviewed and scholarly study that has investigated students’ patriotism levels. With the lack of credible data, it is difficult to make assessments in regards to how students’ level of patriotism has shifted over the past fifteen years. However, the Young Americans Foundation, a conservative youth organization, has created their own patriotism survey for high school students in 2020. While the fidelity of this study is largely in question, (since it is funded by a conservative organization, the fact that there is no methodology explained, and no peer-review process) the study, which supposedly asked eight hundred high school students and another eight hundred college students their views, found that 58% of high school students were either extremely or very patriotic.
In alignment with Joseph Kahne and Ellen Middaugh in their 2006 study, the Young Americans Foundation also found worrying levels of blind patriotism – though I am sure the Young Americans Foundation would replace the word “worrying” with “relieving.” In their study, the Young Americans Foundation found that 66% of high school students believed America to be exceptional and unique. The idea that the United States is inherently exceptional parallels the idea of inherent superiority. If the Young Americans Foundation study is to be taken seriously, it shows that American students are at least as patriotic as they were fifteen years ago.
If educators aren’t radical leftists spouting ideals to indoctrinate the youth, and if students have been – and most likely still are – patriotic, it is fairly evident that Trump’s claims seem to be false. However, to provide President Trump even more benefit of the doubt, perhaps these facts don’t necessarily disqualify his claim for a needed patriotic curriculum. Perhaps Trump’s premise is totally mistaken, but his conclusion is correct. Perhaps a more patriotic education is beneficial for students.
Before diving into this argument, one thing needs to be reiterated: patriotic education has already been – and is already being – done. Despite the evidence provided above, there exists sheer volumes of examples in James Loewen’s Lies My Teacher Told Me regarding the American-exceptionalist presentation in American history textbooks, and there also are examples in policy. For instance, Nebraska’s state board of education had codified a “patriotism law” in 2001, which mandated that social studies should include “instruction in…the superiority of the U.S. form of government, the dangers of communism and similar ideologies, the duties of citizenship, and appropriate patriotic exercises” as well as that instruction “should instill a love of country.” While it seems that the language has been recently changed, that law still exists in some semblance today. Another example came in 2005, when President George W. Bush allocated $120 million for the teaching of “traditional American History” for the direct purpose to “deepen [students’] love for our great country.” Again, it seems that if Trump wants patriotic education, he already has it.
To more correctly rephrase his criticisms, Trump’s issue with social studies education appears to simply be that our school curriculum is not patriotic enough; therefore, Trump’s 1776 Commission and Executive Order would have to push for even more patriotic education. However, if this is indeed what Trumps wants, then the result is undoubtedly a push towards more “blind patriotism,” and much further away from any sense of “constructive patriotism.” And if we are going to follow this logic, then it is clear that the evidence suggests that Trump’s 1776 Commission, if enacted and utilized by educators, would hurt students. In a 2011 study conducted by Sean Richey, an Associate Professor of Political Science at Georgia State University, Richey used American National Election Studies data to see what type of patriotism promoted civic participation. Richey found that “blind patriotism lowers civic participation, and that civic participation lowers blind feelings.” If we accept that Trump’s 1776 Commission will push for even more patriotic education and will probably result in a non-nuanced version of social studies that is likely to promote “blind patriotism,” the evidence suggests that, not only will students learn a myopic and largely inaccurate version of history, but they are also more likely not to civically participate – like vote – as result.
As much as a change in the education system is needed, this is very clearly not it.
All of this evidence comes outside the obvious context of mandated daily pledges of allegiance, the unanimous U.S. House of Representatives resolution urging schools to display the words “God Bless America,” the broader societal pressures towards patriotism, and the actual purpose of social studies education, which is not to teach patriotism. However, even absent that context, the evidence is clear: Trump’s claims are unfounded, and this attack on educators is simply a front to placate his base of voters who like bashing leftists whenever possible and who like hearing the idea of bringing patriotism back into school, despite it already being there for decades.
Despite the evidence, Trump’s base is seemingly in full support of the commission. Ironically, many of Trump’s supporters who seek to enact evidenceless changes in education towards moving away from objective historical facts are the very ones who were the victims of that education system which made them susceptible to this rhetoric in the first place.
As much as a change in the education system is needed, this is very clearly not it.
Bibliography
Kahne, Joseph, and Ellen Middaugh. “Is Patriotism Good for Democracy? A Study of High School Seniors’ Patriotic Commitments.” Phi Delta Kappan 87, no. 8 (2006): 600–607. https://doi.org/10.1177/003172170608700815.
Klein, Alyson. “Survey: Educators’ Political Leanings, Who They Voted For, Where They Stand on Key Issues.” Education Week, April 29, 2020. https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2017/12/13/survey-paints-political-portrait-of-americas-k-12.html.
“Remarks by President Trump at the White House Conference on American History.” Accessed September 29, 2020. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-white-house-conference-american-history.
Richey, Sean. “Civic Engagement and Patriotism.” Social Science Quarterly, 2011. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6237.2011.00803.x.
“Teachers Unions.” OpenSecrets.org. Accessed September 29, 2020. https://www.opensecrets.org/industries/indus.php?ind=L1300.
“Teaching License Reciprocity Guidelines by State.” Teacher Certification Degrees, April 8, 2020. https://www.teachercertificationdegrees.com/reciprocity/.
“Trends in Party Affiliation among Demographic Groups.” Pew Research Center – U.S. Politics & Policy. Pew Research Center, March 20, 2018. https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2018/03/20/1-trends-in-party-affiliation-among-demographic-groups/.
Westheimer, Joel. “Should Social Studies Be Patriotic?” Phi Delta Kappan, April 2006, 1–8.
Will, Madeline. “Survey: Teachers Talk Politics to Students, Despite Divisive Atmosphere.” Education Week, February 20, 2019. https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2017/04/05/survey-national-politics-causing-classroom-divisions.html.
“Youth Patriotism Index Shows High School Students More Patriotic Than College Peers.” Young America’s Foundation, July 1, 2020. https://www.yaf.org/news/youth-patriotism-index-shows-high-school-students-more-patriotic-than-college-peers/.
– Why there is absolutely no need to give “both sides” or play devil’s advocate to all issues
– How Trump’s pathological idea of American exceptionalism is already pervasive in nearly all institutions in society – The consequences of history teachers reaffirming a curriculum based in American exceptionalism
Mentioned on the podcast:
Gerald Horne’s Counter Revolution of 1776 Noam Chomsky on the “Salt water fallacy,” the false idea that American imperialism did not begin until 1898. Corresponding Post: A Teacher’s Declaration of War on Patriotic Education Read our “In the Context of Empire” blog with corresponding and expanded posts to this content! Social Media: Twitter- @Mattylongruns.