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History educators meet at CCSU

The first meeting of Linking American History: Past to Present was held last week at Clayton College & State University's Harry S. Downs Center for Continuing Education. The program, funded entirely by a $984,115 Teaching American History grant from the U.S. Department of Education, will focus on increasing teacher's knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the period from 1945 to present.

Following opening remarks by Linking American History Director Robynn Holland, a former Clayton County Schools and Clayton State history teacher, and social studies specialist for the Georgia Department of Education, Clayton State President Dr. Thomas K. Harden welcomed the guests, who included educational leaders from all three of the counties involved with the grant: Fayette, Henry and Cobb. Representing Fayette County was Cathy Geis, social studies coordinator for the Fayette County Schools. Henry County School Superintendent Dr. Jack Parrish and Chairman of the Henry County Board of Education Ray Hudalla were both present, as was Terry Poor, Middle School director for Cobb County.

A total of 55 fifth-, eighth- and 11th-grade teachers from the three counties, the primary beneficiaries of the program, were also in attendance to hear Lead Master Historian Dr. Gene Hatfield, professor of History at Clayton State, deliver the session’s keynote address on “The Foundations of Democracy,” focusing on the documents that the nation’s development has relied upon: the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Gettsyburg Address and the 14th and 15th Amendments to the Constitution.

“This is a reminder of where we’ve come from as we look out on where we are and where we’re going,” said Hatfield of his address.

The first-year teacher institute of Linking American History: Past to Present is led by master historians Hatfield and Dr. Randy Rosenburg from Clayton State. Other master historians in the project include Dr. Glen Eskew, Georgia State University, Dr. Pam Roseman, Georgia Perimeter College, Dr. Kathryn Kemp, Clayton State, Dr. Robert Pratt, University of Georgia, and Dr. Mark Bauman, Atlanta Metropolitan College.

In October 2003, Clayton College & State University, three metro Atlanta School Systems, the Georgia Archives, the Southeastern Region of the National Archives and Records Administration, the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library, the Georgia Council for the Humanities and the Georgia Department of education teamed up to create Living American History: Past to Present, a three year program funded by the American History Grant.

The Henry County Board of Education, the official grant recipient and lead system, joins with the Fayette and Cobb County schools in supplying the student/teachers for the program. Clayton State, the two archives, the Carter Library, the Council for Humanities and the Georgia Department of Education act as partners to the three school systems in the program.