2023-2024 Election Results: Joe Schmidt Elected Vice-President
2023-2024 Election Results: Joe Schmidt Elected Vice-President
Silver Spring, MD - National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) is pleased to announce the newly elected members of its Board of Directors who will begin their terms on July 1, 2024.
Joe Schmidt, the Director of Programs for the Bill of Rights Institute, a 501(c)3 non-profit based in Arlington, Virginia, has been elected to the position of Vice-President.
Previously, Joe served as a high school social studies classroom teacher for nine years in rural Wisconsin before leaving the classroom to be the Social Studies Teacher Leader for the Madison Metropolitan School District for three years.
Joe is proud of his work that spans from teaching in the classroom to district, state, and national level leadership where he supports educators that teach grades PK-12. He strives to connect social studies educators regardless of grade level, content area, geographic location, or political leanings. He has worked for and with the Bill of Rights Institute, Learning for Justice, the National Council for Geographic Education, ThinkerAnalytix, the Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Finance, iCivics, National Geographic, and the University of Maine.
Joe leads by serving in multiple leadership roles with NCSS, including the Board of Directors and previously on the Board’s Executive Committee. He is a member of the College and University Faculty Assembly (CUFA), and currently represents the National Social Studies Leaders Association (NSSLA) and the Council of State Social Studies Supervisors (CS4) on the NCSS Board of Directors.
Board and Officer terms will begin on July 1, 2024. Also in July 2024, NCSS President-Elect Jennifer Morgan, a middle school social studies teacher at West Salem Middle School in West Salem, Wisconsin, will assume the office of President, and NCSS Vice-President Dr. Tina Ellsworth, an assistant professor at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Missouri, will assume the office of NCSS President-Elect.
Wesley Hedgepeth, NCSS President, said, "Congratulations to our newly elected Board members! I am eager to collaborate with each of you to further advance social studies education. The depth and breadth of expertise and experience represented by all the candidates on this slate is truly impressive, and it speaks volumes about our association. I also want to thank the other candidates – your readiness to take on greater roles in association leadership is admirable, and I wish you much success in your professional endeavors. Please continue to pursue leadership opportunities here at NCSS and elsewhere; our colleagues and our students will greatly benefit from your contributions.
Dr. Lawrence M. Paska, NCSS Executive Director, said, "On behalf of our entire team, we are excited to welcome our newly elected Board members and thank you for serving in leadership of our association! I look forward to a strong year ahead as we continue to provide the leadership, service, and support to our members and all professionals in social studies education. Thank you for stepping into national leadership with us. And a special thank you to all of our candidates for demonstrating excellence in social studies service."
NCSS will open nominations for candidates to serve as officers and board members in February 2024 for the election scheduled in November 2025. More information on the nominations process for the Board of Directors will be posted soon at www.socialstudies.org.