The online version of the September 2011 issue of Perspectives on History is now available to AHA members (sign in to member services to gain full access). Some articles, including two by the President and Executive Director, are ungated.

From the President & Executive Director
The issue begins with AHA President Anthony Grafton’s piece, “The Arc of Writing History,” in which he highlights the good work of early career historians who teach writing courses, but laments their disconnect to their history departments. The focus shifts from teaching to tests in AHA Executive Director Jim Grossman’s article, “Casting the First Stone [or,Taking Pot Shots at the History NAEP].” He is discouraged by the results of the History National Assessment of Educational Progress, but cautions those who criticize the students and their teachers to reflect on how well they themselves would fare on this test.

Annual Meetings
Preparing for the AHA’s 126th annual meeting, to be held in Chicago? Gear up with Sharon Tune’s informative article. And learn about discounted registration rates for teacher-student groups, which are being expanded to include early-stage graduate students this year.

Also, answer the Call for Proposals for the 2013 annual meeting. The theme for the meeting is “Lives, Places, Stories,” but the Program Committee will welcome and consider all proposals. You can come up with proposals for experimental sessions too. Consult the Annual Meeting Guidelines for more detailed information.

News
In AHA news, Debbie Ann Doyle explains how the AHA and the history profession can be more accessible, Robert B. Townsend reports on proposed changes for IRBs, Chris Hale reviews American History Now and highlights National History Day, and Aaron Marrs offers updates from the Graduate and Early Career Committee. Also, free access to job ads began September 1, new member benefits begin soon, AHA membership is on the rise, Council made these decisions in June, meet the newest AHA affiliates, and thanks to donors.

Lee White, executive director of the National Coalition for History, offers updates on Nixon’s Archival Records and news from Washington.

Finally, the National History Center looks forward to its 10th anniversary, and is also calling for applications to its Seventh International Seminar on Decolonization.

The Profession, Teaching, and Research
Robert B. Townsend reports on the rebalancing of fields across departments, Barbara Young Welke presents 10 pieces of advice for reviewers that she learned from the late Peggy Pascoe, and Stephen R. Weissman considers declassification through the lens of the Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS) series, in articles in this issue.

Robert Duke and Russell Olwell discuss how the national review system under NCATE can be used for improving the training of history teachers.

Gain new insights by learning about teaching history and doing research from secondary school teacher Thomas Honsa, and discovering the treasures that reside at U.S. National Library of Medicine in Jeffrey R. Reznick’s article.

In Memoriam
Take a moment to remember our valued colleague David Darlington, as well as the following respected historians who are no longer with us: Sharon K. Broadley, Manning Marable, Bernard Sinsheimer, and Helen Hornbeck Tanner.

This post first appeared on AHA Today.