Reporter

Issue 1
Winter /Spring 2016

SPONSORS

SUPREME COURT OF OHIO | THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF OHIO

OHIO STATE BAR ASSOCIATION | ACLU OF OHIO FOUNDATION

Sojourn to the Past, Enlightenment for the Future

Mahoning Valley Sojourn to the
Past is a nonprofit organization
created by a small group of
educators whose mission is to
enable individuals to participate
in educational activities that
encourage personal growth.

to Selma and walk across the Edmond Pettus Bridge, just as the
marchers did on Bloody Sunday. In Montgomery, students sit on
the steps of the capitol where Martin Luther King Jr., spoke and
also spend time at the Civil Rights Memorial, The students are
asked to reflect on how the experiences affect them personally,
and what they would be willing to do when they see an injustice.
(Continued on page 4)

By Penny Wells,
retired educator,
Youngstown City
Schools

In the summer of 2006, I attended a Civil

Rights workshop by Jeff Steinberg called
Sojourn to the Past. Sojourn to the Past
is an empowering, leadership development
experience that takes participants on a ten-day transformative,
moving classroom, living history journey along the path of the Civil
Rights Movement through five states in the American South. In
the fall of 2006, I invited Mr. Steinberg to Volney Rogers Junior
High School, in Youngstown, Ohio, to speak to junior high and
high school students about the hateful language they use and how
it adversely affects others. By spring 2007, six Youngstown high
school students and I made the Sojourn journey.
Sojourn students not only have hands-on history lessons on the
Civil Rights Movement, they also meet many veterans of the
Movement, including Minnijean Brown Trickey and Elizabeth
Eckford of the Little Rock Nine, Congressman John Lewis, and
the Chris McNair family whose daughter and sister, Denise, was
killed in the bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in
Birmingham. They also study the sites that changed the course
of human rights in America and learn lessons of the Civil Rights
Movement including justice, hope, non-violence, compassion,
tolerance, civic responsibility, and forgiveness. Students are
challenged and asked, What are you willing to put your life on
the line for? This is an empowering trip for the students. They
see ordinary people from history who stepped up and made a
difference, and now these students realize they also can step up
and make a difference. They return home with newly acquired
leadership skills and a sense of hope knowing they have the power
to make a positive change first in themselves and then in their
schools and community.

Pictured L to R: Mahoning Valley Sojourn students Micah Smith and Sarina Chatman,
Penny Wells, Dr. Bernice King, Dexter King; second row, Sojourn to the Past Founder &
Executive Director Jeff Steinberg. Photo courtesy of Penny Wells, taken at the annual
King Center Salute to Greatness Awards Dinner, January 16, 2016.

THE SOJOURN EXPERIENCE

Atlanta Selma/Montgomery/Birmingham Hattiesburg Jackson
Little Rock Memphis

Moot Court Case Capsule......................................... 3

Before students depart, they must read John Lewiss book, Walking
With the Wind, and answer study guide questions. Students also
have an airplane assignment that requires them to read Dr. Kings
Six Principles of Non-Violence. Upon arrival in Atlanta, students
visit the King museum and gravesite. They also learn about and
discuss institutionalized racism. Students hear from Congressman
John Lewis and Rev. Clark Olson, who witnessed the killing of
Rev. James Reeb in Selma after Bloody Sunday. Students travel

IN THIS ISSUE
Teachable Moment........................................................ 2
Turning Passion into Action........................................ 3
Female Firsts in the Ohio Legislature...................... 5
Teachers Experience Ohio Government................ 6
Empower Students through Youth for
Justice/Project Citizen Programs............................... 6
Teachers Enhance Constitution
Teaching Methods ........................................................ 7

TEACHABLE MOMENT

Its More than a Competition

By Ryan Suskey,
Director of
Professional
Development
& Programs
As winter turns
to spring, the
testing season is
once more upon us. At OCLRE it is
also testing season, but of a decidedly
different sort. At the risk of expressing
a rather unpopular opinion, I would like
to advocate for more testing. Before the
alarm bells sound, however, what I am
actually advocating for is using OCLRE
programs and materials in new and
different ways.
All OCLRE student-centered programs
culminate in an activity, competition,
or showcase. Whether the culminating
activity is students presenting arguments
and testimony in a mock trial, or
testifying in a simulated congressional
hearing for We the People, the spring
semester is when OCLRE students
demonstrate their newly acquired
skills and knowledge. In each instance,
students are guided by a teacher or legal
advisor to become experts on a topic,
and to put that expertise into action.
OCLRE programs truly are more than
competitions. The culminating activities
are designed as authentic assessments
for the program, focusing on the skills
and knowledge gained rather than the
drive to win. This educational goal is first
and foremost in our minds as we plan
the programs each year. Each decision
is weighed against its impact on the
educational outcomes for students.
For readers unfamiliar with the term,
authentic assessments are roughly as they
sound: assessments designed to more
closely mirror authentic scenarios that
students would encounter in the real
world. The Center on Organization
and Restructuring of Schools (CORS)
established three criteria for good
authentic assessments: assessments
must involve student construction of
knowledge through disciplined inquiry
having value beyond the classroom.
Knowing that our students will soon face
the OGT or OAA, the question of why
should we add one more assessment?
naturally follows.
2

Consider a shift in perspective: Dr.

Fred Newmann of the University of
Wisconsin emphasizes that promoting
authentic intellectual work should not be
seen as a project that adds yet a new or
different educational goal, but instead
that it be viewed as a framework for
teaching and assessing any goal that relies
on knowledge. In this way, authentic
assessment opportunities in OCLRE
programs are not one more test to
burden teachers, but are instead a tool
for teaching and assessing deeper mastery
of civics content.

If you look back in history,

you will find the core
mission of public education
in America was to create
places of civic virtue for our
children and for our society.
As education undergoes the
rigors of re-examination and
the need for reinvention, it is
crucial to remember that the
key role of public schools is to
preserve democracy and, that
as battered as we might be,
our mission is central to the
future of this county.
-- Paul D. Houston, executive director
of the American Association of School
Administrators (1994-2008)
Ultimately, students benefit from this
shift in perspective, as teachers prepare
them not only for future life as citizens,
but also for better performance in
school. Research demonstrates that
students taught and assessed in more
authentic ways actually outperform
their traditionally taught peers, even
on multiple choice assessments. When
teachers utilize authentic assessments,
their methods of instruction are geared
toward this higher bar for mastery.
When these students are later tasked
with lower rigor summative assessments
(e.g. multiple choice standardized tests)
their greater mastery of content transfers
and higher scores result. Research
from the field further suggests that

the performance boost for students in

authentic classrooms could be 30-60
percentile points higher than traditionally
taught peers.
OCLRE programs are ready-made
authentic assessments, with teacher
resources and tools, asking students to
participate in activities they will likely
encounter as active and engaged citizens.
Teachers who implement OCLRE
programs can help students build skills
such as analytical thinking, document
analysis, taking part in civil discussion of
controversial issues, public speaking, and
persuasive writing.
Whether your students join us in
Columbus for a state competition or
showcase, or you use the programs in
your classroom, student participation
in culminating activities creates
opportunities for your students to
further their mastery of civics content.

Endnotes:
Fred M. Newmann and Gary G. Wehlage,

Successful School Restructuring (Madison,

WI: center on Organization and Restructuring
of Schools, 1995) and Authentic pedagogy:
Standards that Boost Student Performance,
issues in Restructuring Schools, CORS Issue
Report No. 8 (Spring 1995), passim.
Fred M. Newmann M. Bruce King and Dana
Carmichael, Authentic Instruction and Assessment
(Des Moines, IA: State of Iowa Department of
Education, 2007), 11.
Id., 17-18.

Turning Passion into Action:

OCLRE Alumna Gives Back to Local Community
By Aisha Sharif
Aisha Sharif is a
sophomore at Stanford
University majoring in
International Relations.
Aisha is a graduate of
Pickerington Central
High School, where she
participated on its mock trial team.
As a fourteen year old entering high school, I
knew two things about my lifeI wanted to
get good grades, and I wanted to be a singer.
Well, I guess I knew a few more things too
I definitely didnt want to be an attorney, and I
wanted to be on the debate team. As my cross
country season was coming to a close, I saw
signs to try out for mock trial, which I mistakenly
thought was debate.The rest is history.
The impact that mock trial had on me is
more than I could have ever imagined. Mock
trial taught me the importance of working in
teams, showed me how to shed my shy shell,
and gave me confidence. It also made law
school a serious grad school consideration.
I have always been passionate about
education and trying to combat education
inequities. When I found out about East Palo
Alto Stanford Academy (EPASA), I knew
that I wanted to be a part of the program.
EPASA is a teaching, tutoring, and mentoring
program for seventh and eighth graders
from East Palo Alto and the Ravenswood
City School District run through Stanford
Universitys Haas Center for Public Service.
During the school year, students have class
on Saturday mornings and tutoring and

recreation in the afternoon. The summer

program is a five week program and students
have English and math class in the morning
and electives in the afternoon. This past
summer, I was fortunate enough to be an
elective teacher.
I thought long and hard about what I wanted
to teach in my class. I brainstormed more
than a few ideas, but when I hit mock trial, I
knew that it was the right choice. I reflected
on all that mock trial had done for me and
provided me with, and I knew that I wanted
to share those experiences with students.
Designing a mock trial course for middle
schoolers was quite a challenge. Honestly,
teaching middle schoolers is a challenge, even
without the added bonus of trying to use a
high school mock trial case. I had my lesson
plans set out. We would start with talking
about public speaking, then we would dive
into the case, going through the case briefs,
witness statements, and exhibits. Each person
would write a direct and cross examination,
opening statement and closing argument.
As a final project, students would actually
conduct a trial. Needless to say, all of those
things didnt happen in the eighteen hourlong summer class. Together, we had to work
through the initial hurdle of engagement
in the class, and the struggle of gaining full
participation that never completely went
away throughout my time teaching. We had
to learn what a mock trial was. However,
the two main goals that I set out with were
achieved: improve public speaking and team
work. From day one, I had the students step
to the front of the class and present. I had
students work as partners and in groups

several times a week. By the end of summer,

I saw more growth than I could have ever
imagined.
We may not have had exactly the final
project that I had planned, but I was amazed
by what I saw. The opening statements and
closing arguments carried more passion
than I could have anticipated. The direct
examinations were rehearsed between the
witnesses and attorneys. The final trials were
by no means perfect, but I could see all of the
work and progress that was made to get to
that point. I couldnt have been any prouder.
By the end of the class, I had requests
to teach a second class next summer, Of
course I had students who did not enjoy the
class, but the overwhelming majority was
in favor. I could see the budding attorneys
in the crowd. At the end of the program, I
was just so happy that I was able to share
an experience that was so significant to me
with other students. Words cannot even
begin to convey how much this past summer
meant to me. I would undoubtedly encourage
anyone with a passion for education and
a love for mock trial to spend a summer
engaging youth with mock trial and see the
joy that ensues.
Editors Note: While Aisha wanted to share with
students a case she studied as a high school
student, OCLRE also has a Middle School Mock
Trial program. Middle school cases are based on
literature commonly read in Ohio middle schools.
To see the list of available cases, visit http://
www.oclre.org/programs/MSMT, or contact
tkalgreen@oclre.org for more information.

Moot Court Case Capsule

As 2016 marks the 50th anniversary of the Miranda v. Arizona decision, OCLREs
Moot Court case is designed to engage high school students in conversations
about what Miranda means today, and how the decision translates to juveniles.
Sarah Stewart just started high school at Grassland Valley High, and is hoping to
make a name for herself by recreating a prank her older sister once played on
a rival high school. Inadvertently, Sarah causes more damage than intended, and
ruins the rivals field days before their homecoming game. Sarah is questioned at
her school and later arrested and adjudicated as delinquent.
Moot Court participants will explore Sarahs rights during this interrogation, and
the impact these rights might have on the outcome of her case.
For additional information, including ordering case materials, visit http://www.
oclre.org/programs/moot-court, or contact Program Coordinator Caitlyn Smith
csmith@oclre.org.
3

In Birmingham, students visit the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church and

hear the sermon Dr. King preached during the funeral for the Four
Little Girls, who were killed in the church by a bomb set by members
of the Ku Klux Klan, and meet the mother of Denise McNair, one
of the four little girls. They walk across the street from the church
to Kelly Ingram Park where children were sprayed with fire hoses
and attacked by dogs because they were marching for equal rights. In
Meridian, Mississippi, they visit the gravesite of James Chaney, one of
the three civil rights workers murdered by the Klan during Freedom
Summer, and meet his daughter, who was only ten days old when
he was killed. In Hattiesburg, Mississippi, students meet the Dahmer
family who were targeted by the Klan because their husband/father
offered to pay the poll tax for anyone who could not afford it. Vernon
Dahmer was killed protecting his family. In Jackson, the students meet
Jerry Mitchell, a reporter with the Jackson Clarion Ledger, who found
evidence that helped solve numerous murders committed by the Klan
and obtain convictions, even decades later. The students also sit in
the driveway where Medgar Evers was murdered and again reflect
on how they can make a difference. In Little Rock, they walk up the
steps of Central High School just like the Little Rock Nine did after
President Eisenhower sent in federal troops to protect them, and
they listen to Elizabeth Eckford describe the terror of the first day
of school. The trip ends in Memphis at the Lorraine Hotel, where
Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated on April 4, 1968. Before
leaving Memphis, students develop an action plan to implement in
their schools and community when they return.
While on the trip, students read, write essays, prepare answers to
questions, reflect, and write thank you letters to all speakers. Except
for a camera, no electronics are allowed. This is a transformative
experience for all participants.
ACTION PLANS & ACCOMPLISHMENTS
2016 marks the tenth year that Youngstown students will have the
opportunity to sojourn to the past. In as many years, students have
translated their experiences into action to benefit their communities
and state.
In 2007 and 2008, students created an action plan to register
high school students to vote. The 2009 students continued voter
registration and organized a non-violence week in their high schools.
They also developed their own non-violence workshop; designed
non-violence t-shirts; wrote daily PA announcements, explaining each
principle of non-violence and highlighting a person who exemplified
this principle; and created a non-violence word wall. The school
superintendent asked the students to extend non-violence week
into all Youngstown schools. The students even had five billboards
created and placed around the city, which displayed quotes about nonviolence.
The 2010 Sojourners petitioned the Youngstown Board of Education,
Youngstown City Council, and Youngstown State University Trustees
requesting that the first week in October be declared Non-Violence
Week, and to make it an annual event. All three groups passed
resolutions creating an annual Non-Violence Week in the schools, the
city and the campus.
The 2011 Sojourn students continued voter registration and education
efforts and a planned Non-Violence Parade and Rally, which was held
on October 2, 2011 as the kick off to Non-Violence Week. More than
500 participants braved the 42 degree, rainy weather to take part
in the parade. Sojourn students conducted non-violence workshops
in elementary and middle schools and, at the request of Sojourn
students, Congressman John Lewis spoke at East High School to share
his experiences during the Civil Rights Movement and his lifelong
commitment to non-violence.
4

In 2012, the Mahoning County Commissioners passed a resolution

recognizing Non-Violence Week county-wide. That same year, at
Sojourn students request, the Non-Violence Week in Ohio bill
was introduced in the Ohio Senate by Senator Joe Schiavoni. Sojourn
students were present on July 11, 2013 when Governor Kasich signed
the bill into law, declaring the first week in October as Non-Violence
Week in Ohio.
Since the programs inception, Mahoning Valley Sojourn students have
registered more than 1,000 high school and college students to vote
and spoken about the importance of voting. Sojourn participants
have said they are more aware of the words they use and the need to
speak out when they see an injustice.
IMPACT
In the words of Minnijean Brown Trickey, Unaware and prideful
teens, begin the trip only to return home as open-minded, respectful,
and committed young adults.
Youngstown Sojourn students say the experience has impacted them
in the following ways:
Going on Sojourn has truly changed my life. Not only am I more
outspoken about the things that I feel passionately about, but I now
speak out when I see others being bullied or put down. Sojourn
opened my eyes to all the negativity in the world, and let me know
that it is my responsibility to do something about it. I find that I now
step out of my comfort zone just a little more than I used to. Being on
Sojourn has made me more willing to stand up and speak out against
injustice.
We have learned immense lessons the importance of service to
the community, the need for non-violent action where you are willing
to do what is necessary, the necessity to sacrifice for what is right and
the power I have within myself.
Sojourn has shown us how ordinary people can seize the power and
make a difference in the world. It made us aware that we have the
power to make a change in our own lives, in our schools, and in our
community. We can be a beacon of hope.
HONORS
Mahoning Valley Sojourn to the Past has received numerous honors
for its efforts to educate about and promote non-violence. Most
recently, the Mahoning Valley Sojourn to the Past program was
awarded the Coretta Scott King A.N.G.E.L. (Advancing Non-violence
through Generations of Exceptional Leadership) Award on January 16,
2016 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Among the programs distinguished honors:
November, 2011 Volunteer award from HandsOn Volunteer
Network
January, 2012 MLK Youth Award from the Ohio MLK
Commission
January, 2013 MLK Diversity Award from Youngstown State
University
July 11, 2013 Governor John Kasich signed into law students
Non-Violence Week in Ohio bill

A Womans Place is in the House. And Senate:

Female Firsts in the Ohio Legislature
By Pierce J. Reed, Treasurer, OCLRE Board of Directors; Senior
Judicial Attorney to Chief Justice Maureen OConnor, Supreme
Court of Ohio
This is the second installment of a series on great firsts in government.
In this edition, we focus on women in Ohios legislature.
As you learned in the first of our series, Courting Change, Ohio
Supreme Court Justice Florence Allen, the first female judge in the
United States, was elected by Ohio voters just one year after women
gained the right to vote through the 19th Amendment. Notably, Ohio
was the fifth state in the nation to ratify the amendment, doing so on
June 16, 1919.
Women had been working for the right to vote for years before the
amendment was passed. In part, the arrival of World War I helped
it finally succeed. As one of Ohios first female legislators, Senator
Maude Comstock Waitt, described, when World War I broke out, the
dollhouse opened and women came out, never to go back again.
Although women may have broken out of the dollhouse, they were
not immediately welcomed with full rights, including the right to vote.
In fact, women were arrested (and later convicted and imprisoned)
for demonstrating for the right to vote at the White House on the
day that America entered World War I. In part, that demonstration
was driven by President Woodrow Wilsons refusal to support suffrage
even though he was asking Americans to join in the war effort to
make the world safe for democracy. As one leader of the National
Womens Party argued in a letter to the New York Times in the wake
of those arrests:
America, which has laid claim to leadership in world
democracy, allows women to be unlawfully arrested
through its Government at Washington for merely doing
their patriotic duty urging the wisdom and justice of the
great ideal of democracy. Women cannot be so unpatriotic
as not to complain of a grievous injustice which denies
them freedom at home while they are asked to send their
sons abroad to fight for world democracy. If democracy is
noble, if it is a principle, an ideal worth dying for, then is it
not an extraordinary attitude on the part of the President
and Congress which allows women no right even to appeal
for justice, let alone receive it?

In 1995, she became the first woman elected speaker of the Ohio
House of Representatives. As Davidson ascended to her seat in the
House, Betty Montgomery left her seat in the Ohio Senate to become
Ohios first female Attorney General, where she served two terms
before becoming Ohios first female Auditor of State.
The first African American woman to serve in the Ohio House was
Helen Rankin, who was appointed in 1978 and was then elected by
her constituents to eight additional terms. In 2011, Representative
Nickie Antonio a former teacher became the first openly LGBT
member of the Ohio General Assembly. She continues to serve today.
Ohios first congresswoman, Frances Payne Bingham Bolton, entered
the U.S. House of Representatives in 1939 after the death of her
husband. But she earned the respect of her constituents and peers,
serving an additional fourteen terms including three terms alongside
her son, Oliver P. Bolton, thereby becoming the first and only mother
and child to serve together in Congress. Bolton was distinguished
in her own right, however, particularly for her work in foreign affairs
and public health. She became the first female to lead a congressional
delegation overseas, and the first female in the congressional
delegation to the United Nations be appointed to a congressional
delegation (by President Dwight D. Eisenhower).
In 1999, Stephanie Tubbs Jones became the first African American
woman from Ohio to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
She took the seat formerly held by Louis Stokes, the first AfricanAmerican male to be elected congressman from Ohio.
In the wake of that great election in 1922 when women could first
vote, Ohio Representative Lulu Thomas remarked, women have a
place in the political world. Almost a century later, however, it is
clear that they have yet to have an equal place in the political world.
Although women comprise slightly more than 50% of the Ohio and
United States populations, they hold only 25% of the seats in the
legislatures of Ohio and other states. On the federal level, there is
even less gender equality: only 20% of the members of Congress are
women, only three of Ohios twelve members in the U.S. House of
Representatives are women, and Ohio has yet to elect a woman to
the U.S. Senate. Maybe one of your students will be the one to break
that barrier.

But women did win the right to vote. And serving in government
followed shortly thereafter. The 19th Amendment was incorporated
into the United States Constitution in 1920. Two years later, Ohio
elected the first six women to Ohios 85th General Assembly - two to
the Senate and four to the House of Representatives. One of them,
Representative Adelaide Sterling Ott, remarked, If women of today
are to enjoy political suffrage, they must be willing to assume their
share of the making and enforcing of the laws of our government.
Women listened.
More than 150 women have followed in the footsteps of those first
six female Ohio legislators. One of the many remarkable ones is Ethel
Swanbeck, who served 11 consecutive terms from 1955 to 1976. (A
scholarship named in her honor is still awarded to a graduating high
school senior who enrolls in a health field at an Ohio college or
university. http://www.angelfire.com/oh2/ofwc/gfwcohio/scholarships.
html). Another history-making leader in the House is Jo Ann
Davidson, who served more than two decades, from 1980 to 2001.

From L-R they are: Maude Comstock Waitt, Frances P.B. Bolton, Ethel G. Swanbeck,
L. Helen Rankin, Jo Ann Davidson, Betty Montgomery, Nickie Antonio, and Stephanie
Tubbs Jones

Teachers Experience Ohio Government,

Meet the State Leaders
OCLRE hosted 30 teachers from around the state on November 17
& 18, 2015 for its Ohio Government in Action (OGIA) conference.
Teachers observed oral arguments for State v. Barker and debriefed
the case with attorneys for appellant and appellee; had lunch and
conversation with justices of the Supreme Court of Ohio, including
Chief Justice Maureen OConnor, Justice Judith Ann Lanzinger, Justice
Sharon Kennedy, Justice William ONeill and Justice Judith French; met
with members of the Ohio General Assembly and Secretary of State

Ohio Government in Action participants stand on the marble map of Ohio in the Ohio
Statehouse Map Room. Teachers stand on counties in which they teach/reside.

Jon Husted; took a behind-the-scenes tour of the Ohio Statehouse,

and even had a bit of time to network and share lessons and
resources with fellow participants.
We want to know: what topics and speakers would you like featured
in Ohio Government in Action 2016? Let OCLRE know how to make
OGIA the best professional development for government teachers.
Contact Ryan Suskey at rsuskey@oclre.org.

Teachers share lessons during Ohio Government in Action (OGIA).

Empower Students through Youth for Justice/

Project Citizen Programs
Do your students have a keen sense of fairness and justice? Do they
talk about problems in the school or community, but struggle with
how to solve them or raise awareness about important issues? Are
they able to effectively articulate their concerns and reach out to
key decision makers?
OCLREs Youth for Justice and Project Citizen programs provide
academic structure through which young people in grades 5-12
can take an active role in addressing the very problems they and
their peers face. Students have tackled problems big and small,
from violence and bullying, to eliminating disrespectful language and
unhealthy lunches.
There is still time to get your students involved! Visit http://www.
oclre.org/programs/YFJ for details and important dates. Or, if youd
like to schedule a professional development in your district, contact
Ryan Suskey at rsuskey@oclre.org.

Ohio Teachers Enhance Constitutional

Understanding and Teaching Methods
In October 2015, the Center for Civic Education (CCE) was awarded
a U.S. Department of Education SEED (Supporting Effective Educator
Development) Grant for nearly $17 million over three years. Funds
will be used to provide professional development and to expand the
research of the efficacy of the CCE trainings. As part of this training,
teachers will hear from scholars and engage in an in-depth study of
the history, underlying philosophies, evolution, and application of the
U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights, and other founding documents.

The James Madison Legacy Project focuses on serving high-needs

populations, with the goal of increasing student achievement in civics
and government. As such, OCLRE encourages applications from
teachers in schools with a high percentage of students receiving free/
reduced lunch, those served by Rural Local Educational Agencies,
schools serving students with disabilities, and schools with high
numbers of students below grade level or at risk for not graduating
on time.

OCLRE serves as the administrative site for Ohio teachers

participating in the newly created James Madison Legacy Project.
OCLRE will work in partnership with its counterparts in Indiana and
Kentucky to provide local and regional professional development.
Throughout the next three years, 23 Ohio teachers will be among
the more than 2,000 teachers nationwide who receive professional
development through the James Madison Legacy Project, developing
their content knowledge and teaching techniques.

Applications for the 2016-17 school year are

due May 1. For details, visit http://www.oclre.org/we-people-jamesmadison-legacy-project, or contact Tim Kalgreen: tkalgreen@oclre.org
or (614) 485-3515.

Nine Ohio teachers are taking part in the project for the 2015-2016
school year:
Jennifer Bill, Shaw High School, East Cleveland
Brandi Brown, Columbiana South Side Middle School, Columbiana
Deborah Glynn, Aiken New Tech School, Cincinnati
Jeff Kallas,Van Wert High School,Van Wert
Carol Klocheska, Byrnedale Middle School,Toledo
Brooke Meyer, St. Paul School, Norwalk
Allison Papish, Strongsville High School, Strongsville
Jim Worden, Columbus North International High School, Columbus
Matthew Wunderle, Ravenna High School, Ravenna

Supreme Court Showdown: Students Learn

About Struggle for Equality on Bench
By Tim Kalgreen, OCLRE program coordinator
As part of its Forum on the Law series, on October 20, 2015 the
Supreme Court of Ohio hosted author Wil Haygood at the Thomas J.
Moyer Ohio Judicial Center to talk about his newest book, Showdown:
Thurgood Marshall and the Supreme Court Nomination that Changed
America. The audience was made up of high school students and
teachers from central Ohio, who learned about Justice Marshall and
the significance of his nomination to the nations highest court.
Showdown tells the story of Thurgood Marshalls nomination to
and confirmation as the first African-American on U.S. Supreme
Court, despite the effort by Southern senators to block Marshalls
confirmation.
To listen to Haygoods lecture, visit www.ohiochannel.org/
MediaLibrary/Media.aspx?fileId=147477.

appointment of judges, and checks and balances of the three branches

of government. Take students back to the 1950s and discuss the
nomination and contentious confirmation of Thurgood Marshall in the
context of the civil rights era. As an extension, with the presidential
election fast approaching, teachers can use these activities to have
students examine the constitutional role the president plays in
appointing federal judges. Teachers can then ask students to look
forward and predict how the next president and Senate will interact
with regard to future Supreme Court nominations. Access the
activities here.
Columbus, Ohio native Wil Haygood is a nationally acclaimed author
and journalist. One of his previous books, The Butler: A Witness to
History, was the basis of the 2013 movie The Butler. Mr. Haygood
is currently the Wiepking Visiting Distinguished Professor in the
Department of Media, Journalism, and Film at Miami University in
Oxford, Ohio.

To prompt questions and classroom discussion, OCLRE created

activities to help students learn about Justice Marshall, the federal
7

Reporter

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P.O. Box 16562

Columbus, Ohio 43216-6562
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Columbus, Ohio 43204
614-485-3510
Toll free 877-485-3510
www.oclre.org

Save the Date!

2016 Law & Citizenship
Conference
September 18 & 19
Columbus, OH

Democracy in Action: Teaching Students about the 2016 Election Topics

include: Civility in Elections, Teaching Founding Documents, Service Learning,
Mock Trial, and much more.
For more information and updates, check www.oclre.org/programs/LnC

2016 Schedule of Events

JANUARY
22 We the People High School Competition
29 Mock Trial District Competition
FEBRUARY
19 Mock Trial Regional Competition
MARCH
10 Mock Trial State Competition
11 Mock Trial State Competition
12 Mock Trial State Championship

APRIL
14 Middle School Mock Trial State Showcase
15 Middle School Mock Trial State Showcase
22 Middle School Mock Trial State Showcase
MAY
4 Youth for Justice/Project Citizen Virtual Summit
13 We the People Middle School State Showcase
20 Moot Court Competition
SEPTEMBER
18 & 19 Law & Citizenship Conference