ME
David Edelman has been a teacher and instructional coach in NYC public schools since 2007. David is staffed as a Peer Collaborative Teacher and provides instructional coaching, mentoring and professional learning to colleagues, student teachers, in addition to teaching Social Studies. David’s classroom serves as a learning lab and demonstration classroom to foster school wide collaboration.
David works at Union Square Academy for Health Sciences a new, small, public high school in NY, NY. David’s grandmother went to school in this building and graduated in 1932, when it was an all girls technical high school. He has spent hours sifting through old records wrapped in butcher paper and twine unsuccessfully trying to locate her transcript. David likes to start off the school year by taking students on in school field trips to analyze the various murals that can be found around the building. David is currently working with retired NYC teacher and collector Marty Raskin to develop a Museum for Public Schools to preserve and celebrate America's history of teaching and learning.
David graduated from The University of Michigan with a BA in Economics, received his Masters in Education from Hofstra University and obtained School Building Leadership certification through LEAP, the NYC DOE’s internal School Leadership Program.
David works at Union Square Academy for Health Sciences a new, small, public high school in NY, NY. David’s grandmother went to school in this building and graduated in 1932, when it was an all girls technical high school. He has spent hours sifting through old records wrapped in butcher paper and twine unsuccessfully trying to locate her transcript. David likes to start off the school year by taking students on in school field trips to analyze the various murals that can be found around the building. David is currently working with retired NYC teacher and collector Marty Raskin to develop a Museum for Public Schools to preserve and celebrate America's history of teaching and learning.
David graduated from The University of Michigan with a BA in Economics, received his Masters in Education from Hofstra University and obtained School Building Leadership certification through LEAP, the NYC DOE’s internal School Leadership Program.
It was David’s service in AmeriCorps NCCC, a yearlong national community service program that solidified David’s desire to follow in his mother's footsteps and become a public school teacher in NYC. During 2005, David helped build houses with future homeowners with Habitat For Humanity in Miami, FL, helped run an Easter Seals respite camp for children with special needs in Des Moines, IA, organized and taught summer youth programs for refugees from East Africa in Minneapolis, MN and taught civic engagement with Learn & Serve to students across Colorado in an educational theater troupe. You can learn more about David’s experiences in AmeriCorps NCCC in the TRAVEL section which inspired his blog.
On February 27, 2007, David was invited by Representative Carolyn McCarthy, to testify before Congress to the merits of AmeriCorps service and advocate for H.R. 2857, the Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Service Act, or the GIVE Act, a bill to reauthorize funding which passed and was signed into law.
In 2019, David was honored with the Alfred P Sloan Foundation’s Teaching Champion Award for Economics Education. The award was presented to him by one of his students, making the the experience incredibly meaningful. See the image below to learn more about David’s approach to teaching Economics with a focus on personal finance and financial literacy below.
Additionally, David was recognized as Teacher of The Year by Union Square Academy For Health Sciences staff for his work elevating student voice and project based learning
David was acknowledged by The FLAG Award for Teaching Excellence in 2020 for inspiring learning through creativity, passion, and commitment.
In 2021, David’s lesson: How has The Supreme Court interpreted The Bill of Rights as it applies to schools and students? was selected as Constituting America’s lesson plan of the year.
David likes to write Op-Ed’s on education, and develop educational curriculum. You can see examples of these below. When he isn’t working, David likes to play in various NYC Parks with his two daughters, travel, admire street art and identify wild edible plants, and learn as much as he can about tea as a global tea volunteer and a member of The New Year Tea Society
MY
SCHOOL
Almost all Union Square Academy for Health Sciences students will be first in their family to attend college. David’s students take classes in either dentistry or pharmacy in addition to receiving a standard liberal arts education. All students have paid internships their senior year and take a certification exam to become a dental or pharmacy technician. All students have mentors assigned to them who expose students to their careers and options after high school.
MY
THOUGHTS
MY
WRITING
Equity in Education Starts with Student Voice
Medium
Fearless Teaching & Learning
Medium
Good Guidelines Can Foster Growth: A Teacher’s Perspective on ED Teacher Prep Regulations
The Data Quality Campaign
Teacher Evaluation That Goes Beyond Check Boxes
Edweek
All Teachers Are “Developing” Medium
Teachers Talk Back: David Edelman
E4E
Teacher Spotlight: Teaching The Road Test to Personal Finance
Budget Challenge
This is what Democracy Looks Like
NJCSS Teaching Social Studies Docket
Art Activism
Generation Citizen
Chronic Absenteeism:
Old Problem, New Solutions
Cahn Fellows
Medium
Fearless Teaching & Learning
Medium
Good Guidelines Can Foster Growth: A Teacher’s Perspective on ED Teacher Prep Regulations
The Data Quality Campaign
Teacher Evaluation That Goes Beyond Check Boxes
Edweek
All Teachers Are “Developing” Medium
Teachers Talk Back: David Edelman
E4E
Teacher Spotlight: Teaching The Road Test to Personal Finance
Budget Challenge
This is what Democracy Looks Like
NJCSS Teaching Social Studies Docket
Art Activism
Generation Citizen
Chronic Absenteeism:
Old Problem, New Solutions
Cahn Fellows
MY CLASS’
EXPOSURE
NYC Schools Left Thousands Of Lead-Contaminated Water Spouts Unfixed For Months, Sometimes Years
Gothamist
As state eyes more civic participation for students, some NYC high schoolers are already getting a dose
Chalkbeat
A Virtual Walking Tour of Slavery in NYC
The NY Almanac
Student Want NYC to Landmark Historic Washington Irving Lobby
Daily Kos
Advocacy in The Schoolhouse
The Forge
How to Teach Older Students Social-Emotional Skills? Try Civics
EdWeek
GGM goes New York
German-American Partnership Program
Gothamist
As state eyes more civic participation for students, some NYC high schoolers are already getting a dose
Chalkbeat
A Virtual Walking Tour of Slavery in NYC
The NY Almanac
Student Want NYC to Landmark Historic Washington Irving Lobby
Daily Kos
Advocacy in The Schoolhouse
The Forge
How to Teach Older Students Social-Emotional Skills? Try Civics
EdWeek
GGM goes New York
German-American Partnership Program
Perhaps this is the type of global education you want students to be engaged in, but don’t know where to start?
I am happy to share that my students’ activism and others like them across the country have been developed into an online curriculum to help other educators interested in this work. The U.S. Department of State has launched Solving Global Problems a free, self-paced online course, funded by the U.S government and developed administered by IREX, to help educators prepare to ignite students’ critical thinking and creativity through a focus on tackling global problems.