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On January 23, the Westin Hotel in Seattle was a scene of heightened civic engagement. After all, it’s not just an ordinary day when one can mingle with U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
While public photos with the Justice were strictly prohibited, there were many other opportunities to capture pictures (like the one below of Echo Lake Elementary students sharing their Storypath of a mock city, and the Seattle Times' image of Sotomayor smiling as she addressed the Summit to the right).
Enjoy!
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 The Summit was a grand success. Hosted by the Council on Public Legal Education and led by Margaret Fisher, it was the culmination of months of planning and preparation. Importantly, it provided a platform to showcase many of the extraordinary civic programs that schools and community groups provide the students of Washington State. For example, Kent School District shared KSD Civics Day. The Association of Washington Student Leaders (AWSL) shared Raising Student Voice and Participation (RSVP) as one way to bring authentic student voice into school governance. Below are a few of the programs from the Summit, along with an email contact for the program lead. For a complete list, please contact Karen Verrill, who organized this spectacular civic display.
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 Students and Teachers Against Racism (STARs) talk to Supt. Reykdal at the Summit.
During
the Summit, Justice Sotomayor talked with many of the students in attendance
and encouraged their civic engagement. She even mentioned a group of students
in her remarks, saying, “they made my heart soar.” Earlier she had signed their
one-page
handout, cautioning these Ballard High School seniors that while
she admired their work, they were not to use her signature as an endorsement of
their program.
No
problem! To the students of STAR—Students and Teachers Against
Racism—their interaction with the Justice was enough. A
life-changing moment for each of them.
In
the afterglow of Civic Summit #2, experience after impactful experience has
been shared. Every participant seems to have a personal Sotomayor moment. Teachers
took to social media airwaves with stories of life-changing moments for them
and for their students.
In
fact, Civic Summit #2 brings to mind Henry Adams’ statement: A teacher affects eternity; he can never
tell where his influence stops.
Updating
his sentiment for 21st Century sensibilities, let’s agree to this
instead:
Teachers affect eternity; we never know
where our influence ends.
But sometimes we get a
glimpse, as did this teacher who, back at school the next day, received a handwritten
note from a grateful parent:
My wish for you is
that at a crucial stage in the adolescent development of your children, a
teacher of your high dedication will come into their lives and fill their
school experience as you have for my daughter. Yesterday’s opportunity was at
once generous and life changing. Meeting Justice Sotomayor was a thrill. I
truly believe it etched on her soul a powerful example of a calm, skilled, and
powerful woman in leadership. She was impressed that this Justice was peaceful
and kind, that she engaged with everyone rather than staying on stage.
My daughter is
experiencing her ability to devote her time and gifts to make her community a
better place for everyone. She is enjoying making diverse friendships. Never
doubt the impact you have on the world as a schoolteacher!
As a lawyer myself, I
was beyond envious yet very content and grateful for my daughter to have the
experience.
Yours truly,
(student’s mother)
Washington State Council
for the Social Studies (WSCSS) is our state
affiliate of the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS). Our Council
convenes three conferences every year, each one providing opportunities for
deep professional learning and statewide collaboration. The K-8 Winter Conference
is sold out, but it’s not too late to register for Skamania! The 2018 Spring
Conference will convene at Skamania Lodge on March 9-11th, 2018.
Register today!
The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History offers
high value Teacher Seminars for K-12 education.
Held at colleges and historic sites across the US and abroad, these weeklong
seminars offer teachers daily programs with American’s leading historians,
visits to local historic sites, and hands-on work with primary sources.
 Don't miss the OSPI special feature on Yelm School District's social studies program!
Take a look inside this Ridgeline Middle School as the students discuss the Supreme Court case, Lynch vs Donnely (1984), and as teachers and administrators talk about the significance of a robust social studies curriculum.
Full video: YELM.
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OSPI Social Studies supports standards-based learning and
teaching for students and teachers across Washington State. Information on
Social Studies K-12 Learning Standards and classroom-based assessments for
civics, economics, geography, and history are available on the website. The
site provides information on graduation requirements, the laws and
regulations governing social studies, and resources (people, organizations,
programs, and processes) that enhance social studies curriculum and practice.
OSPI’s Civic Education Initiative (CEI) seeks to ensure that every student is
provided a high-caliber civic education from kindergarten through high school
graduation. This year’s work focuses on building the Washington Social Studies Commons and WA C3 State Hub, an
open educational resource featuring high-quality, Washington-centric
inquiries for use by K-12 social studies students and teachers alike. If you
would like to participate, please contact Carol Coe, Social Studies Program
Supervisor, OSPI, by phone (360-725-6351) or email: carol.coe@k12.wa.us.
Visit Social Studies Teachers (SST) Connect. Explore the curriculum maps and the instructional maps to find contact information of colleagues in
Washington state who are teaching the same courses or working on the same
instructional practices as you. Share your contact information. Make 2017-18
the school year to meet and learn with colleagues beyond your school and
district.
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 SST connect
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