College of Education creates free webinar series for teachers, citizens about government's response to COVID-19
Tuesday, June 2, 2020
MANHATTAN — The Center for Social Studies Education in the Kansas State University College of Education is partnering with the Center for Civic Education and the Johnson County First Amendment Foundation to offer a four-part webinar as a public service to teachers and citizens.
"Teaching in Real-time: How Well Does America's Federal System Respond to Public Health Crises?" begins at 7:30 p.m. CDT on June 23, 24, 30 and July 1. Registration is free and open to the public.
Each webinar features a 45-minute presentation by Stephen Schechter, Russell Sage College professor emeritus and executive editor of American Governance, and ends with a question and answer period.
"We are experiencing a wake-up call about threats to our public health systems much in the same way 9/11 was a wake-up call about threats to our national security systems," Schechter said. "These seminal events in our history provide powerful teachable moments for the teacher who is ready to tackle such challenges. American responses to the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 provide a window revealing issues of federalism, separation of powers and civil liberties."
Participants will receive a free copy of a 40-page background paper with key ideas, history and current issues of responses to public health crises in the American federal system and free access to the Center for Civic Education's online We the People textbooks.
College of Education faculty Brad Burenheide, associate professor of curriculum and instruction and We the People Program state coordinator, and Tom Vontz, professor of curriculum and instruction and director of the Center for Social Studies Education, are organizing the event.
