Washington, DC…Today, Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) and Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) led a bipartisan group of Members in sending a letter to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos in support of two Center for Civic Education grant applications which seek Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED) Program funding. These grants, which total $25.9 million over three years, would expand the Center’s work to provide teachers with professional development in the fields of elementary, middle, and high school civics and government across the country.

Excerpts of the letter can be read below, or you can read it in its entirety here:

“There is universal agreement that improving student outcomes in civics or any subject field takes dedication, commitment, and perseverance. Educating America’s youth – the next generation of leaders of our country – on the principles enshrined in our Nation’s founding documents, including the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, and the Bill of Rights – is critical. …

“For these reasons, the Center is applying for new SEED Program grants for its Strengthening Democracy in America: A Professional Development for Secondary and School Teachers (SDA) proposal, as well as its James Madison Constitution Democracy Project (JMCDP) proposal. If funded, these two programs would build on the success of the Center’s previous work that was funded through the 2015 SEED Program grant, allowing for continued evidence-based teacher professional development in civics and government to continue improving student outcomes in these subjects. …

“If awarded SEED grants, the Center’s proposed SDA and JMCDP programs would provide critical support for the training of a new corps of highly effective elementary school, middle school, and high school teachers of civics and government. It is of the utmost importance to give students the knowledge, skills, and dispositions they need to become competent and responsible citizens guided by a reasoned commitment to the fundamental values and principles of American democracy.”

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