At its annual meeting in San Diego last month, the National Council for the Social Studies passed a resolution sponsored by The Rouge Forum calling for it members “to do whatever they can to bring the Iraq war to a speedy conclusion.”
Founded in 1921, National Council for the Social Studies has grown to be the largest association in the country devoted solely to social studies education. NCSS engages and supports educators in strengthening and advocating social studies. With members in all the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and 69 foreign countries, NCSS serves as an umbrella organization for elementary, secondary, and college teachers of history, geography, economics, political science, sociology, psychology, anthropology, and law-related education. Organized into a network of more than 110 affiliated state, local, and regional councils and associated groups, the NCSS membership represents K-12 classroom teachers, college and university faculty members, curriculum designers and specialists, social studies supervisors, and leaders in the various disciplines that constitute the social studies.
The resolution was passed by the NCSS House of Delegates, which represents its affiliated councils. The NCSS Board will vote on the resolution at February 2008 meeting.
Last year the NCSS House of Delegates tabled a similar resolution submitted by The Rouge Forum.
Ironically, the College and University Faculty Assembly of NCSS failed to support a motion calling for an end to the Iraq war at their annual meeting, which was held in conjunction with NCSS. CUFA had passed resolutions calling for an end to the Iraq war in four previous years.
NCSS House of Delegates Resolution (passed)
07-04-1. A Call for a Public Stand
Rationale: NCSS standards documents and position statements consistently identify citizenship education as the primary purpose of K-12 social studies. These statements argue that concern for the common good and citizen participation in public life are essential to the health of our democratic system. If, as NCSS consistently argues, effective social studies education prepares young people to identify, understand, critically analyze and take action to solve the problems facing our diverse nation in an increasingly interdependent world. Then it is incumbent on social studies educators and their primary professional organization to take actions in the public arena that are consistent with the stated purposes of the profession.
07-04-1. A Call for a Public Stand
BE IT RESOLVED: that the National Council for the Social Studies urges its members, associated groups and communities: To take a public stand as citizens on behalf of the values and goals taught in social studies and necessary to the practice of our profession; and To do whatever they can to bring the Iraq war to a speedy conclusion.
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