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As the celebrated superintendent of Hudson, Massachusetts schools, Dr. Sheldon Berman distinguished himself as one of the nation's leading champions of civic education. Since coming to Louisville, Kentucky a year ago, Berman has maintained his passionate commitment to civics, though he has altered his approach somewhat to meet the specific needs of students in his large urban district.

Berman recently spoke with us about his work in Jefferson County Public Schools. He told us about the impact of No Child Left Behind on civics education, the consequences of the "Empowerment Gap" for low-income students, and the implications of this historic presidential election for civics education.

Download the full, 15-minute interview here, or listen to five minutes of highlights:

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If there was ever a time to shore up support for poor students' families, it is now.

Newspapers across the country are reporting a spike in homelessness that could have dire consequences for schools in the nation's most distressed communities. (For a sampling of recent stories on the issue, see here, here, here, here and here.)

Homeless students who worry about where they'll sleep at night, or where they'll find their next meal, have that much less energy to devote to math or reading.  Many move from school to school as their parents shuttle between shelters and temporary living arrangements with friends or family.  Climbing school mobility rates depress student achievement. ...

Cheryl Cook-Kallio puts her money where her mouth is.  After decades of teaching civics in American public schools, she won a seat on the Pleasanton, California City Council in 2006.  Two years later, her inspiring work as a teacher of civics, government and American history earned her the American Civic Education Award from the Alliance for Representative Democracy.  She recently told us about her school.

As an elected official, Cook-Kallio lives what she teaches, and she inspires her students to live what they learn.  She and her colleagues at Irvington High School in California push their students to become civically engaged both inside and outside of school.  

Irvington students research and solve local problems, raise money for struggling communities, simulate Congressional hearings and explore diverse political perspectives on critical issues. They understand the Constitution and its direct bearing on their lives. These efforts are an integral part of a challenging academic curriculum, not just extracurricular activities for an ambitious few. ...

Several commentators have worried that many state plans to achieve universal student proficiency by 2014--a requirement of No Child Left Behind--resemble balloon mortgages. Soon after the law passed in 2002, many states required relatively small student gains in the first years, demanding most of the gains after 2008. The predictable result: More and more schools are falling short of their targets as the 2014 deadline looms. We're told to brace ourselves for the Fannie Mae of NCLB. ...