Your social studies leadership can make a difference like never before. As I shared in my TSSP message this week, NCSS has several federal legislative priorities and advocacy issues that impact education – and are conversation-starters – from the community to Congress. These priorities and issues are brought to life through your stories and your networks, by sharing why social studies are urgently needed now. As an active leader in our national social studies community, you are invited to raise your social studies voice in a new way – and invite colleagues in your network to do the same, particularly colleagues you are mentoring into their own leadership roles.

NCSS has a “membership drive” (of sorts) going on right now. While we always welcome new members, this drive is a call on all members to nominate themselves or others to serve on an Operations Committee, task force, and Board of Directors. Quite simply, we need your voice to make our nationwide message for increased social studies learning and professional support be heard. 

Operations Committees

NCSS supports seven Operations Committees and a governing board for our Fund for the Advancement of Social Studies Education (FASSE). Apply by May 7, 2021.

I wanted to highlight a few committees (although we encourage your interest in any open committee positions).

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Social Studies Committee

This is a new committee approved by the NCSS Board of Directors. We anticipate launching it this July 1. It will:

1. Investigate and make recommendations to the Board of Directors on ways that NCSS can promote equitable, inclusive, anti-racist, and anti-bias practices, resources, and programs in the social studies.
2. Review existing NCSS resources, position statements, and publications and recommend necessary revisions to ensure that current NCSS resources and publications reflect equitable, inclusive, anti-racist, and anti-bias positions and practices.
3. When requested, work with the Board of Directors to prepare position statements and responses to current events and issues that publicize and promote NCSS’ commitment to equitable, inclusive, anti-racist, and anti-bias positions and practices.
4. Create professional learning opportunities, such as webinars and conference sessions, to promote equitable, inclusive, anti-racist, and anti-bias practices in the social studies. Create and help identify high-quality resources for NCSS members that members can use with faculty and with students to teach topics and teach through instructional practices that promote equity and inclusion.

Awards Committee and Awards Subcommittees

Our Awards Committee ensures consistency and fairness in the awards process, coordinates the awards program, and establishes awards guidelines while providing oversight of all NCSS Awards Subcommittees. The individual NCSS Awards Subcommittees review nominations and select recipients of NCSS awards and grants. Our awards programs help us to honor and recognize excellence in teaching, research, and leadership each year. All award nominees draw from innovative practices and become “ambassadors” to the social studies in their communities through their distinction – many are also highly recognized at their community and state levels, too. Apply by May 7, 2021.

Position Statement Reviews

The NCSS Board of Directors periodically releases statements that become official positions of our association. These statements are often quoted in the media and used in our general advocacy initiatives. All active position statements are housed on our website for your own use in advocacy and social studies communications, as well. (Hint: these statements are useful teaching resources in methods courses, too! Imagine a really strong classroom debate on the meaning of “academic freedom” among teacher candidates.)

We seek member nominations for separate task forces to review two statements:

• Vision of Powerful Teaching and Learning
• Revised Code of Ethics for the Social Studies Profession

Each statement guides our profession forward. NCSS has set the standard for a vision of powerful social studies educator for a century. An updated code of ethics for our profession will further solidify the vital role that social studies educators – and the disciplines we teach – have in the school community. These two positions, together with our standards and C3 Framework, help to define our profession. Apply by May 7, 2021.

Board of Directors

The highest calling of NCSS leadership is served on our Board of Directors. We have two opportunities to serve: as our next Vice-President or as an Elementary Classroom Teacher Representative. Apply by May 7, 2021.

Thank you for shaping social studies through your leadership. We are strongest with you!

NCSS is committed to raising the voices of all social studies professionals in an organization whose culture is inclusive and where all voices are encouraged, supported, and celebrated. Individuals from traditionally marginalized groups are encouraged to apply.

Sincerely,

NCSS Executive Director

Lawrence M. Paska, Ph.D