Tina L. Heafner was elected president of the National Council for the Social Studies. The council is a nationwide professional association committed to advocacy and ensuring all students receive a high-quality social studies education. NCSS provides leadership, services and support to students and educators across the country at both the K-12 and university levels. Dr. Heafner is a long-time member of the council and has served in a number of leadership positions for the organization.
Dr. Heafner is a professor in the department of middle, secondary, and K-12 education at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Her research focuses on effective practices in social studies education such as professional development schools, mentoring and coaching, technology integration, mobile technologies, content literacy development, and cultural relevance. Other research interests include policy and curriculum issues in social studies and content-based online teaching and learning.
In accepting the presidency of the National Council for the Social Studies, Dr. Heafner stated that “in the spirit of democracy, we must honor the champions of human rights, civility, diversity, equality, inclusion, sovereignty and justice. And we must recognize the critical role that social studies educators need to embrace in humanizing the curriculum, educating for empathy and action, and empowering children and youth agency, advocacy, and activism.”
Professor Heafner holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in social studies education from Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem North Carolina. She earned a Ph.D. in curriculum and teaching, with a specialization: K-12 social studies education and technology from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.