Let me begin by wishing everyone a happy new year! I hope that you had a restful winter break, and that you were able to find time to relax and do something fun. I also wanted to take a moment to recognize all of the good and difficult work educators have been engaged in this school year. Last fall, I had the opportunity to work with several schools and districts across the county, and I was in awe of all that the teachers were doing in spite of the many challenges facing schools today. I especially want to highlight the teachers from multiple school districts who are engaged in K-5, middle, and high school textbook adoptions. They have spent a number of hours in after-school meetings to discuss this process and the instructional materials they think would best support their students. I also would like to share a bit about the civics work going on in one of our county’s elementary school districts. Teachers are developing units to ensure that students at all grade levels have opportunities to engage in high-quality civic learning.

As it appears that in the months to come we will face many of the same issues that we faced last fall, the San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE) History-Social Science department will continue to limit the number of meetings and professional development sessions offered. However, we will also continue to regularly update our website with important information and helpful resources.

History-Social Science Coordinator, SDCOE

858-295-8857

​Students in grades 10 and 11 from all public high schools in San Diego County are invited to submit an application to represent youth voice across our region as a member of the San Diego County Board of Education for 2022-23.

Online applications are being accepted now through Feb. 1 on the student board member webpage.

“This is a great opportunity for students to get involved and gain a different perspective,” said Board Member Guadalupe González. “It will also look good on college applications and resumes.”

In support of the San Diego County Board of Education’s goal of providing equitable opportunities for all students, the board is seeking applicants with diverse backgrounds and experiences. Students with both traditional and non-traditional leadership experiences should be encouraged to apply.

The Board of Education will select five students, one from each board region, who will each serve two months on the governing body. The Board of Education regular meeting is on the second Wednesday of every month, and there are occasional special meetings as needed. Visit the Student Board Member webpage for details and to apply.

If you have any questions or need support, please reach out to Matt Hayes at mahayes@sdcoe.net or 858-295-8857.

Today’s students are voicing that they want to learn more about the pressing issues facing the world. The Civic Learning San Diego web page provides information about and tools for implementing the new California State Seal of Civic Engagement and K-8 Civic Learning Pathways. In addition, educators can find links to civic learning events, professional development, and current research on civic learning. The webpage will be updated and refined throughout the year. If you have any questions regarding these resources or about civic education in general, contact Matt Hayes at mahayes@sdcoe.net.

On Oct. 8, Gov. Newsom signed Assembly Bill 101 into law. Under the bill, all students graduating from California public schools, including charter schools, will be required to take a one-semester ethnic studies course beginning with the class of 2030. The legislation also requires public high schools to begin offering an ethnic studies class during the 2025-26 school year.

Districts and charter schools can choose to use an existing ethnic studies course to meet the requirement. Additionally, they can adopt a course that is already "a-g" approved, or they can develop a new course. The assembly bill requires that ethnic studies are the primary content of the course. For more guidance on course development, districts should consult the Model Ethnic Studies Curriculum approved by the California State Board of Education last year.

California is providing a number of supports for schools, districts, and charter schools as they transition to this new graduation requirement. The current state budget includes funding for districts and charter schools to engage in course development. Additionally, the California Department of Education (CDE) offered a number of grant opportunities for county offices of education to assist districts. These grants will support the development of model curriculum on the Cambodian genocide, Hmong history, Native American studies, and Vietnamese American refugee experiences. The curricula will be online and open access, and they will include model lessons, resources, and teaching strategies. CDE will be funding statewide professional development opportunities to assist schools in developing ethnic studies courses beginning in the 2022-23 school year.

History-social science lead teachers, teachers on special assignment, and administrators are invited to join this network to learn about current state and local initiatives and share ideas for implementation. Participants meet virtually throughout the year. Feel free to participate in the meetings that work for your schedule.

The meeting dates and times are Feb. 2, April 6, and June 8 from 3:45 to 4:45 p.m. All meetings are held virtually, and there is no cost to participants. Register for the network today.

Schools that have programs, classes, or clubs that excite their students about democracy and civic participation are encouraged to submit an application. This year, schools are invited to share their civics story by submitting an optional video with their application. Visit the California Courts Civic Learning Initiative website for more details about the award and for the application.

The awards are presented at three levels (merit, distinction, and excellence) in the categories elementary, middle, and high school. Schools receiving the highest honor, the Award of Excellence, receive a visit by Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye (pending public health directives).

The UC Irvine History Project and the History & Civics Project at UC Santa Cruz are co-hosting a free virtual workshop series in February. In a world flooded with competing, conflicting, and contradictory information, students need tools and strategies to identify the purpose, audience, and motives of different information sources, including speeches, posters, advertisements, and social network posts. These tools allow them to be critical and independent thinkers capable of entering into civic dialogue to solve society’s pressing problems in an increasingly complicated digital world.

Three virtual sessions focused on media consumption, curation, and production will occur on Feb. 9 from 4 to 5:30 p.m., Feb. 16 from 4 to 6 p.m., and Feb. 23 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Each session will include speakers, group and breakout work, Q & A, and discussion about how media literacy instruction will look in your classroom. Workshop presenters include teacher-leaders who have successfully integrated media literacy lessons into their curricula and a talk from Allison Perlman, assistant professor of history, film and media Studies at UC Irvine.

The associate director will develop and implement ethnic studies and history-social science professional learning for K-12 teachers in schools and districts served by the California History-Social Science Project. The associate director will help facilitate a network of scholars, educators, and researchers to partner with teachers and administrators who currently, or plan to, offer ethnic studies as a separate course and those who are integrating ethnic studies into other history-social science courses. The associate director reports to and receives general direction from the director, but works with a great deal of independence. In addition, the associate director works closely with the director in the development and oversight of the full range of the UC Irvine History Project programming for Southern California. Candidates should have experience creating professional learning opportunities, writing curriculum, and teaching ethnic studies. Visit the UC Irvine Academic Personnel Recruitment website for more information about the position and to learn how to apply.

The 61st annual California Council for the Social Studies conference will be held March 4 to 6 at the Hyatt Orange County in Garden Grove. The conference theme is Social Studies in a New Era: Connect, Collaborate, Construct. The registration rate for members is $350 and $525 for non-members. For more information, visit the council's website.

Given the uncertainty of the past year and a half, it is possible that students may not have had the opportunity to learn all of the skills, concepts, and ideas that they typically learn in a history-social science class. To help educators plan for this, a group from the California Curriculum and Instruction Steering Committee has developed a tool for accelerated learning and an accompanying webinar.

In response to the pandemic, the USS Midway Institute for Teachers added to their free online lessons. Most of the lessons address the Cold War and its aftermath, and are geared toward high school world history and United States history.

Judges in the Classroom pairs a sitting judge with classrooms at all grade levels (K-12 in person, and grades 3-12 virtual) to engage in a lesson that teaches students about the judicial branch of government. Requests are now being accepted for Constitution Day and for the 2021-22 school year. Learn more about the Judges in the Classroom program.