Veronica Pitts

A proud graduate of and now department chair in Selma City Schools, Veronica Pitts has spent the last twelve years teaching in, and serving, the community that shaped her. From a military family, she moved frequently as a child, Veronica says her perspective crystallized when she returned to Alabama and encountered the deep local history of civic action in Selma. That discovery, coupled with the mentorship of a beloved history and government teacher, set her on the path to the classroom.

Veronica earned a B.A. in History from Tuskegee University and an alternative master’s degree with certification in secondary social science education from Auburn University at Montgomery. During graduate school, she worked on the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail, guiding thousands of visitors through the story of the voting rights movement. The experience affirmed her conviction that civics education is both knowledge and practice, rooted in primary sources, constitutional principles, and lived community engagement.

At Selma High School, Veronica has taught Government, Economics, AP courses, and a wide range of social studies classes. She also sponsors the Student Government Association and frequently spearheads building-wide initiatives. In her words, civics is “the most important subject” seniors study before stepping into adult life: they must learn how their government works, how to question well, and how to participate constructively in the democratic process.

Her classroom culture emphasizes civil discourse, document analysis, and problem-solving within the rule of law. Students work in groups to unpack the Constitution and return to it throughout the semester as they weigh current issues. Veronica’s favorite touchstone is the Declaration of Independence—her students call it the “DOI”—because it models how to frame grievances, craft solutions, and pursue change through lawful means.

That approach translates into action. After a tragic fentanyl overdose in the community, Veronica’s students wrote respectful, evidence-based letters to local leaders and met with them to discuss concrete steps. In another instance, students thoughtfully raised concerns about religious expression at school, modeling both First Amendment understanding and civic character. Many of her seniors serve as poll workers, while others volunteer to canvass and assist with local elections.

Veronica teaches in Alabama’s Black Belt, where she reminds students that advocacy is a lived civic responsibility. She centers empathy, compassion, and self-advocacy, urging students to apply constitutional principles to real problems, whether navigating public services, seeking opportunity, or standing up for the equal dignity of others. Content mastery matters in her classroom, but so does the courage to use knowledge well.

For Veronica Pitts, civics education prepares students to live America’s founding promises—liberty, equality, justice—by understanding them, debating them, and acting on them with integrity.