Thread by @ls_gibson

I have decided to resign from the Alberta Education Social Studies Curriculum Working Group (CWG). It was not an easy decision as I am deeply committed to designing the best possible Social Studies curriculum for the students, teachers, and people of Alberta #abed /1

I have resisted resigning and publicly criticizing the draft curriculum and curriculum redesign process because I am frightened about what a Jason Kenney-led UCP government might do to the social studies curriculum and K-12 education in #abed should they get into power /2

Since joining the Social Studies CWG in the fall of 2016 I have repeatedly defended Alberta Education from unfair and inaccurate criticism about both the curriculum writing process and the draft social studies curricula from David Staples of the Edmonton Journal. /3

I have almost 20 yrs experience as a public school social studies teacher, curriculum writer (I was part of the writing team for the BC Social Studies curriculum) and education professor so I like to think I have some expertise in social studies curriculum development. /4

Throughout the two years I have been a member of the Social Studies CWG I have asked questions, highlighted issues, and raised concerns to Alberta Education staff about both the process and design of the K-12 Social Studies Curriculum. /5

Last December I drafted a detailed 7-page letter to the #abed Social Studies Curriculum team to express my concerns and although Alberta Education staff members met with me to discuss these issues, nothing changed. /6

To date the issues I have raised have not been adequately addressed, and as a result, I have concluded that I can no longer continue as a member of the Social Studies CWG. /7

I organized my concerns about the #abed Social Studies curriculum into two categories: Curriculum Design Process, and Curriculum Design. /8

Concerns with the Curriculum Design Process

1. The rationale and justification offered for re-designing the K-12 Alberta curriculum was not relevant to the current Alberta Social Studies curriculum. /9

2. Recommendations made by Alberta Social Studies teachers in the 2016 ATA survey "The Future of Social Studies--The Voices of Alberta Teachers" have not been adequately considered or addressed. /10

3. There has been a concerning lack of discussion during Social Studies Curriculum Working Group (CWG) meetings about key issues and debates in Social Studies education. /11

4. Who is really writing the social studies curriculum? Much of the work completed during Social Studies CWG meetings has been altered or revised by Alberta Education staff in between CWG meetings. /12

5. Too many decisions about the architectural design and structure of the Social Studies Curriculum were made before the CWG ever met and #abed has proven to be unwilling to make any changes to the design and structure. /13

6. The Social Studies CWG has not utilized the expertise provided by post-secondary subject experts (e.g. historians, political scientists, economists) or by post-secondary education professors who specialize in social studies education. /14

7. Alberta Education's decision to end the payment of honoraria to post-secondary CWG members who have given their time in 30+ all day meetings is unfair, inequitable, and disrespectful. /15

Curriculum Design Issues

1. Various aspects of the curriculum design Guiding Framework are conceptually confused including the eight competencies, and the distinction between conceptual knowledge and procedural concepts. /16

2. Alberta Education has ignored decades of research that has identified key procedural concepts in social studies ed. Also, the current direction of the redesigned #abed Social Studies curriculum runs counter to "best practices" in social studies curriculum design. /17

3. The Essential Understandings, Guiding Questions, and Learning outcomes developed for the draft Alberta K-4 Social Studies Curriculum are too generic, abstract, and devoid of meaning. They provide little guidance to Ts and Ss. /18

4. The Guiding Framework for writing learning outcomes is overly-complicated and prescriptive. It should not take teams of teachers days to construct one learning outcome. Curriculum learning outcomes should not be complicated. /19

5. The new Alberta Social Studies Curriculum is supposed to be competency-driven, yet in each grade in the K-4 draft curriculum only half of the eight competencies are being focused on. Are the competencies really that important if only half are explicitly stated? /20

6. The draft Social Studies curriculum does not include enough focus on history or #historicalthinking. In terms of addressing Canadian history and citizenship #abed's current curriculum has the lowest ranking of all ten Canadian provinces. The new curriculum is worse /21

7. The TRC's final report calls for changes in K-12 history & social studies education to "remedy the gaps in historical knowledge that perpetuate ignorance and racism." Given the absence of history in the #abed curriculum I can't see how this will be done? /22

8. Throughout the process it is unclear what role standardized assessments, particularly Diploma Exams and PAT exams will play in the new curriculum. We could design the best curriculum in the world, but problematic assessment practices could subvert the entire curriculum /23

9. There has been little direction provided about implementation of the redesigned #abed social studies curriculum & what type of professional learning, support, and resources teachers will receive for implementation. Without a proper plan, the process will fall apart /24

10. There is a lack of clarity in the draft versions of the K-4 Social Studies curriculum about the specific social studies topics and content that should be taught in each grade? Given the abstract learning outcomes I'm not sure if teachers will know what to teach about? /25

Given the current draft K-4 SS curriculum & the proposed direction for the grades 5-8 and 9-12 SS curriculum, I cannot sit back & watch the development of a SS curriculum that ignores current research & trends in SS curriculum development in Canada and around the world. /26

Social Studies curriculum usually has a 10-20 year lifespan, which is almost an entire generation of students. If we don’t get the Alberta Social Studies curriculum right now, two decades of teachers and students will have to endure a substandard curriculum. /27

Although I have resigned from the CWG I have offered to continue working with #abed on the SS curriculum as part of a Focus Group or Academic Advisory Committee. I also offered to meet with #abed to further clarify my concerns about the curriculum design and process. /28

We are at a really important point in the #abed SS curriculum process. It is not too late to make substantive changes, but we are getting very close to the point of no return. /29

Fin