The year 2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. As we reflect on our nation’s founding ideals, many are asking whether we are living up to the promises set forth in the declaration and the Constitution.
This is noble and necessary self-reflection. And the same self-reflection must be done for our public K-12 schools. Before debating test scores, curricula, or education budgets, it is vital for people to ask a more fundamental question: What did the founders believe to be the purpose of education?
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From the inception of the American experiment, education was not just about accruing knowledge or preparing for a career. It was essential to preserve the country and, more broadly, Western civilization.
In 1810, President James Madison addressed Congress about the idea of a national university. Among its benefits, he proclaimed, would be “expanding the patriotism” of the nation.
Modern Americans probably can’t define the word “patriotism” — or worse, they incorrectly define it — meanwhile, Madison viewed it as essential. He knew this fledgling nation needed a citizenry with a deep, abiding love and devotion to its country to survive. Patriotism, rightly understood, creates more social harmony and commitment to the common good.
Would Madison believe America’s schools are fulfilling that mission today?
When most people think of K-12 public schools, they imagine students learning how to read, write, do math, and understand science. And rightly so. The founders certainly valued learning and thinking. Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence, called the “diffusion of knowledge among the people” “the most important bill in our whole code” because “no other sure foundation can be devised for the preservation of freedom, and happiness.”
Jefferson believed education was invaluable to self-government. Freedom could not be maintained if citizens were uninformed, unknowledgeable, and ignorant.
If Jefferson walked into the average American classroom today, would he witness institutions successfully diffusing knowledge? Would he conclude that our schools are strengthening the foundations of freedom and happiness?
Perhaps the clearest statement, and my favorite, of the founders’ vision for education comes from John Adams. Writing to his son, future President John Quincy Adams, in 1781, Adams explained the purpose of study in simple terms: “All the End of Study is to make you a good Man and a useful Citizen.”
This statement captures a vision of education largely absent from local school board meeting agendas and school mission statements. The ultimate goal of schooling was not just to get a good job after graduation, to make a lot of money, or even to obtain intellectual accolades. It was the formation of character and the cultivation of civic virtue.
Suppose Adams was writing to his son on this day, in 2026. Would he be impressed by our students’ civics knowledge and the formation of responsible citizens who will one day lead the country?
It is clear that these were not secondary concerns to our Founding Fathers. They were essential.
If any more proof was needed, George Washington emphasized the same point in a letter to Alexander Hamilton describing education as “one of the surest means of enlightening & [giving] just ways of [thinking] to our Citizens.”
For the founders, education went hand in hand with citizenship. Schools in the new American republic were meant to produce virtuous, thoughtful, and patriotic Americans.
THE YEAR THAT BROKE THE CONSTITUTION
The nation’s 250th birthday has given us more than just a reason to celebrate. It offers the incredible opportunity for national self-examination. People can revisit the original intentions of the founders and use them as a standard to assess ourselves and our institutions, including our schools.
Two and a half centuries later, we should ask ourselves: What grade would our founders give American education today?
Paul Runko is the senior director of strategic initiatives at Defending Education.