Position Statements

“Toward responsibility: Social studies education that respects and affirms Indigenous peoples and Nations,” National Council for the Social Studies, Writing Committee Chair. Approved by NCSS Executive Board, April 2018. Published in Social Education, May/June Issue 2018.

Curriculum Initiatives

Collaborator, National Park Service 250^th Anniversary of the American Revolution, January 2021 – Ongoing.

Expert reviewer, Washington, D.C. K-12 Social Studies Standards Revisions, December 2022.

Curriculum consultation, Illinois P-12 Social Science Standards Revisions, November 2020 – February 2021.

Curriculum consultation, Washington State Ethnic Studies Framework, November 2020.

Collaborator, “Teaching hard history: A framework for teaching American slavery––Grades K-5,” Washington, D.C.: Teaching Tolerance, 2019.

Collaborator, “Teaching hard history: A framework for teaching American slavery––Grades 6-12,” Washington, D.C.: Teaching Tolerance, 2019.

Collaborator, “Indigenous New Mexico” New Mexico: Curriculum Initiative, PED Indian Education Division, 2018 – 2019.

Professional Development Leadership & Collaborations

Co-facilitator, Upstander Project + Heritage High School. Collaborator Responsibilities: Co-facilitated a virtual two-day intensive professional development for teachers and staff at Heritage High School (Marysville, WA/Tulalip), February 2021.

Panelist, Dawnland Online Film Screening + Live Q&A. The event was hosted by Upstander Project and National Council for the Social Studies, December 2020.

Faculty, Upstander Academy. Five-day intensive professional development organized and hosted by Upstander Project, 2020 – present.

Press Opinions, Interviews, & Mentions

Interview, SiriusXM-Doctor Radio’s About Our Kids, with SiriusXM-Doctor Radio hosts, Jess Shatkin, MD, MPH & Lori Evans, PhD from the NYU Langone Health Child Study Center at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital, November 2021.

Interview, “These Arizona schools focus on Native culture and traditions rather than Thanksgiving,” Arizona Republic, Phoenix, AZ, November 2019. Retrieved from https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-education/2019/11/26/these-arizona-schools-focus-native-culture-instead-thanksgiving/2581339001/

Featured/Mentioned, “Indigenous Peoples’ Day: Rethinking American history,” Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, Washington, D.C., October 2018. Retrieved from https://www.teachingforchange.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Indigenous-Peoples-Day-Smithsonian-Voices.pdf

McCoy, M. & Shear, S.B., “This isn’t the first time the United States has split up families [Opinion],” Houston Chronicle, Houston, TX, July 2018. Retrieved from https://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/outlook/article/This-is-the-first-time-the-United-States-split-up-13055559.php

Interview, “Not past tense,” Inlander, Spokane, WA, March 2016. Retrieved from https://www.inlander.com/spokane/not-past-tense/Content?oid=2719892

Shear, S.B., “Where are the voices of Indigenous peoples in the Thanksgiving story?” The Conversation, November 2015. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/where-are-the-voices-of-indigenous-peoples-in-the-thanksgiving-story-51089

Interview, “Most students have no clue what accurate Native American history looks like,” The Huffington Post, November 2015. Retrieved from https://www.huffpost.com/entry/native-american-history_n_5654db42e4b0d4093a599d19

Featured/Mentioned, “Check your curriculum: Are Native Americans in the past tense?” Zinn Education Project, November 2015. Retrieved from https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/manifesting-destiny/

Interview, “How state standards represent Indigenous Peoples,” Learning for Justice, November 2015. Retrieved from https://www.learningforjustice.org/magazine/how-state-standards-represent-indigenous-peoples

Interview, “Native American youth: Stop teaching our culture like a costume,” The Huffington Post, October 2015. Retrieved from https://www.huffpost.com/entry/native-youth-survey_n_56171dcbe4b0e66ad4c745cb

Interview, “Teaching tribal history is finally required in Washington public schools,” The Stranger, Seattle, WA, June 2015. Retrieved from https://www.thestranger.com/news/feature/2015/06/24/22438654/teaching-tribal-history-is-finally-required-in-washington-public-schools

Interview, “All Indians are dead? At least that’s what most schools teach children,” Indian Country Today, November 2014. Retrieved from https://indiancountrytoday.com/archive/all-indians-are-dead-at-least-thats-what-most-schools-teach-children

Interview, “You probably learned a glossed-over version of Native American history in school, research says,” The Huffington Post, November 2014. Retrieved from https://www.huffpost.com/entry/native-american-history-in-school_n_6227134

Podcast Episodes & Other Social Media

Hawkman, A.M. & Shear, S.B. (2020). Episode 151: Articulating whiteness in social studies education with Andrea Hawkman and Sarah Shear. Visions of Education. [podcast] Retrieved from: https://soundcloud.com/visionsofed/episode-151-articulating-whiteness-in-social-studies-education-with-andrea-hawman-and-sarah-shear

Hawkman, A.M. & Shear, S.B. (2020). Episode 13: In conversation with Dr. Andrea Hawkman and Dr. Sarah Shear. Pandemic Pedagogy: Imagining a New “We”. [podcast] Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k258BEEj-0I&feature=youtu.be

Turtle Island Social Studies Collective. (2020). Episode 10: Groundwork for teaching Indigenous enslavement – w/ the Turtle Island Social Studies Collective. Teaching Hard History: American Slavery [podcast]. Retrieved from https://www.learningforjustice.org/podcasts/teaching-hard-history/american-slavery/groundwork-for-teaching-indigenous-enslavement

Shear, S.B. (2019). Episode 118: Elementary social studies education summit review. Visions of Education. [podcast] Retrieved from: https://soundcloud.com/visionsofed/episode-118-elementary-social-studies-education-summit-review

Sabzalian, L., & Shear, S.B. (2019). Invited #sschat postings on teaching Indigenous social studies that ran January 14-18, 2019. Social Studies Chat (Facebook Group) with 5,000+ subscribers.

Shear, S.B., Sabzalian, L., & Buchanan, L.B. (2018). Episode 95: Affirming Indigenous sovereignty with Sarah Shear, Leilani Sabzalian, & Lisa Brown Buchanan. Visions of Education. [podcast] Retrieved from: https://soundcloud.com/visionsofed/episode-94-affirming-indigenous-sovereignty-with-s-shear-l-sabzalian-lb-buchanan

Shear, S.B. (2016). Episode 15: Indigenous (mis)representations in U.S. history with Sarah Shear. Visions of Education. [podcast] Retrieved from: https://soundcloud.com/visionsofed/episode-15-indigenous-misrepresentations-in-us-history-with-sarah-shear