Educator and AFT Civics Design Team Member
Jimmy Musser teaches at James Ford Rhodes High School in Cleveland. He has 10 years of public school teaching experience and is a member of the Cleveland Teachers Union. He generally teaches American government to juniors; this year, he has added a combined junior and senior Advanced Placement course in American government and politics.
He earned his bachelor’s degree at Cleveland State University, where courses in history and political science captured his interest. “Teaching wasn’t my first pathway, but it was the smartest one—it provided the most immediate career option,” Musser says. “When I entered the school of education, that’s when I knew that teaching would be my profession.” He graduated with a degree in history and a teaching certificate.
After beginning his career at a Catholic high school, Musser landed a position with the Cleveland Public Schools. After seven years, he transferred to a school in the neighborhood where he grew up, which has proven to be an ideal match. “My principal is very focused on teachers having one prep, not four. I’m the 11th-grade social studies department chair and the schoolwide supervisor for our Civics 2.0 project,” he says. “I give credit for my productivity to having one subject to focus on, learn about, and blossom from. American government is my passion.”
Musser got involved in the American Federation of Teachers civics design team project for two broad reasons. His primary inspiration was the events of Jan. 6, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol. Second, he was interested in getting more involved with his union. “My union president threw my name into the ring for a civics education focus group, and it grew from there. When I was invited to participate in the civics design team, I was delighted. This is what government nerds like me live for,” Musser says. “I’m excited to have the opportunity to contribute in whatever way I can.”
For Musser, civics education is important because democracies are fragile. “Democracy is not guaranteed—that is as plain as can be after Jan. 6.” Democracies need to be maintained, he says, “and an ignorant, uninformed or misinformed electorate is not maintaining a republic.”
Once the team designs the professional development modules, Musser looks forward to sharing them with schools all over the country. “I would love to travel to high schools or middle schools and present what we’ve designed—these best practices in teaching civics—so that teachers are as comfortable as they can be teaching civics in these polarized times.”
Another aspect of the project Musser is particularly interested in is how to quantify through data the results of the professional development: how teachers use it and what impact it has on their students.
In a uniquely challenging time for all teachers, Musser sees this work as one way to ease his colleagues’ burden. “I think the civics design team has the potential to create some very beneficial professional development. If we do this well, even though nothing is normal right now in education, it will be some of the most important work I will be able to do in my life,” he says. “If it affects one student from one teacher in a year or two, that will be worth it to me.”