America 250

On July 4, America celebrates 250 years. We appreciate that the collective success over that time and the strengths about which we'd all agree, would not have been possible without the dedication of teachers and educators who have helped the next generation stand on their shoulders.

Join us as we celebrate 250 years of learning that shaped America.

Education Has Shaped America for 250 Years

Savvas honors how education—formal and informal—has helped build, strengthen, and unify the United States over the past 250 years. From early colonial schools to modern learning innovations, education has shaped our nation, our workforce, and our future.

It forms the foundation upon which every profession, every trade, and countless achievements have been made possible in our great democracy.

At Savvas Learning Company, we’re proud to celebrate the teachers and educators who carry this legacy forward every day and continue to inspire the next generation of learners.

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Honoring the Past, Inspiring the Future: A Q&A with Savvas Authors

Jesse Wilcox

Author, Experience Science K-8

If you could go back to any moment in American history and teach a class at that specific time and place, what moment would you choose and why?

If I could visit a time period, I would pick the 1920s. I think the time period is so interesting. If I were to teach a class during a specific time, I would pick the 1960s. This was a golden age for science education, and it would be cool to be part of the time period that gave us so much science pedagogical innovation and understanding. Plus, supporting and participating in the civil rights movement would be a deeply meaningful experience.

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Arthur O'Sullivan & Steven M. Sheffrin

Authors, Economics: Principles in Action

What does the America 250th anniversary mean to you as an author in K12 education?

From an economic educator’s perspective, America’s 250th anniversary is a wonderful time to reflect on how the US economy and society managed to thrive and adapt through recessions, wars, financial crises, and internal political conflicts. Taking the broad sweep of history into account should make us want to instill in our students an appreciation of the unique aspects of the American character that have enabled us to flourish and lead the world.

Emma Lapsansky-Werner, Ph.D., of Haverford College

Author, Savvas US History Interactive

What does the America 250 anniversary mean to you as an author in K-12?

"From an economic educator’s perspective, America’s 250th anniversary is a wonderful time to reflect on how the US economy and society managed to thrive and adapt through recessions, wars, financial crises, and internal political conflicts. Taking the broad sweep of history into account should make us want to instill in our students an appreciation of the unique aspects of the American character that have enabled us to flourish and lead the world. "

Heather Domjan

Author, Experience Science K-5

If you could go back to any moment in American history and teach a class at that specific time and place, what moment would you choose and why?

I would choose October 1957, immediately after the launch of Sputnik 1 as it marked a turning point when U.S. education shifted from passive instruction to active, student-centered learning. Teaching during this moment would allow me to help students engage in authentic, hands-on experimentation and inquiry-based curricula, using the scientific tools and resources of the time to solve real-world problems. This paradigm shift empowered learners to think like engineers and scientists, accelerating technological advancement and shaping a generation prepared to innovate rather than memorize.

Emma Lapsansky-Werner, Ph.D., of Haverford College

Author, Savvas US History Interactive

If you could go back to any moment in American history, and actually teach a class in that moment, at that place, what would it be?

If I could go back and teach history in the final quarter of the 18th century/first quarter of the 19th century, I'd love to take my students on a 2-month boat trip around the Atlantic rim, and have them see the “American" Revolution in the context of the social unrest and restructuring connected to the French Revolution and the revolutions in Haiti and Jamaica and Nova Scotia, and to have students see how "modern" technology (e.g., "predictable" navigation tools and the printing press, "inexpensive" paper, and steam engines) had an effect on people's' lives that was comparable to AI and the internet and similar technological leaps of the years between 1975 and 2025.

Joe Levine

Author, Miller & Levine Biology

What does America’s 250th anniversary mean to you as a K–12 author?

Hi, I'm Joe Levine and I'm going to spend a couple of minutes telling you why America's 250th means a lot to me as a biology textbook author. What it means is that somebody from a background like mine was able to become a biology textbook author. My great-grandfather, who I was named for, came to this country around the turn of the 20th century with his wife, a baby boy, and a sewing machine. He set up shop in the Lower East Side in Manhattan as a tailor. Invited family from the old country, which was Belarus, to come to the US because things weren't looking too good there. They all said, "No, no, no, no, no. We're fine," and they didn't come and all of them disappeared, mostly into the Warsaw ghetto. My great-grandfather, on the other hand, raised a family. My paternal grandfather was an underwear salesman and those two families came together. Each of my parents was the first in their family to go to college at all. And they did well enough to send me to Tufts as an undergraduate. And after that, the structure of universities in this country enabled me to complete a master's and a PhD at Boston University and then at Harvard University on teaching assistant fellowships and that's how I became a professional scientist and that's how I got into the world of science communication working with WGBH-TV the producers of NOVA and so on. So, I got into biology storytelling and to make a long story short, that led to a partnership with Ken Miller that ended up producing the first Miller and Levine Biology. And since then, it's my great pleasure to help the extraordinary American public education system educate new generations of students - some of whom will themselves become scientists and others of whom I hope will become scientifically informed, fully scientifically literate American citizens.

Rich Sayers

Author, Former Spanish teacher

If you could go back to any moment in American history, and actually teach a class in that moment, at that place, what would it be?

In 1985, ACTFL shifted language teaching from rote grammar to active usage with new Proficiency Guidelines while I was already teaching high school. They later introduced "the 5 Cs" to bridge the gap between communication and cultural appreciation. I would love to go back and teach in the mid-1980s, combining those foundational standards with modern resources. By focusing on what students can do with a language rather than just what they know, we can better prepare them to thrive and connect within our global society. "

Ken Miller

Author, Miller & Levine Biology

What does America’s 250th anniversary mean to you as a K–12 author?

I love this country - but not just because I was born here. America's great revolutionary idea was that power should be in the hands of the people - all people. Walter Isaacson has called the second line of the Declaration of Independence "the greatest sentence ever written," and he is right. Not because it was true at the time, not because we have always lived up to it, but because it established the idea that all people should share, not just in government, but in every aspect of public life. To me, that means that we do not draw our scientists from a privileged class, but by means of public education designed to open the doors of achievement to everyone - because there is talent everywhere, in women as well as men, and in every racial and ethnic group. In my own case, that meant I was able to attend a great university on scholarship and then graduate school on a public fellowship to become a professional scientist. As a science author, my goal is simple - to open those same doors to young people today the way that the promise of America opened them to me.

Frank Karpiel, Ph.D

Author, myWorld Interactive World History

What does the America 250th anniversary mean to you as an author in K12 education?

America’s 250th anniversary is a great opportunity to expand the panorama of history education to include ever more diverse locations and experiences of American life. Here in Virginia, the VA-250 Commission organized a large mobile museum to travel to every corner of the state. Students, teachers, and citizens from every walk of life are guided through a lively, interactive and dynamic view of Virginia’s history starting from the 1600s. "

Heather Domjan

Author, Experience Science K-5

What does America's 250th anniversary mean to you as an author in K-12 education?

America’s 250th anniversary inspires me as a K-12 science author to celebrate curiosity, discovery, and innovation. It is a moment to reflect on the scientists, engineers, and explorers whose ideas transformed our world from inventing life-saving technologies to landing rovers on Mars. This milestone gives me the chance to show students, that they can be part of that story of exploration and problem-solving. By connecting history, science, and imagination, I hope to spark wonder in students helping them see that the questions they ask and the experiments they pursue could shape the future of our nation. This anniversary is not just a celebration of the past; it is a call to inspire the next generation of thinkers, innovators, and trailblazers who will carry America forward.

Jim Kracht

Author, Author, myWorld Interactive

If you could go back to any moment in American history and actually teach a class, in that moment, at that place, what would it be?

I would choose to teach in New York City during the spring of 1776. During this time, there would have been much controversy among the public both in conversation and in the newspapers over the measures which Great Britain was taking to tax the colonies in order to pay for the French and Indian War which had been waged to protect the colonies.

Emma Lapsansky-Werner, Ph.D., of Haverford College

Author, Savvas US History Interactive

The next 50 years (to the tricentennial): Engage authors to share their top predictions/hopes for what the next 50 years will bring for education.

Over the next half-century, I wonder if (and hope) that children as young as 3 would learn to read competently with a range of auto-tools, and the job of "educators" would be to model and teach the mindset of social justice, i.e., students would be helped to figure out that they--as individuals--can thrive ONLY to the degree that other inhabitants of their eco-structure thrive, that greed and competition are as deadly to the "winners" as they are to the "losers" (and epithets like "they are losers" would disappear from young peoples' lexicon).

Sophia Garcia

Author, Experience Science for Middle Grades

What are your top predictions or hopes for the next 50 years in education?

My hope, now and fifty years from now, is that every high school graduate can look back and say, "I received an outstanding education." This will be possible because educators, families, and communities are equipped with the resources they need to support students at every stage. As for my predictions, I used to imagine a future where AI tutors transformed the classroom—but that future has already begun! In the decades ahead, I foresee students working with highly personalized AI learning companions that not only adapt to their academic needs but also make learning engaging, accessible, and fun. These tools won’t replace teachers; they’ll elevate the learning experience, making one‑on‑one, individualized support available to every student, every day.

Elisabeth Gaynor Ellis

Author, Savvas World History Interactive

What does the America 250th anniversary mean to you as an author in K12 education?

As a student of history, I often try to imagine how people living in this land 250 years ago would react to seeing how we live today. Would they be stunned at the ease of our daily lives compared to theirs: from electricity, running water and air travel to centrally heated or air conditioned homes? Would they even understand our speech or many of the words we use from smartphones to Wikipedia to AI? What would they think of our social studies curriculum and school classrooms where much learning is done online? Would they find it surprising that every child has access to free education from kindergarten through high school? "

Jim Kracht

Author, Author, myWorld Interactive

What are your top predictions and hopes for what the next 50 years will bring for education?

I hope that the move toward AI guided learning results in positive and high-quality learning experiences for each and every child with no children left having limited or no access to these experiences.