Equity, Excellence, and the Engagement of Everyone in United States History

Abstract

…Being able to vent, discuss struggles, and share the joy of teaching history and social studies in East Harlem was personally the best aspect of the seminar. I felt professional, connected, reinforced, and supported …. …I realize that I am not the only benefactor of this truly unique and wonderful project … my students have also harvested from the fruits of this project. Like the determined ailanthus bursting through the Manhattan pavement, a model to enhance the teaching of United States history has taken root in New York City's East Harlem middle schools. Abundant and convincing evidence exists about the persistence of the “muddle in the middle” (1), as middle schools, especially in urban environments, have been labeled (2). Consequences for the discipline of American History are dire, since middle school is the time when most American youth study our national past and are schooled to take on their roles as responsible citizens. Awareness of this critical need led our partnership to tackle the “muddle”—an array of problems that encompass the isolation of teachers, the “revolving door” of faculties, the alienation of students from the school and the curriculum, and the neglect of Social Studies content and teachers in small schools facing mandates to raise test scores in reading and math.