Grant to give history teachers a boost

A federally funded program designed to educate fifth- through eighth-grade teachers on how to get kids excited about studying American history will soon be available to educators in Moorpark, Pleasant Valley, Rio and Ocean View school districts.

Marilyn Green, director of grants for Moorpark Unified School District, received word this month that her application for a Teaching American History grant had been approved.

Teachers who volunteer to take part will have the opportunity to visit historic sites and museums across the nation to acquire firsthand knowledge of peoples, cultures and ideas from preColonial times to the present. They'll receive additional training and personal coaching from history professors.

The grant in the amount of $992,099 over the next three years will pay for the program coordinator, guest speakers, field study and training expenses incurred by teachers and the Cal State Northridge professors who will provide academic content.

In addition to saving at least one local teaching job, the grant will give elementary and middle school teachers a more detailed knowledge of history as well as new teaching strategies that make social studies more accessible, interesting and exciting for students, Green said.

Many elementary instructors have had few opportunities to study history because they focus on math and English, she said.

The project will begin this fall and is eligible for funding for up to five years. It was written in partnership with Cal State Northridge, the Reagan Library and the four school districts.

Aside from general history, the grant's teaching curriculum will focus on the diversity of America and the impact of internal migration and immigration.

"We will use the story of immigration to explore the broader story of America and the tremendous significance that immigrants have had on American history," said Green, adding that this teaching strategy should have particular relevance to local children because many of them are recent immigrants.

"This information is included in the curriculum now, but we wanted to emphasize it to make sure that teachers include all populations, so students feel part of the story," Green said.

At least 40 educators will take part in regular classes and field trips and about 200 teachers will be invited to attend occasional major events throughout the school year.

A similar $938,000 grant was issued to Moorpark Unified by the U.S. Department of Education in 2008. That program is administered by Moorpark High teacher Larry Jones in partnership with California Lutheran University and the Reagan Library to benefit fifth-, eighth-, and 11th-grade teachers in Moorpark, Simi Valley and Fillmore.

Local teachers who participate in the established grant program said the experience has already enhanced their teaching capabilities.

Ernie Quiroz, who teaches 11th-grade history at Fillmore High, has attended every grant workshop, event and institute hosted by Jones since the inception of that program last year.

He said a recent New Mexico trip opened up a different aspect of history that is often overshadowed by major events that occurred simultaneously on the East Coast.

"Interacting with other teachers and seeing living history helped me to put things together for my students," said Quiroz, who shares what he learns from the program with other educators in Fillmore.

Local school leaders haven't yet selected a director for the new project, Green said, but over time the two programs will work jointly.

School leaders are seeking an individual who has good recruiting skills to spark interest in teachers who qualify for the program.

"The program is wide open," Green said, noting that recruiting in other districts might pose some additional challenges but the Moorpark school district plans to attract as many educators as possible.

"We want to sell it to people and have them join in the experience," she said.