At the recent St. Louis NCSS National Conference, the major initiative of the conference was the unveiling of and enthusiasm for the new College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards: State Guidance for Enhancing the Rigor of K-12 Civics, Economics, Geography, and History This initiative is the result of exhaustive […]
Letter to DESE June 2012 – SS Instruction
08/30/2012 by Leave a Comment
Ms. Julia Phelps, Associate Commissioner for Curriculum and Instruction, DESE Ms. Susan Wheltle, Director of Office of Literacy and Humanities Massachusetts Dept. Of Elementary and Secondary Education 75 Pleasant St Malden, MA 02148-4906 Dear Ms. Phelps and Ms. Wheltle, In his response to my April letter, Commissioner Chester directed me to communicate with you rather […]
DESE Plans Model Curriculum Unit Development
07/16/2012 by Leave a Comment
I attended a meeting at the DESE office yesterday (June 21, 2012) and came away with mixed feelings. First, there were very few constituencies represented that were comprised of classroom educators. The likes of the Tsongas Museum, New England Aquarium, and Primary Source were represented and they all certainly mean well, but none are actual […]
Continuing a “Dialogue’ with the DESE
07/16/2012 by Leave a Comment
In early May I wrote a letter to Commissioner Chester about the state of SS in Massachusetts, and he responded on May 21, directing me to communicate with Julia Phelps and Susan Wheltle at the DESE from that time forward. I then sent Ms. Phelps and Ms. Wheltle the following letter, but have received no […]
Advocating for the Social Studies
06/01/2012 by Leave a Comment
The Massachusetts Council for the Social Studies works steadily to promote the social studies in the classrooms of Massachusetts Schools. Here is a recent exchange of letters between Norm Schacochis, President of MCSS and the Massachusetts Commissioner of Education, Mitchell Chester, Ed.D May 1, 2012 Dear Commissioner, Recently NEA President Dennis Van Roekel stated in […]
