A national civics tour led by Education Secretary Linda McMahon opened its first week in New Jersey on Friday, drawing a small but organised protest outside a public school in Colts Neck. The visit formed part of the Trump administration’s new fifty state initiative, titled History Rocks!, which aims to promote patriotism ahead of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The programme has been developed with support from more than forty organisations, many of which are conservative or religious groups.Parents and local advocates told The New York Times they were concerned about the political character of the groups involved and the limited information schools had received before the event. Their concerns surfaced early on Friday as families arrived at Cedar Drive Middle School. A handful of residents stood with signs, including one that read “Propaganda is not educational”. A driver passing by shouted “Venezuela, move there” at the protesters, according to The New York Times.
A closed meeting and controlled access
McMahon’s visit began with a meeting of the Colts Neck Board of Education. The meeting was closed to the public and to most media. A single reporter inside later filmed McMahon praising the school for what she described as a strong commitment to patriotism. A reporter for The New York Times was not permitted to enter.The schoolwide assembly that followed featured remarks by McMahon and a quiz-format history activity. Families were informed about the assembly four days earlier in a letter from the superintendent. The letter thanked the board president for early outreach to the U.S. Department of Education that helped secure the visit.
Opposition forms quickly
New Jersey elected a Democratic governor last month, and political leaders in the state responded swiftly to the tour’s announcement. According to The New York Times, Kyler Dineen, who leads the New Jersey Voters for Church and State Separation, started a petition calling for the event to be cancelled. Michael Gottesman of the Public Education Coalition organised a letter-writing campaign. State Senator Vin Gopal condemned the visit as “forced indoctrination” and said “it is unacceptable that the kids are being thrown into the middle of politics”. Several protesters also said they knew of families who kept their children at home to avoid the assembly.Two major sponsors of the tour are the America First Policy Institute and Turning Point USA. In a news release cited by The New York Times, Hutz H Hertzberg of Turning Point Education said the organisation was committed to advancing “God-centred, virtuous education” through the America 250 Civics Education Coalition.
Curriculum concerns and a wider debate
The Trump administration has promoted a patriotic approach to K 12 instruction and criticised teaching that it says portrays racial groups as victims or oppressors based solely on race or other characteristics. Critics interviewed by The New York Times said this approach risks narrowing how students learn about difficult periods in American history.Local officials in Colts Neck did not respond to requests for comment. Parents who opposed the assembly said the closed-door meeting and the involvement of political groups conflicted with public education’s responsibility to remain open and non-partisan. Alison DeNoia, a former school board member whose children attended the middle school, told The New York Times that “we do not know what they are going to teach the kids in there and that is what is concerning”. She also said she had spoken with residents about possible legal action regarding the closed meeting.
A district already under scrutiny
Colts Neck, a small and affluent township, has been at the centre of statewide discussions on education policy in recent weeks. On 19 November, the district became the first in New Jersey to adopt a policy that requires notifying parents if their child changes their preferred name, pronouns or use of gendered facilities. The same policy stated that guardians must be informed in advance about guest speakers and assemblies that address sensitive topics. Gottesman pointed to the new policy in urging parents to request more information about the civics event.Late on Thursday, the district circulated an update that said no representatives from the History Rocks! partner organisations would attend the assembly. The letter described the visit as two interactive games linked to existing New Jersey and United States history curriculum.Outside the school, Julie Flynn, a Democratic congressional candidate, held a small sign for several hours. She told The New York Times that the willingness of residents to stand outside was itself a lesson in civic participation. She said “there is nothing more American than what we are doing right here”.
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