HCPSSTeachers Support Fellow Teachers in Making Simulated Congressional Hearings a Success
May 20th, 2026
Simulated Congressional Hearings (SCH) are a signature part of the Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) fifth-grade social studies curriculum. Every spring, students across the county prepare and deliver oral testimony to a panel of judges, demonstrating what they have learned about the U.S. Constitution and how the United States has changed over time.
“There’s a huge amount of work that goes into making sure this is a positive experience for everyone involved. First, students must master the content and skills that are taught throughout the year in social studies. The teachers then prepare the students to be able to apply their learning to historical and contemporary situations. Finally, there are numerous logistics that go into making sure the big day runs smoothly,” explains HCPSS Coordinator of Elementary Social Studies Kim Eggborn.
Enter HCPSS’ SCH mentor cadre. Composed of volunteer SCH veteran teachers from across the county, the group provides a range of supports to current fifth-grade teachers in preparing for SCH.
“The mentor teachers provide guidance on how to organize and pace SCH lessons and keep on schedule. They share resources and strategies on how to prepare students for SCH. They provide hands-on support with assorted logistics and help to ensure that our teachers and students have what they need to make SCH a success,” Eggborn explains.
Jennifer Abramson (Ducketts Lane), Dan Han (Fulton), Katrina Kearney-Hill (Swansfield), Laura Hook (Lisbon), Sara Toler (Guilford), Stacy Harris (Worthington), and Beth Rosas (Running Brook) volunteered to serve as SCH mentor teachers this year. Together, they bring decades of SCH experience to their mentorship role. In addition, they bring strong affinity for and belief in the value of SCH.
“After completing my first year teaching and administering SCH, I fell in love with it. Seeing students share their knowledge of historical and current events with a level of expertise and passion was inspiring,” Kearney-Hill says.
“I truly enjoy teaching the grade 5 curriculum and watching how the students apply their knowledge. It always amazes me watching [the students] work together to write their speeches and answer questions. It is as though SCH makes them mature and become independent thinkers,” adds Harris.
This year’s SCH mentor teachers also bring a strong desire to support their colleagues.
“SCH can be overwhelming to fifth-grade teachers, whether you are new to the position or a veteran teacher. My hope is to ease some of that by sharing ideas that I have implemented over the years and help with any concerns or questions teachers might have navigating the SCH process,” says Hook.
“I am passionate about supporting other educators,” adds Toler. “Strong mentorship plays a critical role in developing confident, reflective, and effective teachers. I hope my mentees leave with strong instructional strategies and a deeper understanding of how to build meaningful relationships with students throughout the SCH process.”
“Having such support truly makes a difference,” says Erica Valenstein, who teaches fifth grade at Lisbon Elementary School and has been working with Hook to prepare for Lisbon’s SCH.
“Laura’s door … is always open–literally and figuratively. To me, this is the best part of an effective mentor. When learning to lead a project with so many pieces, challenges and potential dead ends pop up unexpectedly. Knowing that I have colleagues who welcome interaction at any point is incredibly supportive,” Valenstein says.
“Mentorship helps those of us new to a position or role truly know that we are never alone,” Valenstein continues. “Having a mentor allows me to build a trustworthy relationship with a colleague so that I have the confidence to go to her in any situation.”
Rory Conklin, who is teaching fifth grade at St. Johns Lane Elementary School for the first time this year, also worked with Hook to prepare for SCH.
“Although Laura and I hadn’t met before, she was insanely kind and open to answering any questions I had,” Conklin says, reflecting on his visit with Hook during LES’ SCH. “We talked a lot about what SCH looks like for her both before and after. The most helpful advice she gave was how to prepare the students to work on and memorize the follow-up questions, as well as guiding me toward finding reliable sources for the students to use when editing their speeches.”
“Laura was an immense help when it came to keeping myself organized and what to prioritize when practicing with the students. I am very thankful for her help,” Conklin adds.
The SCH mentor cadre plays a truly critical role in making Simulated Congressional Hearings the outstanding program it is, notes Eggborn.
“These teacher leaders aren’t just uplifting their own students—they are stepping forward to support other schools; thus, these teachers are growing their impact while staying rooted in the classroom. I’m extremely proud of our SCH mentor cadre for volunteering to go above and beyond to ensure all students know how to be active and informed participants in our global society,” Eggborn says.