Examples of Platform Statements
(Submitted by Winning Candidates from the 2004 TOPSS Election, except where noted)

• Teacher -Advanced Placement Psychology, Boylan Catholic High School , Rockford , Illinois , 23 years
• Chairperson- Social Studies Department; Commission for Peace and Justice
• Formulated and Coordinate -Boylan Wellness Program offering small group counseling aimed at addressing adolescent developmental concerns
• Extra-curricular - established Teen Impact, a drug-free extra-curricular organization aimed at mentoring grade school aged children

• Education -BA in Behavioral Science 1967; MS in Community Mental Health Counseling 1990
• Teacher -Sociology, Psychology, 20 th Century History, Government, English Composition
• Extra-curricular -Student Council Moderator 12 years; Senior Advisor 7 years
• Yale Summer Program -Instructor for Robert Sternberg’s triarchic study on teaching high school psychology, 1993
• Gifted and Talented Summer Program -Instructor for Robert Sternberg’s study on teaching psychology to gifted and talented middle-school students at Johns Hopkins, 1996
• Consultant- For Robert Sternberg and Elena Grigorenko’s proposed study on alternate AP testing format, 2000

• Table Leader at AP Psychology Reading, 2003, 2004
• AP Reader, 2000-2002
• Member, APA TOPSS, 1992-2004
• Member, American Counseling Association, intermittently from 1990-2000
• National Science Foundation-Texas A &M Curriculum Development of original lesson plans offered by TOPSS members through APA, 1992

Goals for Chair-Elect:
As teachers of psychology we are frequently found in situations that compromise our ability to maintain a current knowledge base in a discipline that is constantly changing. I would like to continue investigating the possibilities of offering development using online workshops. By offering this type of workshop teachers foster self-development with only a click of the mouse. This encourages us to use our time wisely, and offers us confidence in teaching an ever-changing curriculum.

I would also like to continue pursuing a way for each of us to be recognized by our states as credentialed professionals who have fulfilled the necessary requirements for a psychology endorsement as part of our certification. Other areas of the social studies have specific endorsements and as professionals who teach an area of scientific study such endorsement gives credibility to who we are and what we do.

Finally, I wish to add a fresh perspective to TOPPS from someone who previously has not been part of the leadership team. I am in a position to devote time to an organization I believe in, encouraging membership through a variety of venues, and investigating the possibility of electronic networking of high school and college psychology teachers by geographic areas using links on the TOPSS website. Overall, I wish to provide all teachers of Psychology resources grounded in scientific research along with having them recognized as consummate teaching professionals.

• B.A. in Social Studies Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, graduating with high honors, Bronze Tablet (top 2% of class) and University honors, Phi Beta Kappa
• M.Ed. from National College of Education (now National-Louis University ) Evanston
• Additional graduate courses in psychology (including NSF workshop), history, economics, and instructional technology

• Social studies teacher for 23 years
• 18 years teaching Psychology, AP Psychology, and self-created Topics in Psychology
• Currently teaching AP Psychology and World History; serving as co-director, Glenbrook Academy of International Studies; Glenbrook South Senior Project co-ordinator

• Advanced Placement Psychology reader, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004
• Grants for the study of psychology and of history various universities
• NSF grant for scientific psychology workshop; AP alternative test workshop, Yale
• Stratford Hall Seminar on Slavery; Freeman Foundation grant for China travel/study program; Keizai Koho travel grant to Japan
• numerous psychology presentations at state and national conferences

• National Council for the Social Studies, including appointments to National Conference Committee, Summer leadership institutes, and House of Delegates; Illinois Council for the Social Studies, elected to offices of Board of Directors and President: member, NCSS Psychology SIG
• Co-Chair, NCSS Annual Conference local arrangements, 2003
• Illinois State Board of Education Teacher Certification committee, psychology and social studies core requirements
• American Psychological Association, APA Division 2, STP, TOPSS

• Instructor- Advanced Placement Psychology, Adlai E. Stevenson High School , Lincolnshire , IL .

• I have been teaching psychology for nine years. With the help of TOPSS I have had access to new and innovative ideas on the teaching of Psychology. I feel that TOPSS has helped me to become more aware of the abundance of resources available for Teachers of Psychology. As the Team Leader for the Advanced Placement Psychology program at my school, I have worked with new teachers who wish to seek out more information but are unaware of where they should turn for guidance. I have also seen the incredible rewards of collaboration with psychology teachers at local and national workshops, as well as in non-directed collaboration such as that which takes place at the Advanced Placement reading. I would like the opportunity to share with other psychology teachers the awareness of the endless array of resources and knowledge that participation in TOPSS will provide. As Psychology instructors at the high school level are often isolated in their buildings in terms of their content area, a supportive and collaborative community must be created in order to foster continued professional growth.

• To increase awareness of TOPSS as an organization by working with local representatives who are aware of faculty instructional changes and additions, which bring new individuals into the teaching of Psychology profession.
• To insure that those instructors who cannot regularly attend conferences also have an opportunity to actively participate in meaningful discussions for improving teaching strategies. This can be continually improved by staying up to date on Internet accessibility and psychology teachers’ listserves.
• To insure that all psychology teachers are aware of the APA National Standards for the Teaching of High School Psychology to demonstrate consistency and expectations of introductory psychology courses throughout the nation.
• To make teachers more aware of opportunities that may benefit their students, from high school student affiliation in the APA to the annual scholar competition.
• To allow for more vertical integration between middle, high school and both two and four year college instructors. This will allow the goals at each level to be more easily identified and help to create consistency in content without intruding on teacher autonomy.
• To make high school teachers of psychology aware of TOPSS initiatives such as the current initiative to promote authentic research in high school psychology classrooms. This includes providing a network of support, which instructors can look to for help when facing the challenges of implementing new ideas into the classroom.