California Association of School Economics Teachers (CASET)

Social Studies Review, Fall 2003 by Benjamin, Joanne

CASET's "volume deliverables" for teachers are its newsletters which contain curriculum lesson plans and summaries and evaluations of curriculum resources, and its announcements of regional events and professional development opportunities. However, the highlight for each year is the one-day, state-wide conference for economics teachers. The conference features sessions tailored to different grade levels with emphasis on activity-based economic curriculum, teaching strategies, cooperative learning tips, and demonstrations of new materials. The conference is vital to many of our state's "solo" high school economics teachers (i.e., those teachers from schools with only a single economics teacher) as it provides a focused opportunity for peer interaction and networking. For many elementary and middle school teachers, the conference has been crucial in helping them incorporate the state's standards for economics into their general curriculums, and in providing them with practical teaching techniques. The sessions are conducted by highly experienced K-12th grade teachers, college professors in the CCEE network, and/or other educators that are experts in the curriculum. The conference provides teachers with a "hands on" forum to learn teaching methods, such as new simulations, classroom demonstrations, role-playing, and especially highly visual explanations of economic concepts that actively engage students. The conferences also feature keynote and motivational speakers, and serve as a meaningful gathering for teachers to network with their peers and exchange ideas. Above all, the conference represents recognition and celebration of the teaching profession, with the Board and the CCEE regularly praising and thanking teachers for the service they perform for the children of California. At the end of each conference, attendees complete an evaluation of the day's sessions, and overall teacher satisfaction consistently been rated "excellent." A popular comment is always, "This has been a wonderful day. Please hold more conferences!"

CASET has been remarkably successful, but the CASET Board of Directors continually faces the issue of adequately funding the organization's expenses. Although the Board members are volunteers, and strive to economize and minimize expenses wherever they can, there are still "hard costs" that are significant and cannot be avoided. Examples of these include printing and mailing the newsletter and other communications, meeting rooms and presentation equipment rentals for the annual conference, and printing and distribution of curriculum programs. The funding challenges have been addressed in multiple ways. On the one hand, there have been some significant contributions from private individuals and corporations supportive of CASET mission and programs. These donors have been crucial to the survival and growth of the organization, but it is not prudent to assume that they will be able to continue their generosity forever. On the other hand, the organization has attempted to "self fund" its programs through membership dues and fees, but this policy produced mixed results. Previously, members paid annual dues, which entitled them to receive the newsletters, event announcements, and a discount on the conference registration fee. However, the up front dues requirement proved to be an inhibitor to recruiting new members. In order to build the membership, the Board dropped its membership dues policy and instead charged a higher conference registration fee that included a year's membership in CASET. Although initially successful in encouraging membership growth, the higher fees now threaten to limit conference attendance due to the general economic downturn and reductions in school district budgets (note that school districts frequently fund their teachers' conference fees as well as substitute teacher expenses).