Sorry, you need to enable JavaScript to visit this website.

sboe

SBOE
 

State Board Announces Selection of its Social Studies Standards Advisory Committee

Thursday, June 25, 2020
Committee to Kick Off on July 7

The DC State Board of Education (SBOE) is pleased to announce the selection of its Social Studies Standards Advisory Committee. The State Board, in partnership with the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), will begin its review and update of the District’s statewide social studies standards next month. The standards were last reviewed in 2006 and pre-date the existence of both the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) and the State Board of Education.

In July 2019, the State Board passed resolution SR19-7, committing the agency and State Board to increase research and support for specific public education issues—including the review, revision, and update of the District’s social studies standards. The resolution declares that revised and updated social studies standards should be “culturally inclusive and anti-racist, impart important social studies content in the early grades, strengthen student knowledge of democratic principles and values, and promote civic engagement.”

To conduct this substantive review, the State Board is convening a Social Studies Standards Advisory Committee. The Advisory Committee will be responsible for drafting guiding principles and making recommendations to the State Board and to OSSE on how the state standards should be revised and updated to reflect the needs of students and teachers in the District. To reach our goal of revised standards that better serve our District, diversity was a vital component of our selection process—ensuring that this Advisory Committee is reflective of the schools and residents of each ward, as well as the expertise of both school-based and non-school based individuals. After receiving over 100 applications, the State Board has selected a diverse and knowledgeable cohort of Pre-K–12 teachers and curriculum experts, school district leaders, parents, students, higher education personnel, and experts from organizations in relevant social science fields.

We are honored to announce the members of the Social Studies Standards Advisory Committee:

Name School, Organization or Position
Alexander O'Sullivan BASIS DC PCS, Student
Alyssa Richardson Duke Ellington School of the Arts, Student
Barbara Davidson StandardsWork, Inc., President
Daniel Espinas DCPS, Teacher
Elizabeth A. Worden, PhD American University, Associate Professor
Emily Brimsek National Center on Education and the Economy, Manager, Professional Learning
Fadhal Moore Georgetown University, MPP Candidate
Jennifer DePaoli Learning Policy Institute, Senior Researcher
Jessica A. Rucker EL Haynes High School PCS, Teacher
Karen Hopkins Human Rights Educators USA, DC Area Representative
Karen Lee Thurgood Marshall Academy PCS, Teacher
Lamar James Bethea Statesmen College Preparatory Academy, Teacher
Laura Fuchs HD Woodson High School, Teacher
Lauren Grimes The Community Enrichment Project, Founder
Maria Marable-Bunch National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution, Associate Director for Museum Learning and Programs
Melanie R. Holmes MacFarland Middle School, Teacher
Michael Stevens Friendship PCS, Director of Social Studies
Molly France Two Rivers PCS, Instructional Guide
Molly Sloss Capitol Hill Montessori School, Teacher
Nicolas Ojeda Duke Ellington School of the Arts, Teacher
Rebecca Schouvieller DC International School PCS, Teacher
Reginald L. Williams Benjamin Banneker Academic High School, Social Studies Teacher
Sally Schwartz Globalize DC, Executive Director
Sarah Buscher Janney Elementary School, Teacher
Scott Abbott DCPS, Office of Teaching and Learning, Director of Social Studies
Shelina Warren Dunbar High School, Teacher

The first meeting of the Social Studies Standards Advisory Committee will take place virtually, Tuesday, July 7, 2020 from 5 - 7 pm. The meeting will be open to the public and can be livestreamed by visiting the State Board’s YouTube page. Please follow the work of the State Board as we continue our work in creating quality and equitable education for our students.