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.
Social Studies legislative news - Click on any Blog 'document' below to make it 'full screen'
What's the latest?
- American History EOC Data by District & School
- Civics EOC Test Reporting Categories
- Civics Test Item Fact Sheet
- Civics EOC Test Item Specifications
- Civics Assessment Update - Oct. 2012
- 2013-2014 Assessment Dates
- 2012-2013 Assessment Dates
- Jaywalking: Is It Real & Does it Matter?
- Update #2 - Sandra Day O'Connor Civics Education Act, original language
A Few Key Documents
- Complete Listing of Key Documents
- Russian Expert Predicts Breakup of the U.S.
- Mexicans Say U.S. SW Belongs to Mexico!
- Gerald Celente Predicts Riots and Third World Status for U.S.
- Gerald Celente Predicts Collapse of U.S. Will be Soon
- Achieve Inc. Information on D.O.E.'s plan to work with other states as part of The American Diploma Project and develop new statewide assessments.
- Florida's Required Instruction Statute
- FASSS Request to D.O.E. on Testing - 1988
- CCSSO List of States with Social Studies Assessments (Only FL & NC have none south of Mason-Dixon!)
- Florida's Elite Universities Required Proficiency in Social Studies in the 1950s
Historic Documents
- "It's Jeb's Fault!"
- 2004 Appeal to Jeb Bush -- No Response
- 2001 Appeal to Commissioner Crist on FCAT and Instructional Materials
- Rep. Bev Kilmer's Rationale Why Social Studies Can't Be Assessed on FCAT
- History of the Social Studies Student Progression Battle
- FASSS 1988 Request to D.O.E. on Testing
- 1956 Trends Article on FSU - UF "Social Studies Exam Score" entrance requirement
Blog Archive
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2003
(15)
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May
(7)
- Florida Geographers Support Social Studies Testing!
- Florida Historical Society Supports Social Studies...
- Museums Appeal to Commissioner Crist for Social St...
- FCSS President Ralph Egolf Urges Social Studies Te...
- FCSS President Jackie Young Urges Testing!
- Legislative Goals 2003-2004
- Florida Fails Its Students In Civic Knowledge!
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May
(7)
Sample Letters on Florida Issues
Reports on Civics - Social Studies
- Colleges Fail in Civic Mission
- ISI Report Reveals Major College Weakness
- Stetson University Report of Elementary Social Studies Instuction: 2007
- Cal Thomas, 9/20/2007, 'Cheating College Students' - (ISI Report)
- Civic Mission of Schools Position on NCLB
- ISI 2007 Report: The Coming Crisis in Citizenship
- Poll Shows Need for More Civic Ed - FL Bar Assoc.
- 2002 National Geography - Young Adult Survey
National Advocacy for Social Studies
Training Powerpoints (contact J Bovee for 'originals' if you'd like to edit these)
Other Advocacy Links
Reports on History - Social Studies
- New ISI Report Reveals Major College Weakness
- Sen. Alexander on the Need for State Accountability
- History is History by 99-1 Vote
- Restore History, James Kilpatrick op-ed
- Big Trouble if You Don't Know History - George Will
- The hijacking of American History-John Leo
- What Ivy League Scholars Don't Know
Reports on Geography - Social Studies
FASSS-FCSS Advocacy Toolkit
Visitors
Why Get Involved?
Florida’s public schools have the responsibility for creating an informed and active citizenry. This goal requires our students receive a firm foundation in each of the four major areas represented in the Sunshine State Standards for Social Studies – history, government/civics, economics and geography. Sadly, it appears from several accounts that we may be failing to adequately prepare our students, thus ill-equipping our state and nation to meet this important goal.
As many recent surveys attest, we no longer can afford the luxury of assuming students are actually learning about the heritage of our nation or that they possess the essential economic, civic, geographic or historical competencies to equip them for their future responsibilities as citizens! Unfortunately for both our nation and state, we are totally ignorant of what knowledge, skills and civic dispositions our students actually do possess in Florida. This is a recipe for future disaster!
The Florida Association of Social Studies Supervisors (FASSS) and the Florida Council for the Social Studies (FCSS) are committed to restoring our curriculum to its rightful place among the other core, basic subject area disciplines. In this valiant struggle, we need the help of all social studies educators and civic minded citizens! Join the legislative oversight committee by contacting the current chairperson at boveeja@collier.k12.fl.us . “Grassroots advocates” are needed in every county to contact legislators, work with affiliated groups and to speak out on the vital need for a revitalized civic mission in the public schools.
The FASSS-FCSS. legislative committee is making a difference both at the state and national levels. The committee was responsible for getting NCSS (and other national organizations) to argue for a reform of the 2006 N.A.E.P. assessment in Civics and U.S. History, and we took the lead in lobbying Congress for passage of S659 (111th Congress) which argues for comparative state scores in the 2010 N.A.E.P. assessment. We’re proud that we represent the first professional organization to call for disaggregated data in the form of state-by-state comparisons for all NAEP Civics, History and Geography assessments as far back as the 106th Congress. It was our phone calls to Senator Lamar Alexander’s educational assistant, Kristin Bannerman, that successfully resulted in persuading the former U.S. Secretary of Education to file such a bill. Our committee was also able to capture the attention of U.S. Representative Jim Davis (D-Tampa), and led him to take action by filing another bill that would withhold federal dollars from any state such as Florida that no longer required U.S History or Government for all of its high school graduates.
At the state level we continue our fight against determined state bureaucrats and legislators who oppose Social Studies being added to Florida’s Student Progression Law which effectively consigns our curriculum to an inferior status within public education. Despite mentioning Reading, Writing, Math and Science, current Florida law does not require districts to even consider a student’s performance in Social Studies as that child is being considered for promotion in grades K-5! As a result, recent surveys reveal that over 80% of Florida's elementary school instructors actually teach Social Studies less than two hours per week!
Our committee led the battle to restore the graduation requirements of American History, American Government, World History and Economics for ALL students in Florida in 2006! We are also leading the battle to make sure Social Studies is not similarly left out of the implementation of end-of-course exams at the middle and high school level.
We need your help with these and other legislative initiatives! Join F.C.S.S. and become a member of the legislative ‘grassroots’ committee. If you don’t have the time for this, consider making an extra financial contribution to F.C.S.S. for this purpose! Contact our Executive Director, Dr. Theron Trimble, at socst1@embarkmail.com for details.
For a list of our legislative goals for this year, click on LEGISLATIVE GOALS. For an overview of last year’s legislative session, click on: Overview of 2009 Session.
For further information regarding Florida’s Legislature, go to “Online Sunshine.”
Remember, anyone can file a legislative advocacy report! Download the template here. (hyperlink to file) Just email Jason Caros or Jack Bovee with your desire to get involved!
Stay informed on developments on our curriculum area. Sign up to receive “Legislative Updates” similar to the sample here.
As many recent surveys attest, we no longer can afford the luxury of assuming students are actually learning about the heritage of our nation or that they possess the essential economic, civic, geographic or historical competencies to equip them for their future responsibilities as citizens! Unfortunately for both our nation and state, we are totally ignorant of what knowledge, skills and civic dispositions our students actually do possess in Florida. This is a recipe for future disaster!
The Florida Association of Social Studies Supervisors (FASSS) and the Florida Council for the Social Studies (FCSS) are committed to restoring our curriculum to its rightful place among the other core, basic subject area disciplines. In this valiant struggle, we need the help of all social studies educators and civic minded citizens! Join the legislative oversight committee by contacting the current chairperson at boveeja@collier.k12.fl.us . “Grassroots advocates” are needed in every county to contact legislators, work with affiliated groups and to speak out on the vital need for a revitalized civic mission in the public schools.
The FASSS-FCSS. legislative committee is making a difference both at the state and national levels. The committee was responsible for getting NCSS (and other national organizations) to argue for a reform of the 2006 N.A.E.P. assessment in Civics and U.S. History, and we took the lead in lobbying Congress for passage of S659 (111th Congress) which argues for comparative state scores in the 2010 N.A.E.P. assessment. We’re proud that we represent the first professional organization to call for disaggregated data in the form of state-by-state comparisons for all NAEP Civics, History and Geography assessments as far back as the 106th Congress. It was our phone calls to Senator Lamar Alexander’s educational assistant, Kristin Bannerman, that successfully resulted in persuading the former U.S. Secretary of Education to file such a bill. Our committee was also able to capture the attention of U.S. Representative Jim Davis (D-Tampa), and led him to take action by filing another bill that would withhold federal dollars from any state such as Florida that no longer required U.S History or Government for all of its high school graduates.
At the state level we continue our fight against determined state bureaucrats and legislators who oppose Social Studies being added to Florida’s Student Progression Law which effectively consigns our curriculum to an inferior status within public education. Despite mentioning Reading, Writing, Math and Science, current Florida law does not require districts to even consider a student’s performance in Social Studies as that child is being considered for promotion in grades K-5! As a result, recent surveys reveal that over 80% of Florida's elementary school instructors actually teach Social Studies less than two hours per week!
Our committee led the battle to restore the graduation requirements of American History, American Government, World History and Economics for ALL students in Florida in 2006! We are also leading the battle to make sure Social Studies is not similarly left out of the implementation of end-of-course exams at the middle and high school level.
We need your help with these and other legislative initiatives! Join F.C.S.S. and become a member of the legislative ‘grassroots’ committee. If you don’t have the time for this, consider making an extra financial contribution to F.C.S.S. for this purpose! Contact our Executive Director, Dr. Theron Trimble, at socst1@embarkmail.com for details.
For a list of our legislative goals for this year, click on LEGISLATIVE GOALS. For an overview of last year’s legislative session, click on: Overview of 2009 Session.
For further information regarding Florida’s Legislature, go to “Online Sunshine.”
Remember, anyone can file a legislative advocacy report! Download the template here. (hyperlink to file) Just email Jason Caros or Jack Bovee with your desire to get involved!
Stay informed on developments on our curriculum area. Sign up to receive “Legislative Updates” similar to the sample here.