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President’s Message – June 2006

Summer is here and a well-deserved period of vacation will be enjoyed by most of us during the coming weeks.  It is a time for teachers to recharge their batteries personally and can provide opportunities for professional growth and reflection as well.   During this time, especially after school accountability grades are announced, it is appropriate to not only to reflect upon what goals were achieved during the last school year but also to look and plan ahead for the academic year to come.  Hopefully, regardless of the grade or subject taught many of you are reading books or will attend summer workshops, courses, or institutes on subjects of interest to you.  These pursuits allow us to explore our passions and to grow as learners.  As professionals we know these activities make us better teachers through sparking our creative efforts and improved content knowledge that will carry over to our students. 

However, for all teachers of social studies in grades kindergarten through twelfth grade there is increasing pressure to improve test scores and this has lead to (in many cases) reduced time to teach social studies content.  ASCD, in its May newsletter, has labeled the NCLB legislation as a “thief of time”. This is especially true in elementary school and is becoming more prevalent in middle schools.  My summer message to you is to stand strong and speak out against such policies.  Write to your elected officials to voice your displeasure and speak to local civic organizations such as veterans’, patriotic, and service organizations.  If you remain quiet about what is being done to your subject area in your school, in your school district – you are committing an act of commission that passively accepts and therefore approves of these offensive policies that make history, geography, government, and economics a second class citizen to mathematics, reading, and the sciences. 

Unlike most nations of the world, the U.S. is not united by a common historical characteristic such as language, ethnicity, or religion.  In fact, the only thing that does unite us all is our belief in liberty and democracy that have shaped our nation.  Citizenship is not an innate virtue, it most be taught overtly from childhood, encourage and nurtured to maturity.  Citizenship also requires knowledge not only of how governments work, but also its history, understanding of economic systems that influence the workings of government, and the geography of all of our nation’s parts and how it fits with the rest of the world.  I challenge everyone reading this message to plan to make time to teach the social studies content for your grade level.  Social Studies is important!

FCSS is committed to working with all interested stakeholders in stopping this dangerous trend.  Please join us in our legislative efforts AND our better known professional development effort in the coming school year.  The 49th Annual FCSS Conference in Miami promises to be a full and exciting event with many opportunities to renew friendships, grow professionally, and support the sole organization in the state of Florida that represents ONLY social studies teachers.  Check out the events and speakers planned for this year’s conference at our website, www.fcss.org.  Have a great summer and I hope to see you in Miami!
Jane Palmer, FCSS President