Biden School News

Category: IPA

Photo of (from left to right) Jill Szymanski, Erin DeMagistris, Kaitlyn Pytleski and Fran O'Malley.

Fran O’Malley presented alongside Erin DeMagistris and Kaitlyn Pytleski for a session titled “Teaching 250: Lessons that Look Back and Project Forward.” Pictured from left to right, Jill Szymanski (K-5 Social Studies Instructional Coach for the Christina School District); Erin DeMagistris (UD Student); Kaitlyn Pytleski (UD Student) and Fran O'Malley (Director of DCCE).

Delaware Center for Civics Education Leaders Present at MSCSS Conference

March 17, 2026 Written by Sophonie Milord | Photos Courtesy of Scott Abott

Presentations

On Friday and Saturday, Feb. 27-28, 2026, Fran O’Malley, director of UD’s Delaware Center for Civics Education (DCCE), and Scott Abbott, DCCE assistant director, presented several sessions as part of the Middle States Council for the Social Studies annual conference, held in Newark, Delaware. Abbott coordinated the Hockessin School field excursion, during which O’Malley led the model lesson “From Runaround to Remedy,” based on the historical Bulah family’s contributions to the integration of Delaware schools. O’Malley later presented again alongside Erin DeMagistris and Kaitlyn Pytleski, UD undergraduate students majoring in elementary education and teaching, for a session titled “Teaching 250: Lessons that Look Back and Project Forward.” Abbott presented a poster titled “Revolution Revisited: Using Primary Sources to Teach the Declaration’s Legacy,” and he also spoke on the “NCSS Call to Action Panel: Empowering Delaware Educators for the Future.”

Photo of Scott Abbott and James “Sonny” Knott

Pictured here are Scott Abbott (left) and James “Sonny” Knott (right), a former student of the Hockessin School 107c and one of the students impacted by the historical Bulah family's contribution to school integration of Delaware schools.

Scott Abbott welcomes educators to the Hockessin Colored School #107c as part of the field excursion to learn about integration of Delaware schools.

O’Malley led the model lesson “From Runaround to Remedy,” based on the historical Bulah family’s contributions to the integration of Delaware schools.

Abbott interacting with attendees during his poster session.

Photo of Scott Abbott and fellow MSCSS Conference panelists

Abbott pictured here with fellow MSCSS Conference panelists for the “NCSS Call to Action Panel: Empowering Delaware Educators for the Future.”

In addition to the MSCSS Conference, on Friday, March 6, Abbott moderated the panel discussion, “It’s Elementary: Civics and Literacy,” at the 2026 National Civics Symposium, hosted at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., by the Civics Education Research Lab and Center for Civic Education.

Appointments

Abbott was elected for a two-year term as recording secretary of the Middle States Council for the State Social Studies (MSCSS), the nation's oldest professional organization dedicated exclusively to social studies education. MSCSS is a regional affiliated council of the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) with more than 5,000 members located primarily in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. MSCSS champions social studies as a core discipline from K–12 through higher education. Through its network of elementary, secondary and university-level affiliates, the organization provides leadership, advocacy and support for professionals across all aspects of the social studies field. Abbott has served on the MSCSS Board of Directors for 13 years, including as president from 2018 to 2020.