April 28th, 2006 Keynote Speaker:
Sam Chaltain is the Coordinator of the First Amendment Schools project at the First Amendment Center. In his duties for the project, Sam writes widely about First Amendment issues and the history of the First Amendment, and travels around the country to help schools and school districts think about how best to educate for freedom and responsibility.
Sam came to the First Amendment Center from the public school system of New York City, where he taught high school English and History. Previously, Sam spent four years teaching the same subjects at a private school in Brooklyn. Sam was also a journalism advisor, Chinese tutor, and soccer and basketball coach.
Sam’s first teaching experience was in Beijing, China, where he joined the faculty of the Foreign Languages department at Beijing Normal University as a visiting lecturer. He taught two American History & Literature courses to third-year undergraduates.
Sam’s writings about the project have appeared in both magazines and newspapers, including The Philadelphia Inquirer and The USA Today. He is also the author of two books:The First Amendment in Schools (ASCD, 2003), and First Freedoms: A Documentary History of First Amendment Rights in America (Oxford University Press, 2005). His next book (with Ron Collins) is We Must Not Be Afraid to be Free (2006).
Sam has a Master’s degree in American Studies from the College of William & Mary, with an emphasis on 20th century social & cultural history. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, where he graduated with a double major in African-American Studies and History. He is currently working towards an M.B.A. at George Washington University.
Professional Development Schools
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