COLUMBUS — Gov. Mike DeWine has called on lawmakers to expose Ohio’s school children to civics, social studies, and history earlier in their education, arguing that it would help to foster critical thinking at earlier ages.
It was one of few new proposals the Republican governor unveiled on Wednesday during a State of the State address that was heavy on looking back and on promotion of ideas already spelled out in his $91 billion, two-year general fund budget plan.
He said the idea grew out of a meeting with elementary and high school social studies teachers.
“They told me that one of the biggest challenges that they see is that too many kids are simply not being exposed to enough social studies content, especially in elementary school,” Mr. DeWine said.
He has asked the Department of Education and Workforce to develop a model curriculum and is urging lawmakers to support this in the next budget that must reach his desk by the end of the fiscal year on June 30.
“The best place to start is in elementary grades by embedding social studies content directly into materials that teachers use to teach reading and writing skills,” Mr. DeWine said.
His promotion of American and Ohio history earlier in schools comes as the state is making plans for local and statewide celebrations marking the nation’s 250th birthday on and around July 4, 2026.
It also occurs as lawmakers have been looking more closely at the role of civics in both K-12 and higher education.
Senate Bill 1, a politically hot-button measure designed to crack down on what Republicans characterize as a “woke” climate on college and university campuses, includes a provision requiring that students complete a three-hour course in American civic literacy in order to earn a bachelor’s degree.
The mandate, starting with the graduating class of 2029-30, would include a focus on the American economic system and capitalism and required reading of the U.S. Constitution, Declaration of Independence, the Emancipation Proclamation, Gettysburg Address, and Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail, among other documents. The bill has passed the Senate and is now in the House of Representatives.
Mr. DeWine is also emphasizing practical life skills like time management, problem solving, teamwork, critical thinking, and adaptability in K-12 classwork.
House Minority Leader Allison Russo (D., Upper Arlington) said such decisions do not occur in a vacuum.
“If you’re not fully funding our schools, implementation of these requirements is incredibly difficult and costly for school districts, and that just means that school districts have to go back to local property taxpayers,” she said.
While calling for changes in K-12 curriculum, Mr. DeWine’s proposed budget would cut basic aid to school districts by $103 million, in part because his administration has not updated for inflation the funding formula's estimated costs for providing a quality education. More than half of Ohio’s districts would see funding cuts.
“I am concerned when the legislature sets curriculum and imposes curriculum,” said Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio (D., Lakewood). “There are many schools that teach those things and incorporate them into their curriculum already.”
“I want to be clear,” she said. “This legislature should not be writing curriculum. It is not our job. We are not the experts. When we do it, it comes out disastrous as far as I’m concerned.”
Colleen Fitzpatrick, assistant professor in the University of Toledo’s Judith Herb college of education, helps to teach tomorrow’s social studies teachers. There are already standards for teaching a stand-alone class, usually around fourth grade, but there are also elements of social studies that have also been integrated into the work of other grades.
“Nationally speaking, it is not a tested subject,” Ms. Fitzpatrick said, referring to standardized testing. “If it’s not tested, it’s not taught. I’m not advocating for a test. Without the resources and attention that goes to improving reading scores and STEM education, social studies is often pushed to the side.”
She sees the passion that her students, the future teachers, have in the subject and likes the idea of exposing younger children to their place in the world in an age-appropriate way.
But she has also seen where such terms have sometimes been politicized.
“It has become so political,” she said. “Who is going to look at what you’re doing? It can be scary for teachers. I love social studies in schools, and I want it to be well done.”
First Published March 17, 2025, 11:00 a.m.
