March 30, 2001
Mr. Charlie Crist
Commissioner of Education
Florida Department of Education
Plaza 0-8 The Capitol
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400
Dear Commissioner Crist:
As a recent past president of the National Council for Geographic Education and as a present coordinator of the Florida Geographic Alliance, I have had the opportunity to meet with education leaders in Florida regarding the teaching of geography in our public schools. These meetings have included your predecessors Commissioners Brogan and Gallagher, Bill Mumford, President of the Florida Superintendent’s Association and DOE personnel Tom Baird, Barbara Elzie and Bob Lumsden. In each case it was agreed that Florida should include more geography in the curriculum.
The Florida Geographic Alliance was created to help do this. The Alliance is funded by a two million dollar endowment set up by the National Geographic Society , the FSU Foundation and the State of Florida grant matching program. Our goals are to place more geography in the curriculum (not necessarily as separate courses), to train teachers in what geography is and how to teach it, the development of new materials and workshops (free to the districts) on how to utilize technology in the teaching of geography. We cover Florida, the United States and the world. Everyone who has seen our program has given us very high marks.
Less than 300,000 of our middle and high school students receive any training in geography. This is at a time when leading media have decried our “geographic illiteracy”. Geography can be a major contributor to the development of a strong citizenship curriculum recently called for by the Florida Legislature and the Florida DOE. Every major problem facing our society today has a geographic aspect to it, be it population growth, transportation, pollution problems, crime prevention, health care, etc., and, geography is politically neutral, eminently important, but ideologically neutral. International, or global issues are geographic. Floridians need to know why our state is strategically located to help, and benefit from the development of Central and South America, as well as why other continents represent problems and prospects for Florida and the United States.
The major threat that has my attention at the present time is the possibility that the social studies in general, and specifically geography, are not a part of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. As a result, and with the perceived threat many schools feel from being graded, the social studies, including geography, are not only not being taught, but are being dropped from the curriculum because the State has implied, from the absence of social studies from FCAT, that this information is not necessary. Please do not let this unintended consequence become reality. It will hurt our students, our economy and our standing in the state and nation.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. I will be happy to discuss this matter in any forum, with any individual or committee.
Yours for a stronger and logical curriculum,
Edward A. Fernald, State Geographer &
Professor Emeritus Florida State University
Saturday, May 3, 2003
Florida Historical Society Supports Social Studies Testing!
April 27, 2001
Mr. Charlie Crist
Commissioner of Education
Florida Department of Education
Plaza 0-8 The Capitol
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400
Dear Commissioner Crist:
The current status of social science education in the curricula of public schools in Florida is deplorable. Most of the teachers in our systems who are charged with carrying out the mandates of F.S. 233.061k are (a) woefully ignorant of the requirements of the statute and (b) poorly equipped to meet the barest requirements in terms of content.
As the Executive Director of Florida’s only statewide historical society, I deal with Florida teachers on a periodic basis. The Society offers several in-service days of Florida history each year, and the comments from the teachers who attend generally are the same—“We had no idea that Florida’s history was so long and exciting!” The sad fact is that most of the government officials, state legislators, and even graduates of institutions of higher education never have to take a course in Florida history, nor is there any concrete measure in place to ensure that any student in public education institutions have to study and master such a course. What this will mean in the long run is that today’s Florida will cease to exist, replaced by some weak version of New York, Cuba or Michigan! The history of the Sunshine State is rich and varied, and it deserves a valued position in the educational process.
One of the best measures for ensuring that Florida history is an important and integral part of a student’s overall education is to include this subject as part of the FCAT testing program. Florida students become Florida voters. It would certainly make sense that before we arm Floridians with the vote that we prepare them with the knowledge to use that vote wisely and in the context of Florida’s past.
We fully support the Florida Association of Social Studies Supervisors in their effort to get Florida history included in FCAT testing.
Sincerely,
Nick Wynne, PhD
Executive Director
Mr. Charlie Crist
Commissioner of Education
Florida Department of Education
Plaza 0-8 The Capitol
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400
Dear Commissioner Crist:
The current status of social science education in the curricula of public schools in Florida is deplorable. Most of the teachers in our systems who are charged with carrying out the mandates of F.S. 233.061k are (a) woefully ignorant of the requirements of the statute and (b) poorly equipped to meet the barest requirements in terms of content.
As the Executive Director of Florida’s only statewide historical society, I deal with Florida teachers on a periodic basis. The Society offers several in-service days of Florida history each year, and the comments from the teachers who attend generally are the same—“We had no idea that Florida’s history was so long and exciting!” The sad fact is that most of the government officials, state legislators, and even graduates of institutions of higher education never have to take a course in Florida history, nor is there any concrete measure in place to ensure that any student in public education institutions have to study and master such a course. What this will mean in the long run is that today’s Florida will cease to exist, replaced by some weak version of New York, Cuba or Michigan! The history of the Sunshine State is rich and varied, and it deserves a valued position in the educational process.
One of the best measures for ensuring that Florida history is an important and integral part of a student’s overall education is to include this subject as part of the FCAT testing program. Florida students become Florida voters. It would certainly make sense that before we arm Floridians with the vote that we prepare them with the knowledge to use that vote wisely and in the context of Florida’s past.
We fully support the Florida Association of Social Studies Supervisors in their effort to get Florida history included in FCAT testing.
Sincerely,
Nick Wynne, PhD
Executive Director
Museums Appeal to Commissioner Crist for Social Studies FCAT
May 4, 2001
Mr. Charlie Crist
Commissioner of Education
Florida Department of Education
Plaza 0-8 the Capitol
Tallahassee FL 32399-0400
RE: Social Studies and the FCAT
Dear Commissioner Crist,
As someone who discovered Florida history quite by accident, and then has
worked in the field for over 20 years, I find it incredibly ironic that this
subject is so poorly taught in schools. The reason that teaching Florida
history has such a low priority is because it isn't on the FCAT.
I know you don't mean for schools to teach the test, but that's what
happens. Schools and teachers are judged by their students' performance on
the FCAT, and as a result, what's on the test has become a high priority.
What isn't on the test becomes nonimportant.
So teachers gloss over the minimal curriculum guidelines for teaching
Florida history. They themselves tend to be sadly lacking in their own
knowledge of Florida history. Teaching Florida history without a firm
background is like asking me to tune your car. Sure, I can follow the manual,
but I hope you're not expecting your car to start when I get done. Without
knowledge of Florida's past and the interests that have steered its
development, our children are going to have a difficult time of directing its
future.
Please add Florida history to the FCAT. Its omission was a glaring
oversight and one you can correct.
Sincerely,
Patti Bartlett
Director, Fort Myers Historical Museum
Mr. Charlie Crist
Commissioner of Education
Florida Department of Education
Plaza 0-8 the Capitol
Tallahassee FL 32399-0400
RE: Social Studies and the FCAT
Dear Commissioner Crist,
As someone who discovered Florida history quite by accident, and then has
worked in the field for over 20 years, I find it incredibly ironic that this
subject is so poorly taught in schools. The reason that teaching Florida
history has such a low priority is because it isn't on the FCAT.
I know you don't mean for schools to teach the test, but that's what
happens. Schools and teachers are judged by their students' performance on
the FCAT, and as a result, what's on the test has become a high priority.
What isn't on the test becomes nonimportant.
So teachers gloss over the minimal curriculum guidelines for teaching
Florida history. They themselves tend to be sadly lacking in their own
knowledge of Florida history. Teaching Florida history without a firm
background is like asking me to tune your car. Sure, I can follow the manual,
but I hope you're not expecting your car to start when I get done. Without
knowledge of Florida's past and the interests that have steered its
development, our children are going to have a difficult time of directing its
future.
Please add Florida history to the FCAT. Its omission was a glaring
oversight and one you can correct.
Sincerely,
Patti Bartlett
Director, Fort Myers Historical Museum
FCSS President Ralph Egolf Urges Social Studies Testing!
President’s Message
In my last message I wrote about the crisis for us as a discipline in this state. On behalf of the FCSS, I wrote a letter to Secretary of Education, Jim Home, regarding the lack of a social studies specialist and our desire for inclusion in the FCAT. Although I have never received a reply, I am pleased to report that a specialist has been recommended to fill the long standing vacancy that we will finally have a voice again at the DOE. The jury is still out regarding the FCAT. FCSS has engaged the services of a lobbyist to look out for the interests of social studies educators. One thing he has confirmed is that we need to develop a broader base of support, both from within our ranks and in the community.
Perhaps part of the problem is a lack of membership in the organization. As social studies educators, we know that numbers translate into increased influence. The Board of the FOSS believes that the percentage of the total number of social studies educators in Florida who are currently members is far too small to gain much attention from the Department of Education or with the Legislature. Please help your FOSS District Representative recruit new members. Updated applications are now available on our website: fcss.org
On a very positive note, our recent conference in Tampa was an unqualified success. Over one thousand dedicated professionals attended, making it one of the largest conferences in our history. The Board is especially pleased with the increased participation of educators from private schools. Welcome! Many thanks to Kathy Taylor, her subcommittee chairs, the committee members, and the many volunteers who made this wonderful opportunity for enrichment and comradery possible. I am already looking forward to our next conference that is being held at the Radisson Riverwalk Hotel in Jacksonville the week of October 14th. The Conference Committee has planned a slightly different format that should make it even more enjoyable than it has been.
One last note. Please consider applying for grants from our endowment fund. The Endowment Committee has awarded nearly $40,000 since 1996, but is anxious to distribute even more. Average awards range from $250 to $1,500, but higher amounts have been made available. We would like to help you fund that workshop, institute, special instructional unit, scholarship, or local council project. Visit our website for guidelines and an application!
Ralph Egolf
Florida Council for the
Social Studies President
Trends and Issues, Vol. XIV No. 1 (Spring 2002) p. 2.
In my last message I wrote about the crisis for us as a discipline in this state. On behalf of the FCSS, I wrote a letter to Secretary of Education, Jim Home, regarding the lack of a social studies specialist and our desire for inclusion in the FCAT. Although I have never received a reply, I am pleased to report that a specialist has been recommended to fill the long standing vacancy that we will finally have a voice again at the DOE. The jury is still out regarding the FCAT. FCSS has engaged the services of a lobbyist to look out for the interests of social studies educators. One thing he has confirmed is that we need to develop a broader base of support, both from within our ranks and in the community.
Perhaps part of the problem is a lack of membership in the organization. As social studies educators, we know that numbers translate into increased influence. The Board of the FOSS believes that the percentage of the total number of social studies educators in Florida who are currently members is far too small to gain much attention from the Department of Education or with the Legislature. Please help your FOSS District Representative recruit new members. Updated applications are now available on our website: fcss.org
On a very positive note, our recent conference in Tampa was an unqualified success. Over one thousand dedicated professionals attended, making it one of the largest conferences in our history. The Board is especially pleased with the increased participation of educators from private schools. Welcome! Many thanks to Kathy Taylor, her subcommittee chairs, the committee members, and the many volunteers who made this wonderful opportunity for enrichment and comradery possible. I am already looking forward to our next conference that is being held at the Radisson Riverwalk Hotel in Jacksonville the week of October 14th. The Conference Committee has planned a slightly different format that should make it even more enjoyable than it has been.
One last note. Please consider applying for grants from our endowment fund. The Endowment Committee has awarded nearly $40,000 since 1996, but is anxious to distribute even more. Average awards range from $250 to $1,500, but higher amounts have been made available. We would like to help you fund that workshop, institute, special instructional unit, scholarship, or local council project. Visit our website for guidelines and an application!
Ralph Egolf
Florida Council for the
Social Studies President
Trends and Issues, Vol. XIV No. 1 (Spring 2002) p. 2.
Legislative Goals 2003-2004
FCSS / FASSS
Position Paper on 2003-04 Legislative Issues
ISSUE ONE: Student Progression Law Language (Number One Priority)
- Current law requires educators to review a student’s performance in Reading, Writing, Math, and Science when being promoted from one grade level to the next. Moreover, should a student be found to be deficient in his/her performance in of these core subject areas, parents must be notified and an opportunity for remediation of that content needs to be made available to the student.
- To permit the current law to state that students’ performance in social studies need not even be considered for promotion purposes – when reading, writing, math and science must be – is an intolerable and ominous development for the future civic health of our state and nation.
- As a core curriculum area, social studies instruction provides a rich basis for student learning and has as its goal the application of such knowledge and attitudes to enable students to exercise their civic responsibility. Without a foundation in each of the four major areas represented in the Sunshine State Standards for social studies, we fail to prepare an informed citizen and a student’s education is incomplete. As so many recent surveys can attest, we can no longer afford the luxury of assuming students actually are learning about the heritage of our nation or that they possess the essential economic, civic, geographic and historic competencies to equip them for the role they will ALL assume upon graduation – that of citizen! Moreover, as a nation and state we are totally ignorant of what knowledge, skills and dispositions our students actually do possess! See Issue three below.
RECOMMENDATION: We recommend inclusion of “social studies” in the state Student Progression Law (F.S. 1008.25)
ISSUE TWO: High School Graduation Requirements
- Senate Bill 30A (passed last year) allowed students the option to graduate with 18 credit hours with the stipulation that they fulfill “3 credits of social studies”. The more traditional 24 credit requirement continued past practice of requiring students to master three total credits in American History, American Government, Economics and World History. DPS Memo 04-015 partially corrected this problem by leaving it to district discretion whether some or all of the above named courses should be required for student graduation. Research reveals students today virtually adrift in civic ignorance and these requirements must continue to constitute the minimum requirement for ALL high school students.
RECOMMENDATION: The previous requirement that ALL Florida High School students must successfully complete courses in American History, American Government, Economics and World History must be reinstated. (Or the early 18 credit graduation option should be repealed.)
ISSUE THREE: Eventual inclusion of social studies as part of Florida’s Comprehensive Assessment Test. (long range goal)
- Social studies professional organizations has since 1984 called for a statewide assessment of student understanding of the core content areas of History, Geography, Economics and Civics.
- Soon the state will once again be modifying FCAT to include student performance in the ‘mechanics of writing’. We now have MULTIPLE measures of student performance in Writing, Mathematics, Reading and Science in grades three through ten. These subjects are assessed not only as part of FCAT, but as part of the federal “No Child Left Behind” legislation, both SAT and ACT college entrance examinations, and through the state by state comparisons on NAEP administrations.
- Compared to all these multiple measures in the area of reading, math, writing and science, Florida has NEVER had any idea how well its students understand their past heritage, our governmental and economic systems nor the world around them. Nor, seemingly, does Florida care what its students know about these subjects. Once the mainstay of public education, these subjects comprise the forgotten area of the curriculum.
Again, the current Student Progression Law states that although a student’s performance in reading, writing, and math MUST be taken into account when promoting a student from one grade level to the next, their understanding of our nation’s history, our governmental and economic systems and the world around them need not even be considered for this purpose. Moreover, American History and American Government no longer exist as required courses of study for ALL Florida students! It is inconceivable that we shall in the near future find citizens willing to volunteer to defend our way of life, when repeated surveys inform us that vast numbers of our students are illiterate in terms of citizenship education. Although we realize that financial constraints impede efforts to immediately add social studies to the state’s assessment program, we feel that the legislature must state the goal of adding it to FCAT some four or five years from now. If knowledge of civic education is not MORE important than the ability to discern whether or not our students understand the correct use of a comma versus semi-colon, how to properly use a plural possessive apostrophe or how to describe the life cycle of a species, it ought to at least given EQUAL attention.
RECOMMENDATION: FCSS favors amending Florida Statute 1008.22 by adding social studies as an area for statewide assessment. This law should go into effect no later than 2009.
ISSUE FOUR: The length of time for which an ESOL student’s F.C.A.T. score should be used for accountability purposes. should be extended from two to three years.
- Research states that it takes six or seven years for a student whose native language is different from English to be proficient in reading and writing in our language. Federal guidelines for No Child Left Behind use a three year period of time before such scores are factored into accountability measurements. Florida’s accountability provisions should not be more punitive than federal standards.
RECOMMENATION: The length of time for which an ESOL student’s F.C.A.T. score should be used for accountability purposes should be extended from two to three years.
ISSUE FIVE: Transfer of Florida’s Heritage / Educational Resources
Last year, the Governor submitted a budget with proposals to enable the following cost cutting proposals to be made. Several departments serving social studies classrooms were obviously going to be effected by proposals briefly submitted by the Governor. The attempt to pass this law was delayed for one year and may return this coming session.
Custodian of State Records, Records Management and Archives – Transfer to the Department of Management Services.
Florida State Library – Eliminate the library as a state government function and transfer collections to the Florida State University.
Florida State Museum and state historical sites – Transfer to the Department of Environmental Protection to be consolidated with the State Parks Program.
Early estimates from individuals in the Department of Historical Resources reported that 31 positions at the Museum and over 40 at the Library were scheduled for elimination. Employees were to be transferred to other departments and were encouraged to “look for other employment”.
No one at the time could confirm that positions pertaining to educational programs and state history would be secure or that programs such as Florida History Day, the Florida Heritage Education Program, etc. would be supported.
People to contact concerning this are:
Gina Brunson, Bureau Chief, Museum of Florida History – phone 850-245-6386. She’s informed us that all of her 31 full time staff have received letters stating that their positions will be eliminated by summer. (Mr. Vernon Peoples, long time Florida legislator, cautioned that only the legislature can actually eliminate these positions by it’s approval of the budget process. This is being taken under consideration at the present time.)
Janet Mathews, Director of Division of Historical Resources – phone 850-245-6300. Basically, her division would be drastically downscaled leaving perhaps 20 persons in a department that would manage Historic Preservation Grants and National Historic Registry matters. The Museum, state archives, State Library, sites such as the San Luis Historic Site, the Old Capitol and others would be transferred to the State Parks and Recreation Department.
Fred Gaske, an administrator in Janet Mathews’ division (not sure of his title) who has the details as to the impact the changes will have. (Phone: 850-245-6300) It was Mr. Gaske who informed us, when we asked him to comment on whether current educational services and programs to teachers would continue, that staff cuts were probably going to cause these to be eliminated There was “no guarantee” anyone would be available to assist teachers in these efforts.
Jennifer Nash – The director of the State Library. (Phone: 850- 245-6518)
FCSS seeks to obtain some answers to the following questions . . .
1. What provisions will be made to continue teacher in-service programs on the subject of Florida’s heritage to teachers ? (Rationale: This is mandated instruction by the state and few resources currently exist.)
2. What assurances exist that curriculum development and other instructional materials will continue to be developed? (Again, districts to not have much in the way of resources and the Florida Heritage Program materials and other such resources need to be electronically produced on CD ROM, and much more needs to be done in this area.)
3. What are the advantages of dispersing the state library to other sites across Florida? (FSU, as it was originally planned was to take the collection, but doesn’t want it. Dispersing it will make historical research much more difficult, will allow documents and resources to possibly deteriorate, and relegates our states’ heritage to a ‘garage sale’ type mentality.)
4. What are the advantages of reducing the division of Historical Resources and collapsing programs such as the Museum of Florida History into the Dept. of Parks and Recreation? (We must figure that the entertainment and tourism function will probably outweigh the educational mission of instilling in our children an awareness of our states’ unique history.)
5. What assurances do we have the Florida History Day Program will continue to be coordinated with the assistance of people in the Museum of Florida History? (Whereas President Bush has cited this as one of three outstanding ways to revitalize the teaching of history in our schools, we ought to be cautious the Gov. Bush’s plan might eliminate support for this. FCSS has a vested interest in the program and has given about $7,000 in student scholarships and other support to the program in the last two years.)
6. How many staff positions in the Division of Historic Preservation are scheduled for elimination? (I’ve been told 31 will be eliminated in the Museum of History and over 40 at the Library.)
7. How many documents, books, maps and other resources are currently available, and thus prone to ‘loss’ at the State Library? What are some of their more valuable resources that are contained there? (Nick Wynn, President of FHS says there are one million books going back to the days of print – the Gutenberg Bible, 250,000 photos, thousands of maps and other documents. These all require proper storage & protection from the air, light, etc. The FHS alone estimates that they spend over $3,000 housing their own collection and they don’t have the resources to take on additional responsibilities. Nor did FSU wish to do so? This likely will mean that these valuable resources will be at risk of deterioration.)
8. How will the Archives branch of the State Library be affected by the change?
9. How will this change impact the department of Mrs. Glenda Hood, the new Secretary of State, who will soon be sworn into that office? (Where is her department to be “housed”?)
10. Will staff positions at the OLD CAPITOL be eliminated?
11. How is it that NEW MONIES for a residential Math-Science High School are able to be placed in the budget when there appears to be drastic cuts made in the educational mission of teaching our youth about Florida’s unique history and preserving this history?
RECOMMENDATION: At this time FCSS strongly opposes the dismantling of the State Archives, State Museum and reconstitution of the Florida State Museum. Rationale: The cost of moving these resources to other sites and the loss of support for the teaching of Florida Studies is too great for us to support the Governor’s proposal. Moreover, in our belief it is better to eliminate some sales tax exemptions and thereby raise needed financial resources for this fiscal year than to perhaps permanently lose our state’s vital heritage education programs and resources, many of which have been procured over the last 150 years.
ISSUE SIX: National Testing of social studies with state by state accountability
Current Status: Although there are no current plans to test social studies as part of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) an upcoming National Assessment for Educational Progress survey of Civics and United States History is scheduled to take place in 2006. Social Studies loses much of its punch in not having state by state comparisons (Reading, Writing, Math and Science are assessed in this manner and much more frequently) which hold the governors accountable for these educational programs and student progress. NCSS has recently reversed its stand on the need for national testing and two FCSS members, Deborah Gallagher and Marsha Yoder, will help to carry this message on to the national level.
The reasons in favor of state by state comparisons are described briefly below. See file “FCSS Legislative Goal: The Argument for NAEP State-by-State Comparative Data”
Position Paper on 2003-04 Legislative Issues
ISSUE ONE: Student Progression Law Language (Number One Priority)
- Current law requires educators to review a student’s performance in Reading, Writing, Math, and Science when being promoted from one grade level to the next. Moreover, should a student be found to be deficient in his/her performance in of these core subject areas, parents must be notified and an opportunity for remediation of that content needs to be made available to the student.
- To permit the current law to state that students’ performance in social studies need not even be considered for promotion purposes – when reading, writing, math and science must be – is an intolerable and ominous development for the future civic health of our state and nation.
- As a core curriculum area, social studies instruction provides a rich basis for student learning and has as its goal the application of such knowledge and attitudes to enable students to exercise their civic responsibility. Without a foundation in each of the four major areas represented in the Sunshine State Standards for social studies, we fail to prepare an informed citizen and a student’s education is incomplete. As so many recent surveys can attest, we can no longer afford the luxury of assuming students actually are learning about the heritage of our nation or that they possess the essential economic, civic, geographic and historic competencies to equip them for the role they will ALL assume upon graduation – that of citizen! Moreover, as a nation and state we are totally ignorant of what knowledge, skills and dispositions our students actually do possess! See Issue three below.
RECOMMENDATION: We recommend inclusion of “social studies” in the state Student Progression Law (F.S. 1008.25)
ISSUE TWO: High School Graduation Requirements
- Senate Bill 30A (passed last year) allowed students the option to graduate with 18 credit hours with the stipulation that they fulfill “3 credits of social studies”. The more traditional 24 credit requirement continued past practice of requiring students to master three total credits in American History, American Government, Economics and World History. DPS Memo 04-015 partially corrected this problem by leaving it to district discretion whether some or all of the above named courses should be required for student graduation. Research reveals students today virtually adrift in civic ignorance and these requirements must continue to constitute the minimum requirement for ALL high school students.
RECOMMENDATION: The previous requirement that ALL Florida High School students must successfully complete courses in American History, American Government, Economics and World History must be reinstated. (Or the early 18 credit graduation option should be repealed.)
ISSUE THREE: Eventual inclusion of social studies as part of Florida’s Comprehensive Assessment Test. (long range goal)
- Social studies professional organizations has since 1984 called for a statewide assessment of student understanding of the core content areas of History, Geography, Economics and Civics.
- Soon the state will once again be modifying FCAT to include student performance in the ‘mechanics of writing’. We now have MULTIPLE measures of student performance in Writing, Mathematics, Reading and Science in grades three through ten. These subjects are assessed not only as part of FCAT, but as part of the federal “No Child Left Behind” legislation, both SAT and ACT college entrance examinations, and through the state by state comparisons on NAEP administrations.
- Compared to all these multiple measures in the area of reading, math, writing and science, Florida has NEVER had any idea how well its students understand their past heritage, our governmental and economic systems nor the world around them. Nor, seemingly, does Florida care what its students know about these subjects. Once the mainstay of public education, these subjects comprise the forgotten area of the curriculum.
Again, the current Student Progression Law states that although a student’s performance in reading, writing, and math MUST be taken into account when promoting a student from one grade level to the next, their understanding of our nation’s history, our governmental and economic systems and the world around them need not even be considered for this purpose. Moreover, American History and American Government no longer exist as required courses of study for ALL Florida students! It is inconceivable that we shall in the near future find citizens willing to volunteer to defend our way of life, when repeated surveys inform us that vast numbers of our students are illiterate in terms of citizenship education. Although we realize that financial constraints impede efforts to immediately add social studies to the state’s assessment program, we feel that the legislature must state the goal of adding it to FCAT some four or five years from now. If knowledge of civic education is not MORE important than the ability to discern whether or not our students understand the correct use of a comma versus semi-colon, how to properly use a plural possessive apostrophe or how to describe the life cycle of a species, it ought to at least given EQUAL attention.
RECOMMENDATION: FCSS favors amending Florida Statute 1008.22 by adding social studies as an area for statewide assessment. This law should go into effect no later than 2009.
ISSUE FOUR: The length of time for which an ESOL student’s F.C.A.T. score should be used for accountability purposes. should be extended from two to three years.
- Research states that it takes six or seven years for a student whose native language is different from English to be proficient in reading and writing in our language. Federal guidelines for No Child Left Behind use a three year period of time before such scores are factored into accountability measurements. Florida’s accountability provisions should not be more punitive than federal standards.
RECOMMENATION: The length of time for which an ESOL student’s F.C.A.T. score should be used for accountability purposes should be extended from two to three years.
ISSUE FIVE: Transfer of Florida’s Heritage / Educational Resources
Last year, the Governor submitted a budget with proposals to enable the following cost cutting proposals to be made. Several departments serving social studies classrooms were obviously going to be effected by proposals briefly submitted by the Governor. The attempt to pass this law was delayed for one year and may return this coming session.
Custodian of State Records, Records Management and Archives – Transfer to the Department of Management Services.
Florida State Library – Eliminate the library as a state government function and transfer collections to the Florida State University.
Florida State Museum and state historical sites – Transfer to the Department of Environmental Protection to be consolidated with the State Parks Program.
Early estimates from individuals in the Department of Historical Resources reported that 31 positions at the Museum and over 40 at the Library were scheduled for elimination. Employees were to be transferred to other departments and were encouraged to “look for other employment”.
No one at the time could confirm that positions pertaining to educational programs and state history would be secure or that programs such as Florida History Day, the Florida Heritage Education Program, etc. would be supported.
People to contact concerning this are:
Gina Brunson, Bureau Chief, Museum of Florida History – phone 850-245-6386. She’s informed us that all of her 31 full time staff have received letters stating that their positions will be eliminated by summer. (Mr. Vernon Peoples, long time Florida legislator, cautioned that only the legislature can actually eliminate these positions by it’s approval of the budget process. This is being taken under consideration at the present time.)
Janet Mathews, Director of Division of Historical Resources – phone 850-245-6300. Basically, her division would be drastically downscaled leaving perhaps 20 persons in a department that would manage Historic Preservation Grants and National Historic Registry matters. The Museum, state archives, State Library, sites such as the San Luis Historic Site, the Old Capitol and others would be transferred to the State Parks and Recreation Department.
Fred Gaske, an administrator in Janet Mathews’ division (not sure of his title) who has the details as to the impact the changes will have. (Phone: 850-245-6300) It was Mr. Gaske who informed us, when we asked him to comment on whether current educational services and programs to teachers would continue, that staff cuts were probably going to cause these to be eliminated There was “no guarantee” anyone would be available to assist teachers in these efforts.
Jennifer Nash – The director of the State Library. (Phone: 850- 245-6518)
FCSS seeks to obtain some answers to the following questions . . .
1. What provisions will be made to continue teacher in-service programs on the subject of Florida’s heritage to teachers ? (Rationale: This is mandated instruction by the state and few resources currently exist.)
2. What assurances exist that curriculum development and other instructional materials will continue to be developed? (Again, districts to not have much in the way of resources and the Florida Heritage Program materials and other such resources need to be electronically produced on CD ROM, and much more needs to be done in this area.)
3. What are the advantages of dispersing the state library to other sites across Florida? (FSU, as it was originally planned was to take the collection, but doesn’t want it. Dispersing it will make historical research much more difficult, will allow documents and resources to possibly deteriorate, and relegates our states’ heritage to a ‘garage sale’ type mentality.)
4. What are the advantages of reducing the division of Historical Resources and collapsing programs such as the Museum of Florida History into the Dept. of Parks and Recreation? (We must figure that the entertainment and tourism function will probably outweigh the educational mission of instilling in our children an awareness of our states’ unique history.)
5. What assurances do we have the Florida History Day Program will continue to be coordinated with the assistance of people in the Museum of Florida History? (Whereas President Bush has cited this as one of three outstanding ways to revitalize the teaching of history in our schools, we ought to be cautious the Gov. Bush’s plan might eliminate support for this. FCSS has a vested interest in the program and has given about $7,000 in student scholarships and other support to the program in the last two years.)
6. How many staff positions in the Division of Historic Preservation are scheduled for elimination? (I’ve been told 31 will be eliminated in the Museum of History and over 40 at the Library.)
7. How many documents, books, maps and other resources are currently available, and thus prone to ‘loss’ at the State Library? What are some of their more valuable resources that are contained there? (Nick Wynn, President of FHS says there are one million books going back to the days of print – the Gutenberg Bible, 250,000 photos, thousands of maps and other documents. These all require proper storage & protection from the air, light, etc. The FHS alone estimates that they spend over $3,000 housing their own collection and they don’t have the resources to take on additional responsibilities. Nor did FSU wish to do so? This likely will mean that these valuable resources will be at risk of deterioration.)
8. How will the Archives branch of the State Library be affected by the change?
9. How will this change impact the department of Mrs. Glenda Hood, the new Secretary of State, who will soon be sworn into that office? (Where is her department to be “housed”?)
10. Will staff positions at the OLD CAPITOL be eliminated?
11. How is it that NEW MONIES for a residential Math-Science High School are able to be placed in the budget when there appears to be drastic cuts made in the educational mission of teaching our youth about Florida’s unique history and preserving this history?
RECOMMENDATION: At this time FCSS strongly opposes the dismantling of the State Archives, State Museum and reconstitution of the Florida State Museum. Rationale: The cost of moving these resources to other sites and the loss of support for the teaching of Florida Studies is too great for us to support the Governor’s proposal. Moreover, in our belief it is better to eliminate some sales tax exemptions and thereby raise needed financial resources for this fiscal year than to perhaps permanently lose our state’s vital heritage education programs and resources, many of which have been procured over the last 150 years.
ISSUE SIX: National Testing of social studies with state by state accountability
Current Status: Although there are no current plans to test social studies as part of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) an upcoming National Assessment for Educational Progress survey of Civics and United States History is scheduled to take place in 2006. Social Studies loses much of its punch in not having state by state comparisons (Reading, Writing, Math and Science are assessed in this manner and much more frequently) which hold the governors accountable for these educational programs and student progress. NCSS has recently reversed its stand on the need for national testing and two FCSS members, Deborah Gallagher and Marsha Yoder, will help to carry this message on to the national level.
The reasons in favor of state by state comparisons are described briefly below. See file “FCSS Legislative Goal: The Argument for NAEP State-by-State Comparative Data”
Florida Fails Its Students In Civic Knowledge!
July 25, 2003
Editor: News-Press
FAX: 334-0708
e-mail: mailbag@newspress.com
Re: Guest Editorial
How are public schools doing preparing students for citizenship? Let's see . . .
Student performance in social Studies doesn’t even have to be "considered" by educators when promoting a student from one grade level to the next. Last session, to rectify this omission, SB2272 passed the Florida House and Senate Education committee without a dissenting vote, but died in the Senate Subcommittee for Appropriations (Lisa Carleton, Sarasota, chair). What's worse, the Senate fiscal impact analysis revealed that this legislative proposal would have cost the state nothing and school districts very little. Thus, this school year-as in the past-educators need only consider how a student is doing in math, reading, writing and science when promoting the child from one grade level to the next. Is it any wonder why historical understanding and civic knowledge have all but disappeared from the schedules of elementary and some middle school students?
Moreover, thanks to the last session, it may no longer be necessary for all students to even successfully complete American History or American Government when they graduate from high school. New language for the "accelerated option" three-year program now allows a student to use any social studies course sequence to meet the state’s requirement. Thus, Community Service, World Geography, the History of the Vietnam War, Psychology, Sociology and many other electives could be used to meet the three credits. Since virtually all districts had American Government and Economics as 12th grade courses that were required for all students in the past, many of this year's and future graduates may simply opt not to take either one. Algebra I now constitutes the only course all students must complete to receive a diploma. A recent memo from the Florida Department of Education states that the new early exit, college track: "requires higher-level math courses than are currently required." The legislature maintained the "two year foreign language requirement in the same subject" for those electing the college track and it likewise preserved the heavy intensive laboratory science component. What were decimated were the specific course requirements for social studies. Gone are the specific requirements that all students complete American History, American Government, World History and Economics. Even thirty years ago when the state required only two credits for graduation in social studies - the American History and American Government courses were requirements for everyone. As a Florida educator for over 30 years, I've never seen citizenship education in the state in such dismal disarray. Bear in mind that the state has never known to what degree its students understand the concepts and skills related to citizenship. The Florida Department of Education has been fighting against any assessment in these areas since 1974, despite repeated attempts by social studies professional organizations to hold our students accountable! Of the 67 school districts in Florida, only two (none in SW Florida) require any type of district-wide assessments in citizenship proficiency.
Despite a host of mandated "feel good" requirements which say, among other things, that all children in grades K-12 musts recite the Declaration of Independence for one week of the school year, Florida has remained in the ‘Dark Ages’ regarding what its students know in the vital area of citizenship. When the last Civic Education National Assessment for Educational Progress exam was available for small numbers of randomized Florida students, then state assessment chief Tom Fisher choose not even to allow schools the option of taking this test a voluntary basis! To repeat, it's inconceivable that educators don't even have to consider how a student is doing in history or geography when promoting them from one grade level to the next. Is the state doing enough to prepare the future students of Florida for the only role they will all have upon graduation - that of citizen? Obviously not!
Jack Bovee
319 Fifth Avenue
Lehigh Acres, Fl 33972
Editor: News-Press
FAX: 334-0708
e-mail: mailbag@newspress.com
Re: Guest Editorial
How are public schools doing preparing students for citizenship? Let's see . . .
Student performance in social Studies doesn’t even have to be "considered" by educators when promoting a student from one grade level to the next. Last session, to rectify this omission, SB2272 passed the Florida House and Senate Education committee without a dissenting vote, but died in the Senate Subcommittee for Appropriations (Lisa Carleton, Sarasota, chair). What's worse, the Senate fiscal impact analysis revealed that this legislative proposal would have cost the state nothing and school districts very little. Thus, this school year-as in the past-educators need only consider how a student is doing in math, reading, writing and science when promoting the child from one grade level to the next. Is it any wonder why historical understanding and civic knowledge have all but disappeared from the schedules of elementary and some middle school students?
Moreover, thanks to the last session, it may no longer be necessary for all students to even successfully complete American History or American Government when they graduate from high school. New language for the "accelerated option" three-year program now allows a student to use any social studies course sequence to meet the state’s requirement. Thus, Community Service, World Geography, the History of the Vietnam War, Psychology, Sociology and many other electives could be used to meet the three credits. Since virtually all districts had American Government and Economics as 12th grade courses that were required for all students in the past, many of this year's and future graduates may simply opt not to take either one. Algebra I now constitutes the only course all students must complete to receive a diploma. A recent memo from the Florida Department of Education states that the new early exit, college track: "requires higher-level math courses than are currently required." The legislature maintained the "two year foreign language requirement in the same subject" for those electing the college track and it likewise preserved the heavy intensive laboratory science component. What were decimated were the specific course requirements for social studies. Gone are the specific requirements that all students complete American History, American Government, World History and Economics. Even thirty years ago when the state required only two credits for graduation in social studies - the American History and American Government courses were requirements for everyone. As a Florida educator for over 30 years, I've never seen citizenship education in the state in such dismal disarray. Bear in mind that the state has never known to what degree its students understand the concepts and skills related to citizenship. The Florida Department of Education has been fighting against any assessment in these areas since 1974, despite repeated attempts by social studies professional organizations to hold our students accountable! Of the 67 school districts in Florida, only two (none in SW Florida) require any type of district-wide assessments in citizenship proficiency.
Despite a host of mandated "feel good" requirements which say, among other things, that all children in grades K-12 musts recite the Declaration of Independence for one week of the school year, Florida has remained in the ‘Dark Ages’ regarding what its students know in the vital area of citizenship. When the last Civic Education National Assessment for Educational Progress exam was available for small numbers of randomized Florida students, then state assessment chief Tom Fisher choose not even to allow schools the option of taking this test a voluntary basis! To repeat, it's inconceivable that educators don't even have to consider how a student is doing in history or geography when promoting them from one grade level to the next. Is the state doing enough to prepare the future students of Florida for the only role they will all have upon graduation - that of citizen? Obviously not!
Jack Bovee
319 Fifth Avenue
Lehigh Acres, Fl 33972
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