With more Americans able to name the judges on “American Idol” than those of the nine justices on the U.S. Supreme Court, retired Justice Sandra Day O’Connor told a Chicago audience Wednesday that there needs to be more emphasis on civics in government courses in the U.S. school system.

O’Connor, speaking at a Chicago Bar Association luncheon, also said that 80 percent of Americans would flunk the citizenship test given to immigrants, and blamed that on the lack required civics in government courses at high schools.

O’Connor is pushing to bring required civics in government courses back to the nation’s classrooms through her “teacher friendly” website, ourcourts.org. The site is designed for “eager to learn” middle schoolers because, she said, that is the age “when the light bulb goes on.”

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Justice O'Connor

“History is terribly important in the overall scheme of things,” says Justice O’Connor, in an interview with the Jack Miller Center from her home in Arizona.

Justice O’Connor, who currently serves as Chancellor of the College of William and Mary, became the first woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court when President Ronald Reagan appointed her to the position of Associate Justice in 1981. Since retiring from the court in 2006, Justice O’Connor has dedicated much of her efforts to strengthen civic education.

“Every American needs to know what kind of government the Constitution established,” O’Connor explains. “You have to understand how and why it developed to know what the role of a citizen is.

To the court, Justice O’Connor brought the ideals and principles she had studied at Stanford University, where she graduated third in her class.

“In my freshman year at Stanford, we had a course on Western Civilization” Justice O’Connor recalls. “It embodied history and literature and the government of Western nations from the beginning. It was a fantastic course, and it was really incredible for all of us. It was all encompassing and interesting.

“Stanford eventually dropped the course. I don’t even know if there is anything similar to it today,” O’Connor says. “But it was a very powerful experience for me and my classmates.”

The principles and theories O’Connor debated and studied in her Western civilization class would become the corner stone of a prestigious career that would eventually lead her to the Supreme Court.

And like Jack Miller, Justice O’Connor believes in strengthening the teaching of America’s history and the founding principles of the United States.

Some dismal facts offer credence to Justice O’Connor’s and Jack Miller’s argument that schools are failing students in teaching the founding principles and history of our nation.

“Half our states no longer require civics or American history for high school students,” Justice O’Connor says. “It’s amazing how schools can drop these courses. Recently, it was announced in Arizona, that over 90 percent of the students could not have passed the exam required of people who become citizens of this country. We are in bad shape. People are not learning the fundamentals.

“Public schools first came about because people realized that young people need to learn to become good citizens to maintain our system of government and to maintain a country that’s vibrant and functional. We still have time to turn this around. You have to persuade citizens of every state they have to educate students in American history and government. And, I don’t think that’s a hard sell. I think most citizens understand that.

“An unintended consequence of No Child Left Behind was the de-emphasis of American civics and history. When our students were tested in science and math, they came in near the bottom. Congress and the President decided to funnel public money based on test scores in math and science. So, one of the unintended consequences was that schools then wanted to teach those subjects that would get money for the schools. Along with civics and American history, subjects like music and art were de-emphasized.

And because many subjects are inter-related, Justice O’Connor theorizes, even math and science education suffers. “Music and math are closely related,” Justice O’Connor says. “By dropping music, you are depriving students of a key element in their math education.” And by dropping American history and civics courses, we are depriving students of their essential preparation to become engaged citizens.

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is an online, interactive program to engage youth in civics, is the vision of Justice O’Connor. Ourcourts.org offers a variety of resources for middle school students and their teachers, including lesson plans by topic, state and grade. The Web site also includes a message board for students to exchange ideas with Justice O’Connor and a section showcasing middle school student community projects.

Please visit, www.ourcourts.org