Welcome to Colorado Council for the Social Studies

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

2011 was full of teachable topics. Students watched coverage of the Arab Spring. They celebrated the deaths of Osama Bin Laden and Moammar Gadhafi. Battles raged over the issue of gay marriage. People argued about Casey Anthony’s verdict as well as the Occupy Wall Street movement. Students raised money for victims of the tsunami in Japan. I know that many of you are engaging students in the study and discussion of many of these events. I would like to thank all of you for your continued dedication to bringing effective social studies education to our youth. Keeping all of these events in mind, CCSS has been working hard to prepare for the upcoming annual CCSS Conference on April 13, 2012. The theme is From Civil War to Civil Rights to Civil Discourse and Civic Life.

The Conference will be held at the Doubletree by Hilton Denver Tech Center. We are excited about our new venue, as well as the exceptional day lined up. I hope that everyone will take the time to review the conference information contained on our web site. I would like to take this opportunity to encourage you to attend and to bring a friend or two. This year’s conference promises to be the best yet. We will have another outstanding group of presenters from across the state and nation. We also anticipate a great variety of exhibitors for our exhibit hall.

We are thrilled to welcome Hasan Davis as our keynote speaker. Davis is a performer, youth advocate and motivator. His youth included learning disabilities, arrest, and expulsions from school. Finding strength to change, he received many awards and went on to graduate from law school. He worked as an alternative school educator, a Youth Violence Prevention specialist, and served as Vice-chair of the federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice. He is an active motivational speaker and living history performer with a message that encourages communities “where all people have the opportunity to succeed” (http://www.hasandavis.com/Hasan.html).

I am also excited that Stephanie Hartman, the new CDE Social Studies Content Specialist, will attend the conference. She will present a session about using the new social studies standards to inform content and instruction. She will also be available for conversations throughout the day.

Finally, CCSS will welcome Sue Blanchette, the NCSS President, to the conference. Visiting from Dallas, Texas, Blanchette will present a session about using authentic assessments in honors and AP classes.

I wish all of you the best for 2012. We appreciate your support and hope that you will continue to take advantage of some of the resources provided on our website. We look forward to seeing you at the conference in April.

- Sara Shackett, President

Open the CCSS Winter Newsletter

Professional Development

March 6 Standards Implementation Summit

From Stephanie:
The summit is not specifically geared towards organizations but to educators and district leaders. Ideally, districts will put together a district team of teachers to attend. That being said, individual teachers who are interested in attending will be welcomed!

From CDE today:
Registration Opens This Week for the Colorado Standards Implementation Summit
Registration for the Colorado Standards Implementation Summit: Transforming Standards Based Learning for Colorado opens on January, 26, 2012. The event will be held on March 6 at the Westin Hotel in Westminster. Superintendents are encouraged to select a diverse team of district, school, and teacher leaders to attend. District teams that travel more than 120 miles to the event site will be reimbursed for mileage; details will be provided on the event website. Registration is limited to the first 400 participants who register. Learn more.