During an intense national moment with much debate about the lack of success in public K-12 education and the extent of its reforms, the Heritage Foundation last week put forward the “Phoenix Declaration: An American Vision for Education.” Heritage, flanked by a group of public officials, policy experts, and leading educators, unveiled the statement at the Conservative Vision Conference in Phoenix.
The Phoenix Declaration is a statement of principles calling for the renewal and strengthening of schools. “Education is the cornerstone of individual opportunity, family flourishing, and national prosperity,” the statement reads. “Every child should have access to a high-quality, content-rich education that fosters the pursuit of the good, the true, and the beautiful, so that they may achieve their full, God-given potential.”
The statement acknowledges that this is a “time of moral and political crises, when too many schools have lost their way.” It continues, “It is the responsibility of America’s parents, educators, and policymakers to recommit ourselves to the central purposes of education.”
In crafting the statement, its framers expressed concern about the continued decline of our public schools. They noted the widening achievement gap between high- and low-performing students, the steady decline of the National Assessment of Educational Progress scores, especially in reading, and the decline in our Program for International Student Assessment scores, which measure students internationally in math and science. These trends, along with a lack of transparency and parental choice, an emphasis on diversity over merit, and a preoccupation with various ideologies, have undermined the quality of public education.
These are also concerns President Donald Trump has mentioned as he considers reducing or eliminating the Education Department and reforming schools.
In releasing the Phoenix Declaration, Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts said, “For too long, education freedom advocates have been on defense, constantly reacting to the radical Left’s latest ideological assault.” He added, “It’s time to go on offense. School leaders, educators, school board members, and policymakers need a set of shared, unshakable principles to reclaim education and put students — not leftist activism — first.”
The Phoenix Declaration lays out seven core principles that should guide families, schools, and policymakers. It’s worth reading the full statement, but here is a brief summary.
1. Parental choice and responsibility
Parents are the primary educators of their children and should have the freedom to make decisions about their children’s schools and education.
2. Transparency and accountability
Schools should “be transparent with parents about what their children are being taught and how their children are performing.”
3. Truth and goodness
Students should learn that there is objective truth and that good and evil exist. Subjects such as science should be grounded in reality, not ideology.
4. Cultural transmission
A central purpose of education is to transmit wisdom and our cultural heritage to the next generation. Every student should learn about America’s founding principles, Western and Judeo-Christian traditions, and what the poet Matthew Arnold called “the best of what has been thought and said.”
5. Character formation
“Information without moral formation is insufficient.” A proper education should include the full formation of a child, particularly his or her character. “Education should cultivate the virtues and discipline necessary for self-governance.”
6. Academic excellence
Schools should prioritize a rigorous curriculum in core subjects and foster academic excellence.
7. Citizenship
“A republic depends upon an educated and patriotic citizenry. … Schools should also foster a healthy sense of patriotism and cultivate gratitude for and attachment to our country.”
RICK SCOTT SUGGESTS HE ‘WOULDN’T GO BUY THE STOCK’ OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
“We envision an education system that emerges stronger and more vibrant, building upon our nation’s foundational values while meeting the challenges of today,” said Jason Bedrick, a Heritage research fellow who led the declaration’s drafting committee. He explained that the committee was interested in creating good and virtuous citizens, not just students meeting specific academic outcomes. He called the Phoenix Declaration “a road map to making that a reality.” America’s system of self-government depends on it.
It will be interesting to see if the Trump administration adopts these principles in its effort to reform our nation’s public schools. The Phoenix Declaration gives it a substantive charter.
Donald Sweeting, Ph.D., (@DSweeting) is the chancellor of Colorado Christian University.