It’s easy to feel helpless when confronted with the threats to public education happening in various parts of the country, particularly when we understand that the places in the news are not the only places encountering the challenges of restrictive legislation, book bans, and problematic state standards. K-12 teachers are limited in their ability to fight these challenges. Those who do push back can face censure, social media exposure, or disciplinary action, all the while juggling the individual needs of dozens of students, the pressures of school and district initiatives, parent and community influence, and a lack of funding for resources and professional development.

Scholars and academics can be of service to K-12 teachers, in ways that use their own knowledge and experience. This session will explore several such acts of service, including how to take action in local communities, where much of the influence rests. Panelists who are currently on school boards will discuss school board service: What does a school board actually do? Why should academics run for school board? How can you go about getting started in a run for public office? If elected office is not feasible, what are the other ways academics can engage with their local district and schools?

Additionally, this session will discuss policy and state standards, and the most effective ways to influence the laws and guidelines that directly impact the teaching of K-12 history. Panelists will offer an introduction to state social studies standards, including a brief history of how standards have evolved in the last 30 years, and ways to support teachers in the writing and implementation of those standards. Legislative policy is another key component for attendees to learn how to navigate.

The second half of this session will reflect ways that teaching and learning happens in K-12 spaces; the experience of learning as K-12 students do is a window into the world that classroom teachers occupy, a helpful insight for those wanting to get involved. After the panelists present for approximately 15 minutes each, the audience will engage in small-group discussions at their tables. Using prompts and structured mini-activities to foster conversation, small groups will share about what’s happening in their own K-12 communities or state legislatures and discuss specific action items, including ways they and their colleagues can meaningfully make change.

K-12 history educators need to see that their college and university peers have their backs. What happens in K-12 directly impacts what happens on higher-education campuses, and this session will carve out a path of support for our classroom-educator colleagues.