It’s been 18 years since Sept. 11, 2001, the day terror called on America.
For a trio of social studies teachers at Westwood Middle School, that anniversary posed an academic challenge.
That is, how do you make a student “remember” something that happened before he was born?
Phil Caskey, Barbara Smith and Ashley Grandick-Peck did it by mobilizing.
In the weeks before, they began integrating factoids of Middle East history and American foreign policy into the daily lesson plan leading up to the calendar page.
Then, on Sept. 11, they stepped aside and let two local people who had been whooshed into it all tell the story.
Sarah Cooke, a medical professional and first responder now working at Westwood Middle, was among those on the ground in Shanksville, Pa., sifting through the pieces of doomed Flight 93.
Morgantown Police Chief Ed Preston, a former federal investigator, was in lower Manhattan that day, testifying in a case.
He saw the second plane crash into the second tower and initially tried to assist in crowd control, as did others carrying badges that day.
Both talked and engaged in lengthy question-and-answer sessions with students.
The day went beyond the textbook, Caskey said, as he’d hoped it would.
“It’s our privilege and duty to tell the Sept. 11 story,” the teacher said.
As he said, social studies, as an offering on the course schedule, is a cerebral trampoline, of sorts, where issues of race, class and gender are bounced around in one’s brain.
Such as all of the particulars that sparked Sept. 11.
When those Westwood students hit high school, however, such other social studies lessons might be of the quicker, not as in-depth variety.
The state Board of Education is considering a proposal that would cut the mandatory number of social studies credits for graduating seniors from four to three.
Policy 2510, Assuring the Quality of Education: Regulations for Education Programs, would also lop off the U.S. History requirement from its current two courses to one.
State Superintendent of Schools Steve Paine, though, said the policy’s tweaks aren’t about taking things away.
The idea, he said, is to add flexibility and diversity to the daily offering of academics.
Twenty-two credits are required for graduation under the policy, the superintendent said — but those are a mix of core mandates and other offerings, based on the personalized education plan of each student.
That means a prescribed 10 credits: Two apiece in math, English language arts, social studies and science, in addition to physical education and health classes, which are one credit apiece.
The remaining 12 credits, Paine said, include two each in math and language arts. Social studies, science and the arts require one credit apiece.
There’s also a “flex” credit, the superintendent said.
Students may take a technical education course, a computer science course or an additional offering in social studies or science with that option.
“This added flexibility will allow students to take course work that is most relevant to their future plans,” he said.
The policy is out for public comment until Jan. 24 and may be viewed online at wvde.state.wv.us/policies/.
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