During the mid to late twentieth
century, our country has found itself in critical situations, and it often
asked that the nation’s schools and teachers play a central role in the solution. On October 4, 1957 the Soviet Union launched
Sputnik, the first artificial earth satellite.
It was in an elliptical low orbit with four external radio
antennas. It was visible all around the
earth, and its radio pulses were detectable.
I was 8 years-old and I remember how scared the people in our community
were. In fact, the entire nation seemed
to be gripped in fear.
Consequently, one of the first
institutions our nation looked to for a response was our educational
system. In 1958, Congress passed the National
Defense Education Act (You didn’t know Congress could respond so quickly, did
you?). Millions of dollars were directed
toward math and science, and many of the grants awarded for more than 40 years
were referred to as “Eisenhower Grants”.
The Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 was a cornerstone of President Lyndon Johnson’s “War on
Poverty”. Title I, a provision of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act, is a program created by the United
States Department of Education to distribute funding to schools and school
districts with a high percentage of students from low-income families. Title I was designed to close the skill gap in
reading, writing, and mathematics between children from low-income households
who attend urban or rural school systems and children from the middle-class who
attend suburban school systems. We still
trying to close that gap.
In 2001, reauthorization of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act under President George W. Bush was known
as the No Child Left Behind Act. The
goal was to assure that all schools and all students made Adequate Yearly
Progress.
Our nation is looking our way
again. It desperately needs its schools
to lead our people out of civil disintegration and back into a state of civil
discourse, which is "a conversation intended to enhance understanding". This task falls squarely in the lap of social
studies and history teachers. I am an
“old” middle school social studies and high school/community college history
teacher. Too often I felt that the
social studies and history curricula were the unwanted stepchildren of the
total school curriculum. The emphasis
was always on math, science, and elementary reading. They have STEM instruction now... they can keep building their
robots, while we take on the serious task of healing the nation’s wounds.
I would like to suggest four
essential objectives we must meet.
First, we must provide opportunities for students to reflect about the formation
of their own ideas and values. Second,
we must establish a safe space for students to discuss diverse and sensitive
viewpoints. Third, as teachers we must
model not passive listening but engaged listening for our students. Fourth, teachers must model how to engage in
civil discourse with someone who holds opinions and values different from those
of the teacher. I do not have the right
to level personal attacks against that person on unrelated issues or demonize
that person. Don’t worry about the
standards. My objectives can find a home
under multiple social studies and history standards.
To my fellow social studies and
history teachers: This is your
hour! We must act faster than Congress
in 1958. Step up to the plate. Let’s prepare a new generation to heal the
divisive wounds inflicted on our people.
Bless You My Children,
Terry L. Simpson
