What history and civics teacher wouldn’t relish teaching the Biden-Trump presidential election? Apparently many in California.
This week, Devin Hess, an academic coordinator for the UC Berkeley History-Social Science Project, elaborates on what podcast cohost John Fensterwald found in EdSource article this week: There are many reasons why some teachers are choosing to teach the election process but not the issues dividing voters and candidates in the polarizing presidential race.
Also, with new EdSource data showing more districts are returning to in-person instruction or considering it, we speak with Capistrano Unified Superintendent Kirsten Vital on how the state’s 7th largest district is offering a full-day program for K-5 students, split between regular instruction inside school and additional time under tents.
And El Dorado County Superintendent Ed Manansala talks about how a district-county partnership solved the coronavirus testing and contact tracing dilemma, enabling students in the county’s 15 districts to return to school.
For background on this issue, check out the following:
- High school teachers in California wary of taking on contentious Biden-Trump election
- Helping students to sort facts from lies on the internet
- UC Berkeley History/Social Science Project
- Discord and Crisis: The 2020 Election, webinars co-hosted by Devin Hess (sign up for Nov. 10 post-election webinar)
- A look at Orange County as first in a wave of school reopenings in California
- Students getting in-person instruction at accelerating pace in California
- Map: In-Person Instruction and Distance Learning in California