Going to the Hill

On Tuesday July 23^rd, eight members of the MGA steering committee went to the Massachusetts State House on Beacon Hill and they paid visits to offices of their state senators and representatives, urging them to actively support the Geography Education bill (S.200) that is now in the Joint Committee on Education. Legislators were urged to either write letters of support or to appear personally at the bill's hearing on Thursday October 31^st. This is part of the strategic push to get the bill passed this year so that the public hearings on geographic education can occur next spring. This is an exciting time for geography education as we are within striking distance of having a geographic education commission - the first ever for our state. We encourage you to contact your state representatives (https://malegislature.gov/) and request their support. We need more geography in our schools as geography is THE subject that teaches about the variety of cultural and physical places that make up our world. Geography teaches those spatial thinking skills that are so essential for jobs ranging from map making to environmental planning. The National Geographic Society Education Foundation provides excellent material on Geo-literacy and why we need it to become involved citizens in the 21^st century. http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/geoliteracy/?ar_a=1

 

Geography Bee

Massachusetts Geographic Alliance member Dr. Vernon Domingo was featured on a recent NECN report about the very successful Geography Bee held last week. Although the report is introduced with the erroneous notion that this competition is about obscure facts, the report itself does a nice job of highlighting the importance of geography education.

S200 Filed

As we detailed in "Renewed Effort" a few weeks ago, we are back in the legislative process, with much higher hopes of success. In addition to our stalwart supporters from the 187th session (Sen. Brewer, Rep. Smola, and their amazing staff members), we were seeking additional sponsors. 

View EarthView Experience in a larger map

Thanks to the efforts of the original sponsors, appearances of EarthView, and the many calls of support from MGA and other friends of geography, a new bill was filed in February (S200) with EIGHTEEN sponsors! The bipartisan group is also geographically diverse, as indicated by the State House domes above. 

Sen. Stephen Brewer, D-Barre

Sen. John Keenan, D-Salem

Sen. Harriette Chandler, D-Worcester
Sen. Richard T. Moore, D-Uxbridge
Sen. Katherine M. Clark, D-Melrose
Sen. Michael R. Knapik, R-Westfield
Sen. Marc R. Pacheco, D-Taunton

Rep. Smola, R-Palmer

Rep. James Murphy, D-Weymouth

Rep. Anne Gobi, D-Spencer

Rep. Christine Canavan, D-Brockton

Rep. Louis Kafka, D-Stoughton

Rep. William Galvin, D-Canton

Rep. Jennifer Benson, D-Lunenburg

Rep. Angelo D’Emilia, R-Bridgewater

Rep. James O’Day, D-West Boylston
Rep. Tom Sannicandro, D- Ashland
Rep. Denise Andrews, D-Orange

Stay tuned for news about hearings, which should be coming soon.

Whatever has happened with S200 by late spring, members of the legislature and the Patrick administration will be invited to a special geography program at the State House when EarthView returns to Nurse's Hall on Monday, May 6. Mark your calendars!

Renewed Effort

Senator Brewer, Representative Smola (the Legislature's only geographer), and their staff members continue to work hard on legislation to create a Commission to investigate the status of the discipline in Massachusetts schools and teacher-preparation programs.

The bill was favorably reported from the Joint Committee on Education and from the Senate Ways & Means Committee, but as with most legislation, it did not make it to the floor for a vote during its first session.

MGA leaders have again worked closely with these legislators and their staff members, and the bill has been reintroduced. We are not taking anything for granted, but we are optimistic that the bill will pass during this session, perhaps in the first half of this year. If it does, the Commission will begin holding public hearings on the status of this important discipline at several locations around the state.

As of this writing, the legislation has more than a dozen sponsors, with the possibility of more being added by February 2. (Use "Find a Legislator" for more details about these individuals or to find your own legislators.)

Sen. Stephen Brewer, D-Barre

Sen. John Keenan, D-Salem

Sen. Harriette Chandler, D-Worcester


Sen. Richard T. Moore, D-Uxbridge
Sen. Katherine M. Clark, D-Melrose
Sen. Michael R. Knapik, R-Westfield
Sen. Marc R. Pacheco, D-Taunton

Rep. Smola, R-Palmer

Rep. James Murphy, D-Weymouth

Rep. Anne Gobi, D-Spencer

Rep. Christine Canavan, D-Brockton

Rep. Louis Kafka, D-Stoughton

Rep. William Galvin, D-Canton

Rep. Jennifer Benson, D-Lunenburg

Rep. Angelo D’Emilia, R-Bridgewater

Rep. James O’Day, D-West Boylston

Rep. Tom Sannicandro, D- Ashland
Rep. Denise Andrews, D-Orange

This is a no-cost, bipartisan bill which can lead to profound improvements in science education and global education in the Commonwealth, by restoring and expanding the role of geography in primary and secondary schools.

Members of the legislature and the Patrick administration will be invited to a special geography program at the State House when EarthView returns to Nurse's Hall on Monday, May 6. Mark your calendars!

Time for Geography

Clipart Of, LLC, used by license

As the holidays and the end of the calendar year rapidly approach, so also does our best chance of furthering the cause of geography education in Massachusetts. As explained in more detail below, after years of work on this effort, further progress at this point is dependent on action within the House Committee on Ways & Means. It is appropriate for any Massachusetts resident to contact committee leaders Dempsey, Kulik, or Walz. It is also appropriate for supporters of geography to discuss the bill with individual members if they happen to reside in their district (see list).

The bipartisan bill for geography education that was submitted by Senator Brewer and Representative Smola (an actual geographer in the legislature) passed the Joint Committee on Education (that is, both houses) and the Senate Committee on Ways & Means (which rightly determined that the bill has no economic implications).

As many readers of this blog know, the original bill suggested by the Massachusetts Geographic Alliance would have imposed a number of statewide changes in geography frameworks and licensure. During the legislative process, MGA worked with the bill sponsors to craft a more modest approach that would simply call for the creation of a Commission on Geography Education.

The bill language is on the MGA site (under its earlier number, S2194) and on the Massachusetts Senate page under the revised number 2361. The Senate site includes a complete history of the bill's passage through various committees, with links to the membership of each committee.

The bill did not make the deadline for an up-or-down vote during the formal session last summer. If no legislators object, it can still be passed. It currently awaits a recommendation from the House Committee on Ways & Means, where a budget committee is studying its potential impact. Vernon Domingo and James Hayes-Bohanan will be visiting members of the committee and the bill's sponsors in a last-minute effort to get the bill to a vote. Calls to the offices of legislators throughout the state -- and in particular to members of this committee -- would provide welcome support for this effort.

This bill is the culmination of more than a decade of work, much of it in the Department of Education. If the bill passes, we will then be able to have a serious discussion about the teaching of geography and the preparation of geography teachers in the Commonwealth. If the bill fails, it may be another decade before the discussion takes place.

Apt gear worn by an EarthView participant at
North Andover Middle School.

What about organizing a Family Geography Night at your school? This is very effective way to get the focus on geography, to get some community involvement, and to let people know about the good work taking place in your school. 
Robert Poirier a geography teacher in North Andover and a board member of the Massachusetts Geographic Alliance has presented very successful Family Geography Nights in his school. These have been held on a week night, 5:30-7:30 and they have attracted hundreds of attendees  - students, parents, and community members. Robert has now published a how-to-book. The attractive and informative 32 page booklet contains helpful details such as finding volunteers, setting up geography activities in different classrooms, and publicizing the event.
The book is now available for sale ($20). Contact Robert Poirier at geographynight@yahoo.com to buy one.

In July, members of each of the six New England state geography alliances met in Chicopee, Massachusetts in a leadership institute with much planning and discussion of how we can ensure that geography education and the Alliances continue to grow and become sustainable in our region. It was very productive and reassuring institute, spanning generations - geography education is alive and well in New England and we have strong leadership to take it forward.
Here is a photo of attendees with the EarthView, a 20ft inflatable globe, a veritable geography classroom - 24 students can go inside at a time and learn about planet Earth. EarthView is based at Bridgewater State University.