First-ever decline in civics scores raises alarms about students' ability become "full participants in American democracy," say Nation's Report Card officials.

The greatest loss in math proficiency since 1990 is alarming, but the alarm has been going off since the early 2000s.

In recent years, conservative politicians around the country have championed bans on books or instruction that touch on race and inclusion. Books were banned in more than 5,000 schools in 32 states from June 2021 to June 2022, according to free-speech nonprofit PEN America.

Our position in a shrinking and interdependent world is no longer guaranteed. We cannot let the pressures of maintaining the status quo continue to prevail.