Judith Stenberg: Yes, yes, yes to teaching civics in R.I. schools
 

A more relevant " civics " course would teach the kids why our government DOES NOT WORK with numerous references to the " leftist " professor Howard Zinn's classic textbook " A People's History of the United States ". Was it "democracy " that gave us a choice between the right wing nationalist Donald Trump and " Corrupt Hillary " ? 

Karl Marx wrote a long time ago : " the ruling ideas are the ideas of the ruling class ". This ruling class, of course, controls public education in the United States. And they are determined that kids leave high and college without a thought in their heads critical of the existing capitalist economic system and the " civics " that glorifies and supports it. 

As for moral instruction organized religion -frequently attacked by neo-liberal Democrats - did a  better job of making kids good citizens.