Staff Writer

Alix Neenan ’12

The Westport Public School system has always emphasized American history. Students take three years of United States history in middle school, another year in high school, and some students choose to AP U.S. History or AP U.S. Government and Politics. However, there is currently a movement to change the social studies department’s Eurocentric tendencies.

“In terms of content, our requirements don’t really reflect the realities of the world today, in which economies, culture, and politics are all globalized,” said James D’Amico, social studies department head.  “We have seven years of social studies offerings and students are only required to take a half-year course that focuses on other areas of the world.”

Area studies is a half–year course requirement for graduating. Students may choose a region of the world in which they are interested. Included are lesser-studied countries such as Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.

“One of the goals of the social studies program is to create effective citizens,” D’Amico said. “But we are not just preparing them to be citizens of the United States, we are preparing them to be citizens of the world.”

Learning United States history during middle school was “too much,” Anna Fiolek ’13 said.

“It’s too focused on the United States,” Gwen Beal ’12 said.

“It’s a disservice to the students of Staples,” said social studies teacher Ashley Gayanilo about Staples’ current social studies curriculum.

“There are many other nations you have to know about if you want to be a world citizen,” Gayanilo said.

The social studies department is trying to change this. A curriculum revision committee has been formed to modify the current curriculum.

Both Gayanilo and D’Amico are committee members, along with other social studies teachers.  The committee is working on a new program and plans to present it to the BOE this coming spring. “We’re working hard on that,” said D’Amico.

Plans for the new curriculum include giving students more global electives and more interdisciplinary connections to other subjects.

“I think we’ll have core courses that more fully address the social sciences and expose students to more global themes,” D’Amico said.

However, some students are content with the current social studies program.

“I liked learning about our own country,” Brittany Lobdell ’12 said.

“It’s important to have knowledge of your home country,” August Laska ’13 said.

Students are “well–grounded in the ideals of the United States,” said Gayanilo, but a balance between United States history and world history is vital.

Although the curriculum revision committee is initiating a new curriculum, certain state and national requirements for social studies curriculum make American history a priority.

In the state of Connecticut, there are 25 general skills concerning social studies that a high school student is expected to have. Some of these skills include learning how to read primary sources, understand the effect resources have on economics, and knowing general facts about geography.

Only two of these skills are knowledge of world history. The rest are either knowledge of American history or more general skills.