Read the passage from "Not by Math Alone” by Sandra Day O’Connor and Roy Romer. A healthy democracy depends on the participation of citizens, and that participation is learned behavior; it doesn’t just happen. As the 2003 report "The Civic Mission of Schools" noted: "Individuals do not automatically become free and responsible citizens, but must be educated for citizenship." That means civic learning—educating students for democracy—needs to be on par with other academic subjects. This is not a new idea. Our first public schools saw education for citizenship as a core part of their mission. Eighty years ago, John Dewey said, "Democracy needs to be reborn in every generation and education is its midwife." What message do the writers want to convey in this passage? The responsibility of schools is to focus on teaching academic subjects, not civic learning. Public schools no longer see it as their mission to educate students for civic participation. Democracy is fragile and “needs to be reborn in every generation” through education. Civic education is essential for a functioning democracy, as citizenship is not automatic but learned.