Two local schools compete at We the People National Finals . . .
Over 1,200 high students and 56 teachers from throughout the nation participated in the 2019 We the People National Finals, and two local high schools earned Top 10 recognition.
Hamilton Southeastern High School’s team, taught by Janet Chandler, placed seventh nationally and Fishers High School’s team, taught by Elizabeth Paternoster, finished eighth.
Classes qualify for the National Finals by placing first in their state competition or through wild card availability.
During the National Finals students participated in simulated congressional hearings. Students testify as constitutional experts before panels of judges acting as congressional committees scoring the groups through a performance-based assessment. Each class is divided into six groups based on the six units of the We the People: The Citizen & the Constitution high school textbook.
Each hearing begins with a four-minute opening statement by students and is followed by a six-minute period of follow-up questioning during which judges probe students’ depth of knowledge, understanding and their ability to apply constitutional principles. The format provides students an excellent opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of constitutional principles while providing the 72 judges with an excellent means of assessing students’ knowledge and application to historical and current constitutional issues.
While in Washington, D.C., students had the opportunity to explore our nation’s capital, learn about government beyond the classroom walls, and meet with elected officials and other dignitaries.
Since 1987 over 33,000 students and 1,000 teachers have participated in the National Finals.
- National Winner: Colorado, Denver East High School; teachers: Susan McHugh and Matt Fulford
- Second Place: California, Amador Valley High School: teacher: Stacey Sklar
- Third Place: Oregon, Grant High School (Wild Card); teacher: Angela DiPasquale
- Fourth Place: Oregon, Lincoln High School: teacher: Patrick Magee-Jenks
- Fifth Place: Virginia, Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School for Government and International Studies; teacher: Samuel Ulmschneider
- Sixth Place: Virginia, Douglas S Freeman High School (Wild Card); teacher: Robert Peck
- Seventh Place: Indiana, Hamilton Southeastern High School; teacher: Janet Chandler
- Eighth Place: Indiana, Fishers High School (Wild Card); teacher: Elizabeth Paternoster
- Ninth Place: Washington, Tahoma High School; teacher: Gretchen Wulfing
- Tenth Place: Michigan, Black River Public School (Wild Card); teacher: Alex Constantelos