Working together to build new civic learning opportunities for all Massachusetts students | |
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Greetings to all of you. Happy Spring!
It has been some time since we had a formal newsletter as we’ve had other messages to you over the last month about our advocacy campaign for continued state funding for civics education in the state House of Representatives. Thanks to those of you who participated in that effort. The action has now shifted to the Senate.
This month tis the season to put our own civics skills to work.
We ask that you take just a few minutes to send a message to your state senator to counter the cut to state funding for civics education that currently looms for School Year 2024-25.Also, spread the call to action! Share the call with your colleagues. Pass it along to your contacts.
Time is running out, so please act today. And numbers matter. If just four colleagues from each MCLC member organizations were to send a message, the senate would receive over 250 messages. A powerful statement.
Thank you. We have the power to counter the cut.
-Dave Buchanan, Co-Director
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More Information on Advocacy
Action Needed Today
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Budget season is in full swing at the Massachusetts State House and we need your help to stop proposed cuts to civic education spending. As we head into a busy 2024 election season, we need to make sure that our students and communities are ready and prepared to engage. Unfortunately, the approved House FY25 budget and the proposed Senate Ways and Means FY25 budget only allocated $1.5 million to the Civic Project Trust Fund. This is a $1,000,000 cut from the current funding level and well below MCLC’s goal of level funding, at $2.5 million for the Trust Fund’s FY25 funding.
Last week, Senator Becca Rausch (D-Needham) introduced Amendment #621 to the Senate Budget which would continue this level funding
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Click here to send a quick message to your State Senator to urge them to stop the cuts and maintain investment in civics by signing onto Amendment #621. The Senate will be bringing the amendments to the floor the week of May 20, so please act now to urge legislators to sign on as co-sponsors.
- Please ask fellow staff members to also send a message.
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Please also use this template to reach out to your contact lists and urge them to send a message to their State Senator as well.
For more information:
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Join us as a Community Advisor at the Massachusetts Civics Project Showcases!
This year, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will host the Massachusetts Civics Project Showcases--now expanded to three regional events! At these "science fairs for civics," 8th-12th grade students will share about real-world action they are taking on community issues, from student mental health to environmental justice to educational equity. The dates and locations are below:
- Tuesday, May 28: Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, MA, 10am-1pm
- Monday, June 3: DCU Center, Worcester, MA, 10am-1pm
- Friday, June 7: UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 10am-1pm
As part of the events, we are looking for volunteers to serve as Community Advisors (register here). Advisors will have short conversations with students about their projects, ask questions and offer feedback based on their own expertise. Register here by May 22 (Bridgewater event) or May 29 (Worcester and Amherst events) to join us in celebrating the civic engagement of young people in Massachusetts!
Contact Rebekah Judson at Rebekah.m.judson@mass.gov with any questions.
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Free Civics Professional Development:
DESE Civics Pathways 2024-25 Schedule Now Available
Interested in free, flexible civics professional learning for yourself or educators in your district? School year 2024-25 DESE Civics Pathways offerings are now available.
DESE Civics Pathways is a professional development initiative of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, developed and facilitated by Massachusetts teachers, Project Zero and the Democratic Knowledge Project at Harvard University, iCivics, and the Collaborative for Educational Services.
Please direct questions to Carin Aquiline, carin_aquiline@gse.harvard.edu.
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Serve as a CURATE Panelist! - Deadline extended
High-quality instructional materials are essential to student learning. When combined with effective instruction, they can also promote racial equity. CURATE (Curriculum Ratings by Teachers) convenes panels of Massachusetts teachers to evaluate and rate instructional materials to support district and school decision-making. Panelists consider the extent to which curricular materials are aligned to Massachusetts standards, support culturally responsive instruction, and are usable for teachers. If you have an interest in high-quality curriculum and a passion for racial equity, then we are eager to partner with you!
APPLY HERE
The deadline for Fall 2024 panel applications is May 28, 2024. Fall 2024 panels include:
- English/Language Arts (ELA), K-5
- English/Language Arts (ELA), 6-12
- Mathematics, K-5
- History/Social Sciences, 9-12
You do NOT have to be an expert in curriculum development, alignment, and/or selection.
Panelists will receive a maximum stipend of $2000 depending on the number of curricular materials that the panel reviews (no more than 3). The Department is committed to centering the voices of those who have been historically marginalized in public education and strongly encourages Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, other educators of color, and members of other historically marginalized groups to apply.
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Each year the National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE) hosts an annual professional development conference.
NAMLE’s 2024 conference brings together educators from various disciplines and grade levels to provide valuable resources, technology, teacher practice and pedagogy, assessments, and core concepts of media literacy education.By attending the NAMLE 2024 conference, educators gain access to research, practices, and strategies for integrating media literacy into our curriculum effectively.
You can find session topics, speakers, and registration details here.
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Links to more information and newsletters on civics, history and social studies
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Civics Memo, Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
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