Policy Priorities
Advocating for and executing the implementation of patriotic education in our schools.
Developing model legislation and policies focused on promoting patriotic curriculum and blocking divisive concepts like Critical Race Theory that state legislators can consider implementing.
Driving transparency on the curriculum in our schools.
Educating parents, school officials, and legislators.
Educating America’s educators.
America’s Founding Fathers recognized that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights …” Sadly today, academic elites and demagogues challenge this self-evident proposition, choosing instead to embrace identity politics, division, and submission. The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) will work to affirm and celebrate America — not as an aesthetic act, but as a moral statement. Our work aims to promulgate American values in our educational institutions and through our Nation’s citizens — not as a look back at the past, but as the foundation of our future.
As we approach the 250th anniversary of our country’s founding, we find ourselves at a crossroads. Our Nation is more polarized than ever before, and American patriotism and the values that founded the greatest political experiment of all time are under attack. The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) will disseminate the truth about the American founding into our Nation’s schools and homes to restore national unity and pride through a renewed understanding of our founding.
POLICY PRIORITIES
The AFPI Center for 1776 will advance policies that aid parents, citizens, educators, officeholders, and leaders in their efforts to ensure that Americans know and celebrate the true, accurate, and full American story. The ideals upon which the Nation was founded are the ideas that animate our work.
Team
Lou Holtz
Chair, Center for 1776
Jack Brewer
Chair, Center for Opportunity Now and Vice Chair, Center for 1776
Alexandra Caro Campana
Director, Center for 1776 and Director, Center for Opportunity Now
Governor Phil Bryant
Senior Advisor
Jerry C. Davis, Ph.D.
Senior Advisor, Center for 1776
James Baehr
Senior Fellow, Center for 1776
Andy Puzder
Senior Fellow
Julia Butch
Policy Analyst, Center for Education Opportunity and Center for 1776
Cole Mushegan
Policy Analyst, Center for 1776
Latest
Policy
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April 23, 2024
Restoring Parental Rights in Schools
In spite of federal protections and some state-level protections, parental rights continue to be breached in school districts across the country.
News Release
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March 27, 2024
The Lou Holtz Show Premiers Exclusive Interview with March Madness Host Rece Davis
Fact Sheet
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March 15, 2024
Federal Accountability Measures are Failing California Students
The U.S. Department of Education mandates accountability models to ensure that states meet the requirements of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), a federal law that exists to hold schools accountable for student performance. Each state develops its own unique approach and plan using these guidelines.
News Release
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March 13, 2024
Legendary Coach Lou Holtz Launches The Lou Holtz Show to Interview Athletes and Inspire the Nation
Today, Hall of Fame college football Coach Lou Holtz announced the launch of his podcast, The Lou Holtz Show. The podcast, produced by the America First Policy Institute, where Holtz serves as the Chair of the Center for 1776, will premiere on March 14, featuring an interview with Auburn Basketball Coach Bruce Pearl. New episodes will be released every other week.
Research Report
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January 29, 2024
Accountability in America’s Public Schools
Despite mandated accountability measures to foster academic improvement, student academic perfor-mance in public schools has reached a 30-year low. Students consistently fall below proficiency levels set by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in core subjects.
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