I began watching Al Gore’s movie last night while I rode
my new exercise bike. It’s part of my “New Year’s”
Resolution to keep healthy and lower my blood pressure.
I started thinking: there are a lot of “inconvenient truths” facing social studies educators now. Funds for education in general and professional development in particular are drying up. School sites and districts are cutting the budgets for attending conferences and other trainings. Schools and teachers are once again asked to do more with less.
The importance of Social Studies as a subject matter to be taught remains marginalized since it is not required on the CASEE, and there are no funds – or willingness -- to expand testing to include our critical areas of education, such as history, geography, economics, and civics. The LAUSD has also terminated its local district social studies expert program.
However, with these “inconvenient truths” come opportunities. Now, with the new school year beginning – and for some of us celebrating Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year – it is a perfect opportunity for all of us to reflect on the past year and see how we can improve.
How can social studies educators gain access to innovative lesson plans that are engaging and more relevant to our students? How can we learn about and apply additional strategies to our classrooms to help us keep our teaching practice current and “fresh”? Where can we access funds and resources to succeed? Where can we find this support?
Fortunately, there is a place for social studies educators to turn during these tough times: the SCSSA , and its state affiliate, the CCSS . We have a number of new programs that are free or low cost for SCSSA members and offer ways for teachers to gain professional development certifications that can be used for salary points in their school districts.
For example, the SCSSA will be coordinating a back-to-school refresher workshop led by Ron Sima, a guru of effective social studies teaching strategies, and Martha Infant, the current CCSS Middle School Teacher of the Year. This workshop is tentatively scheduled to be held at the Social Studies School Service in Culver City in late October.
The SCSSA also has a new program called “Innovative Circles” which facilitates social studies educators getting together in small groups to share lesson plans and teaching strategies. The first meeting is tentatively scheduled to take place on the Westside in mid-November. Others will take place around the Greater Los Angeles area served by the SCSSA.
For more information about these and other exciting programs, keep checking the SCSSA website, www.mysocialstudies.org and be sure to visit the CCSS website, www.ccss.org too. You will also find links to grants and scholarships for social studies teachers as well as updates about important legislation affecting social science educators in California, such as AJR (Assembly Joint Resolution) 64 which “urges” the inclusion of more history/social science content into the English Language Arts section of standardized exams.
As you read through this edition of The Social Scientist, you will also notice that the SCSSA is seeking your involvement. There are many ways to get involved. Become your school’s “Lead Contact” with the SCSSA, submit a proposal (or two) for the upcoming 49th Annual CCSS Conference to be held in Pasadena in March which will enable the lead presenter to attend for free [the deadline for proposals to be submitted is September 30th!], attend the Perryman Sale on October 3 at the Social Study School Service for great deals on school supplies and educational material and to raise money for scholarships, and participate in an Innovative Circle.
I look forward to meeting you at an event soon.
Until then, happy reflections… and please excuse me while I return to my exercise bike!
Joel Rothblatt (jrothblatt@gmail.com)