Our thanks to Bob and Mary Bedford and Jon Conley for the following update. This represents Report #5.
EMERGENT DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT, INC.
Legislative Update
December 3, 2008
1. SPECIAL SESSION
The feeling in Tallahassee is that a special session is not likely. Usually, before a Special Session is called, there is some agreement on the proposed outcome. While everyone agrees that there will be a significant shortfall for this year, there is not yet agreement on the possible next steps to balance the budget.
2. REVENUE ESTIMATING
The Revenue Estimating Conference has met and shared bleak news with Florida leaders. Chief Legislative Economist, Amy Baker indicated that the state is $2.1billion short of expected and budgeted revenue for the current year. She also indicated that the economy may not turn around for 2 years. Education leaders have suggested that districts may receive less money in the Base Student Allocation than they received in the 20065-06 school year. We would expect that discussions will include both cutting the budget as well as seeking new sources of revenue.
3. SENATE AND HOUSE COMMITTEES
Committee structure and membership are currently being released. We are pleased that Senator Steve Wise will Chair the Senate K-12 Education Appropriations Committee. He will also be a member of the Senate K-12 Education Committee. (Senate Education K-12 will have their first meeting on December 10, 2008, from 9:00-11:00am in Senate Room 301.) We will send out a complete Education Committee for both the House and the Senate as soon as they are released.
4. COMMITTEE WEEKS
Proposed Senate Interim Committee Schedule
December 8-12
January 5-9
January 12-16
February 2-6
February 9-13
February 16-20
Proposed House Interim Committee Schedule
December 15-18
January 5-8
January 12-15
February 2-5
February 9-12
February 16-20
The first day of the 2009 Regular Session is March 3, 2009
5. Education Bills filed as of December 1
HB 0003 Relates to athletic coaches
HB 0011 Cigarette uses fees
HB 0013 Social Studies in the FCAT
HB 0017 Student non-traditional options for graduation
HB 0019 Deletes abstinence as part of instruction in human sexuality
HB 0012 Childhood vaccinations
6. SENATE SELECT PANEL
Today, Senate President Jeff Atwater named a select panel to analyze the Florida Budget and Economy and make recommendations for legislation and Constitutional amendments to jump start the economy. Named were; Senators Gaetz (Chair), Ring, Alexander, Haridopolis, King, Pruitt, Bennett, Gelber, Sobel, and Hill.
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
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.