Honoree Spotlight: Drew Kordik Brings the Classroom to a Wider Audience
Drew Kordik has always believed that history education is about more than content. It is about helping students think critically, wrestle with complexity, and understand the world they have inherited. As a history teacher in San Diego County and an item writer for the College Board's AP U.S. History exam, Kordik brings that same conviction to his writing, reaching audiences well beyond his classroom.
Two recent pieces illustrate the range of his voice.
In Patriotism Toward What End?, published in The Progressive, Kordik examines Florida's newly unveiled FACT U.S. History course, a conservative alternative to APUSH that critics argue trades nuance for a sanitized national narrative. Drawing on his experience writing AP exam questions, he traces a long-running tension in American public education: whether history instruction should cultivate democratic critique and civic participation, or encourage conformity and national loyalty. It is a debate, he argues, that goes back to the very origins of public schooling, and one with real stakes for students and teachers today.
His second piece, Where Presidents Go to Unwind, published in The Preamble, the civics-focused newsletter from Sharon McMahon, takes a different angle. The piece traces the history of presidential retreats, from Camp David to private properties, exploring how the pressures of the office have shaped where and how commanders-in-chief seek relief. It is the kind of engaged, well-researched historical writing that reflects what exceptional teachers do: find the compelling thread in history and follow it.
Above & Beyond Teaching is proud to celebrate honorees like Kordik who carry their commitment to education into the broader public conversation. The teachers we recognize don't stop at their classroom doors, and neither does their impact.
