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California We the People, RDA
Partner Together for Weekend Seminar on Congress and Representative Democracy.
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Sept. 28, 2009
Always thinking outside the box, California We the People, along with the RDA
program held a weekend seminar for 25 Advanced Placement Teachers from around
the State of California, September 25-27 on the Central Coast. The diversity of
teachers, coming from rural mountain communities, the Central Valley, as well as
from large urban areas, combined with a shared focus on We the People’s Unit 4
lessons on Congress, and the Representative Democracy in America materials,
established a level of excitement and intensity that provided for an extremely
successful training.
The event was the brain-child of Terri Richmond, Region 4 Coordinator, and was
jointly planned by Mentor Teachers and RDA Trainers Kevin Fox and Cheryl Cook-Kallio.
According to State Coordinator David Richmond, “joining together the WTP
curriculum and the RDA materials for a focused seminar on Congress and
Representative Democracy seemed like a natural fit, and given the response of
the teachers, we will be looking forward to building on this model of
cooperation and partnership.”
The other main goal of the training was to tear down the barrier that has long
existed between the We the People curriculum and AP Government Teachers.
According to Ms. Richmond, “we more than achieved that goal.” Led by the
scholarship of Political Science Professor, Dr. Mike Williams, from the
University of San Diego, the mentor teachers were able to show how We the People
can be used to enhance and advance AP Government goals. According to one
participant, “This was very helpful in getting ideas on how to blend WTP and AP
Gov together as well as how to implement the WTP culminating activity. I’ll
encourage other AP teachers to come to trainings and use the WTP curriculum.”
Lastly, it is important in the current educational environment that educators
find and build a network of support. The seminar, held in the beautiful central
coastal town of Morro Bay allowed these 25 teachers to become part of the CA WTP
network of outstanding teachers and as one participant mentioned on her way to
her car, "I now feel that I have 20 more experts that I can access to help make
my instruction even better." Questions concerning this training or any other
event can be addressed to California's state coordinator at cawtp35@yahoo.com
CA WTP / UCI LAW PARTNERSHIP
Inaugural Seminar on Federalism Receives Praise From Teachers and Sponsors
Professor of
Law Dean of UCI School of Law Erwin Chemerinsky discusses the Issue of
Federal Preemption.
November 12-14:
UCI School of Law: Twenty-Three teachers from around the Southern California Region came together for a three-day seminar focusing upon the Challenges of Federalism in the 21st Century, the first in a series of Content Seminars to be provided thru a partnership between the CA We the People program and UCI’s School of Law.Held at the new Law School facilities on the campus of UCI, the seminar provided a forum for three outstanding scholars to challenge teachers on the historic, legal, and contemporary issues presented by the American federal system of government. The highlight of the weekend, according to teacher evaluations, was the presentation on Saturday morning by Professor Chemerinsky on the evolution of jurisprudence involving federal questions. Professor Chemerinsky also engaged the teachers in a discussion on the values inherent in a federal system, as well as the challenges of the division of powers.
Professor Chermerinsky was preceded by Dr. Donna Schuele on Friday afternoon with a discussion of the historic foundations of our federal system and a lively discussion on how the recent 2nd Amendment decisions by the court could effect federal and state attempts to regulate guns. Closing out the scholars presentation was Professor Jennifer Chacon who provided an engaging discussion on Immigration Law and the Federal System, with a focus on Arizona’s SB 1070 law that has brought national attention to issues of immigration reform.
UCI Students and alum of the We the People program, David Pierucci and Horacio Cortez speak to teacher participants on the value and impact of We the People on their academic lives.
Finally, on Sunday, alumni of the We the People program and current students in both the Law School and Undergraduate programs talked with the teachers about how We the People impacted not only their lives in general but their academic preparedness and choices. The program ended the weekend seminar with teachers participating in a simulated congressional hearing addressing questions of America’s Federal System. As one of the teacher/participants commented, “This was a rigorous and very informative seminar. This was the best way I could hope to spend a weekend.”
With the success of this inaugural event, CA WTP and UCI Law are planning a second seminar in March dealing with an issue of rights. Both the Dean of the Law School and the State Coordinator are excited about this ongoing partnership and hope to expand the program by including more of UCI’s law students as mentors to local schools.
Professor Donna Schuele engages teaches on the McDonald v. Chicago case and the 2nd Amendment.
CALIFORNIA WE THE PEOPLE’S FINAL WEEKEND SEMINAR
FOR THE 2011 PROGRAM YEAR
OCTOBER 7-9
SAN LUIS OBISPO
What do violent video games, the Founding Fathers, and the laws of Germany have in common? That’s what twenty-six teachers from all over California gathered to discover in early October. Teachers from middle and high schools met in beautiful San Luis Obispo to explore the topic, Paternalism and Education: What Should the Constitution Protect? This seminar took place over three days and involved scholars and mentors from Oregon, Wisconsin and California. The seminar began with a case study of the recent Supreme Court case, Brown v. EMA led by Sue Leeson, Oregon Supreme Court retired justice. Then, Tim Moore, currently at the University of Wisconsin, helped the participants dig into the views of various Founders on raising and educating young people. Next, University of San Diego political science chair Dr. Mike Williams engaged the teachers in a discussion of the issue at hand from a comparative perspective. Finally, all three scholars walked the participants through a closing activity, the examination of the dissent by Justice Thomas in the Brown v. EMA case. The participants enjoyed the setting, camaraderie and content. “I enjoyed the open discussion and dialogue---very thought provoking.” “Great, productive weekend—always a pleasure to interact with great minds.” These are just a sampling of the feelings of the participants, tired, but pleased! You can find links to the materials created by our presenters below.
CALIFORNIA SUMMER INSTITUTE AT UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO “*A MUST FOR ALL.”
Region 8, CA-25 and CA-41 Rural WTP Training Reveals Dedication of Teachers, Administrators, and Coordinators
Aug 31, 2009: Nearly fifteen teachers from eastern Inyo and
Mono Counties traveled far to receive We the People training from
Coordinators Jan Carmean and Maureen Johnson in Bishop, California as
part of the Constitution Day workshop co-sponsored by Inyo and Mono
County Offices of Education.
According to Jan Carmean, “what makes this workshop different from so many others is the many of the participants have to travel considerable distances to get to the workshops, and most of the participants teach at small, rural schools where they ARE the social studies department and have five to six classroom preparations.” Ms. Carmean and Ms. Johnson were also pleased to have teachers representing Alternative, Opportunity, and Special Day programs. A special thanks goes out to Katherine Neal, Program Coordinator, Education Services for Inyo County and Stacey Adler, Asst. Superintendent of Curriculum, Mono County. We would also like to show our appreciation for Jan and Maureen and the team from Region 8 who constantly show their commitment to serve all teachers and all students. Job Well Done!!
California We the People
Advanced Studies Institute: July 2009
Twenty-seven veteran We the People
teachers spent four beautiful days on the Central Coast exploring issues
of American identity with three distinguished scholars. The Inn at Morro
Bay provided a relaxing setting for the content discussion between
participants and scholars. Dr. Mike Williams, from the University of San
Diego, and The Honorable Sue Leeson, Oregon Supreme Court retired
justice, provided in-depth information on both historical and global
perspectives on American identity. Tim Moore, from Wisconsin, led the
teachers in pedagogy sessions incorporating primary sources. Finally,
the participant teams presented their view on a possible amendment to
the United States Constitution concerning the issues raised at this
advanced studies institute. As one participant summed up, “this Advanced
Institute is a rejuvenating experience!”
Below are the four PowerPoint presentations prepared by participants in
the New Constitutional Amendments Project
We the People Advanced Institute PPT 1
We the People Advanced Institute PPT 2
We the People Advanced Institute PPT 3
The Creation of a New
Amendment
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