I never expected to write a book—let alone write one with someone like Dr. Scott M. Petri. (He always suggested you search his name with the ‘M’ because the other Scott Petri was a Republican representative in Pennsylvania).
He was an AP teacher with a doctorate, living in Los Angeles. I was a middle school teacher from small-town Ohio. He was short. I’m tall. On paper, we seemed like an odd match. But somehow, it just worked.
We were randomly paired to co-author The EduProtocols Field Guide: Social Studies Edition. And what started as a professional project quickly turned into one of the most meaningful friendships of my life.
Scott was organized. Me? Not so much. But where I brought simplicity, Scott brought structure. Where I was the quiet one, Scott was the talker – he couldn’t say “hi” in less than 500 words. He could take a simple idea and spin it into something complex, layered, and thought-provoking. I’d rein it in, offer a “clean it up this way,” and he always listened. He often told me criticism was hard for him to hear. Maybe it’s my small town tone, but it never bothered him. It never turned into a power struggle. We just trusted, and respected, each other.
We talked often – once, twice, sometimes three times a week. Every single conversation was a masterclass in something. He always had a new idea, a fresh take, or a connection to someone doing cool work. He loved connecting with people. And it showed in everything he did, from how he crafted our monthly Live Social Studies Show, to the care he put into promoting it. He was always thinking about the teachers who tuned in, how to give them something useful, how to make it meaningful.
The first time we met in person was at Spring CUE in 2022. We had been working together for months, but that was the first time we shook hands. Two days later, we presented together, and it felt like we’d been doing it for years. People were shocked to find out we’d just met.
We ended up traveling the country together, presenting at MassCUE at Gillette Stadium, presenting in Madison, WI at WCSS, presenting virtually, and sharing EduProtocols everywhere we could. We were different, but we balanced each other. I grounded the conversation. He elevated it.
And through it all, he was kind. Incredibly kind. Always asking about my daughters, my wife, my life back in Cincinnati. He genuinely cared. About people. About teachers. About making education better.
Losing him so suddenly still doesn’t feel real. He wasn’t just my coauthor. He was my partner, my teammate, and my friend.
Damn, I miss him.
I’ll keep sharing what we built together. I’ll keep talking about the things he taught me. Because Dr. Scott M. Petri shaped me more than he probably ever realized.
Rest easy, my friend.
Moler's Musings 