Today we have a guest post from Kristin Lewis, executive editor of Scope magazine. Kristin and her team celebrated the 50th anniversary of Scope at NCTE last month. Here is Kristin’s reflection on the festivities.
Wine, delicious treats, a fabulous DJ, and 500 amazing Scope teachers: That’s what I found in National Harbor, Maryland, when the Scope team had the pleasure of attending the annual National Council of Teachers of English. It’s always a pleasure to meet dedicated teachers—but it was an even greater joy this year as we joined you in toasting Scope’s 50th anniversary.
As we prepared to celebrate this exciting anniversary year, our team did a lot of reflection. We went digging through the Scholastic archives for old covers. We poured over issues created in the 1960s and 1970s. And in addition to chortling over the changing fashions (get a load of the punk cover from the 1980s!), we were deeply moved by how this unique resource has been serving teachers and students over the decades.
Scope was founded by Scholastic Chairman and President Dick Robinson. When the first issue hit classrooms in 1964, it was a time of great change—and uncertainty—in the United States. President John F. Kennedy had been assassinated. There was a war in Vietnam. The Civil Rights Movement was in full force. It was also the decade that brought us The Outsiders, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. (And get this: The price of a movie ticket was just $1.25!)
At the time, few resources existed to bring the world into the classroom in a developmentally appropriate way—to give students the vocabulary to think critically about the world around them and their role in it. Mr. Robinson’s inspired vision was to fill that gap through the pages of Scope.
Today, the mission of the magazine remains largely unchanged. With each issue, our talented team of writers, editors, poets, designers, and researchers creates articles, plays, debates, short stories, and poems that thrill and inspire students while building the English Language Arts skills they need to be successful in the classroom and beyond. But that isn’t all. We also provide rich support materials for teachers—gorgeous videos, audio articles, differentiated activities, close reading questions, and so much more. This potent combination of incredible content and outstanding support makes Scope a tool that many districts now consider an indispensible part of their English Language Arts programs.
As I told the teachers while we raised our glasses at NCTE, our 50th anniversary celebration is not simply a celebration of this amazing product. It is also a celebration of you. We are in touch with hundreds of you every year, visiting your classrooms, talking over email and on the phone, and video chatting with you and your students. It’s part of what our team loves most about our jobs. And our question is always the same: What are your biggest challenges and how can we help you solve them?
To learn more, visit scope.scholastic.com.
From the bottom of my heart, I thank all of the teachers who celebrated with us, and all of you who work so tirelessly to make Scope so special. It is an honor and a privilege to be in your classroom.
From top to bottom:
The photo booth was a hoot!
Ah…the memories of Scope.
Celebrating ELA excellence
The team behind Scope magazine
