Frank Pisi
BIO
Frank Pisi currently provides professional development and support to California school districts on all topics related to History-Social Science. Frank began his teaching career at the middle school and high school levels in the Elk Grove Unified School District, serving as classroom teacher and History-Social Science curriculum coordinator. After the classroom, Frank moved to the California Department of Education (CDE), where he helped to shape school reform policy and worked to ensure greater efficiency in Expanded Learning Programs. As the coordinator of CDE’s Regional System of District and School Support, he provided guidance to low performing schools and districts across the state. Throughout his career, he has personally trained thousands of classroom teachers in curriculum planning and implementation. A strong proponent of youth-centered and youth driven programming, Frank regularly speaks about the critical importance of creating a relevant, engaging, and supportive environment to foster student success. As Director of History-Social Science at the Sacramento County Office of Education, Frank directed the Content, Literacy, Inquiry, and Citizenship (CLIC) Project. CLIC advanced a vision where authentic student engagement forms the context the learning experience. Frank holds a bachelor’s degree in history from California State University, Sacramento and a Master’s Degree in Teaching History from Occidental College.
STATEMENT
I am committed to move CCSS toward a future that is inclusive, respectful, and meaningful FOR EVERY EDUCATOR AND STUDENT in California. Specifically, I will help CCSS advance the following priorities:
Equity, inclusion, and truth telling: Social studies education has the power to help create a more just and equitable society. CCSS should be at the forefront of promoting equity, inclusion, and truth telling in social studies classrooms across the state.
Professional development: Members must have the most relevant and timely opportunities to improve their professional practice. Our approaches should reflect the incredible shifts seen in education in recent years. Whether in person or virtual, we must provide our members with a variety of options for engagement with us. Our annual Conference should be a high point of the year and an event that celebrates our members. However, we MUST be more to our members than an annual conference.
Partnerships: We must regularly and systematically re-examine our partnerships to ensure that we share a consistent vision. While we may not always agree, regular examination of our partnerships allows for robust and authentic dialogue to build understanding. If we find that a partner’s visions and actions do not align with our core values, we must be brave and honest enough to redefine our partnerships, including parting ways. CCSS must also seek out new collaborations to advance our goals and support our core values.