Forwarded by Elizabeth Smith, Manatee County
As you know, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan recently released his plan for revising the Elementary & Secondary Education Act, called A Blueprint for Reform. Unfortunately, the Blueprint failed to list geography as an enumerated discipline in its public definition of a “well-rounded” education. This omission is troubling—especially since No Child Left Behind (“NCLB”) set an important precedent by recognizing geography as a “core academic subject.” TGIF aims to correct the oversight that leaves geography as the only one of the nine core subjects under NCLB not to have received designated federal funding since NCLB went into effect in 2002.
We here at National Geographic view the omission of geography from the Blueprint as an oversight, particularly because geography was included in President Obama’s FY11 budget, and the Administration has expressed a commitment to environmental sustainability and global citizenship. However, we simply cannot trust that geography will have a strong future without our vocal support. Now is the time to take two key steps to highlight the importance of geographic literacy. Both steps depend on you acting this week (April 19-23).
(1) Write to Secretary Duncan
Please modify the attached letter and email it directly to Secretary Duncan. As the authors of the Blueprint, he and Assistant Secretary for Policy Carmel Martin need to hear from the constituency for geographic literacy. We need you to send your email this week (April 19-23).
(2) Get Your Steering Committee and “Go-To” TCs to Write Congress
Please also contact all the members of your Steering Committee—and identify 10-20 additional key TCs—and direct them to modify and send the attached language via email to their respective congressional delegations by next week (April 26-30) or earlier.
This tightly-timed two-week push will coincide with the period that key leaders will be debating what to include in education reform. During this time, it is critical that Members of Congress hear from the Alliance Network that geography must be “put back on the map.”
Your Liaisons will be in touch this week to answer any questions you may have and I am always available. Please make this a priority—I will be visiting the Hill personally over the next week to ensure TGIF’s champions that we are doing all we can to push the bill and they will need to cite your Alliance’s emails as proof of a groundswell of support as they, in turn, speak to their colleagues and to key education committee members.
Thanks again for all you are doing!
Sincerely,
Chris Shearer
* * * *
Sample email to Arne Duncan
From Alliance Coordinators
During the week of April 19-23, please modify the email below to reflect your name, Alliance affiliation, and passion for geography education, and email it to: arne.duncan@ed.gov with a “CC” to carmel.martin@ed.gov
Dear Secretary Duncan:
As a geography educator from [State], I was very concerned to learn that your recent “Blueprint for Reform” of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act did not include geography as an enumerated discipline in the public definition of a “well-rounded” curriculum.
For years now, geography has been recognized by “No Child Left Behind,” and its predecessors, as a core academic subject essential for preparing students for careers, college, and citizenship. Unfortunately, an oversight has left geography as the only core subject not to receive dedicated federal funding for teacher training and educational improvement. Fortunately, the “Teaching Geography is Fundamental” Act (TGIF, S. 749, H.R. 1240), as introduced in the 111th Congress, would authorize the first-ever federal support of geographic literacy.
I know that you will be hearing from many influential institutions and national leaders about priorities for reforming “No Child Left Behind.” Please know that our nation must have better geography education. The Obama Administration has been strongly committed to global citizenship and environmental sustainability. Geography uniquely addresses these issues—from cultural studies and natural systems to economic interdependence and human-environmental interaction. Our students will need such knowledge and skills to succeed in life, to secure employment in a global marketplace, and to analyze important federal initiatives as citizens of the United States and the world.
Here in [State], I am part of a volunteer network of university professors and K-12 teachers, called the [State Geographic Alliance]. Together, we connect educators to training, materials, and networking to help them pursue high-quality standards and to excel in the classroom. Our time and energy has been supported over the years by local universities, the state legislature, local foundations and corporations, and the National Geographic Society, which provides annual core funding for the Alliance. The only potential partner not “on the map” is the federal government.
As you develop your vision for ESEA reauthorization, please ensure that geography is again included in the definition of a “well-rounded” curriculum, and please include funding for geography education as proposed in TGIF.
On behalf of my colleagues in the Alliance and across the state, and our students, thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Name
Address
Title
* * * *
Sample email to Your Members of Congress
from TCs and Steering Committee Members
Please modify the email below to reflect your name, Alliance affiliation, and passion for geography education, and email it to your House Representative and both your Senators (instructions for finding their emails are attached).
Dear [Senator, Representative]:
As your constituent and a member of the [State Geographic Alliance], I am writing to urge you to support the “Teaching Geography Is Fundamental” Act (TGIF, S. 749, H.R. 1240).
TGIF enjoys bipartisan co-sponsorship from nearly a quarter of both the House and Senate. Passing TGIF would be an important step in correcting the oversight that has left geography as the only one of nine core subjects under “No Child Left Behind” not to have received designated federal funding for education improvement and teacher training.
As a teacher who volunteers time to the [State Geographic Alliance] to help train other educators on world-class materials and standards, I know that passing TGIF is a necessity. Without it, our state will not be able to keep up with attrition in the educational workforce, much less develop additional high-quality teachers in this vital subject.
A solid geography education is critical for all students of [State] to comprehend the world around them, understand their place in the world and succeed in the global economy. Further, a strong geography education is necessary to prepare our children to fill and attain the over 70,000 new skilled jobs in geospatial technologies that are coming available each year nationally.
It is my hope that you will sign on as a co-sponsor of TGIF and help enact this important legislation this year.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Name
Address
Title
Phone Number
* * * *
How to Send an Email to Your Elected House Representative
and Both Your Senators
House of Representatives
Modify the suggested geography education advocacy letter in Word and then open up your Web browser (Firefox, Explorer, Safari, etc).
Go to the House of Representative’s main homepage at: http://www.house.gov/
Toward the top-left of the homepage click the link to “Write Your Representative” (it has an easy-to-spot graphic of a hand holding a pen).
Follow the easy-to-use instructions to connect to your Representative’s Website.
Once you reach the email page for your representative, fill in your contact information and cut-and-paste your message from Word into the online message form and “send” it.
Thanks!
Senate
Modify the suggested geography education advocacy letter in Word and then open up your Web browser (Firefox, Explorer, Safari, etc).
Go to the Senate’s homepage at: http://www.senate.gov/
Scroll to the very, very bottom of the homepage and click on the bottom-left link for “Contact”.
Follow the instructions for Contacting Senators by Email using the link to the “Senators from Your State”.
Once you reach the email pages for each of your Senators, fill in your contact information and cut-and-paste your message from Word into the online message form and “send” it.
Thanks!
Showing posts with label CONGRESS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CONGRESS. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
SENATOR LAMAR ALEXANDER'S FLOOR REMARKS on S.659
Floor Remarks of U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) - Restoring American History and Civics to Classroom Prominence
March 20th, 2009 - Mr. President, on a day in a week when there is a lot of news where people are hurting in a serious economy, I have some good news to report, and it will just take me a few minutes to do it. Our senior Senator, Mr. Byrd, Senator Ted Kennedy, who is chairman of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, and I introduced legislation today that will help push the teaching of U.S. history in our classrooms. The way I like to describe it is by saying this: that it will help to put the teaching of American history and civics back in its rightful place, in our classrooms, so our children can grow up learning what it means to be an American.
The legislation which we have introduced would expand summer academies for outstanding teachers, authorize new teacher programs, require States to set standards for the teaching and learning of U.S. history, and create new opportunities to compare the tests that students take on U.S. history.
Specifically, the legislation would, No. 1, authorize 100 new summer academies for outstanding students and teachers of U.S. history and align those academies with locations in our national park system, such as the John Adams' House in Massachusetts or the Independence Hall in Philadelphia. I see the pages sitting here today. They are real students of U.S. history because they live it and learn it. I don't know what their scores are on the advanced placement tests for U.S. history, but I know one fact, which the Chair may be interested in learning: The highest scores in any high school in America on the advanced placement test for U.S. history is not from a New England prep school or a Tennessee prep school or an elite school in some rich part of America; it is from the page school of the House of Representatives. They had better scores on U.S. history than any other high school. I don't know what the Senate page scores were, so I won't compare them.
The point is -- and this is an idea David McCullough, a well-known author, had: We would expand the number of presidential and congressional academies for outstanding students and teachers and have them placed in the National Park Service initiative.
Second, the bill we’ve introduced today would double the authorization of funding for the teaching of American history programs in local school districts, which today involve 20,000 students as a part of the No Child Left Behind Act.
Third, it would require States to develop and implement standards for student assessments in U.S. history, although there would be no Federal reporting requirement, as there is now for reading and mathematics.
Finally, it would allow States to compare history and civics student test scores in the 8th and 12th grades by establishing a 10-State pilot program expanding the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), which is also called the "Nation's Report Card." We have a tradition in the Senate where each of us, when we first arrive, make a maiden speech. We still call it that. Most of us pick a subject that is important to us. I made mine almost exactly 6 years ago, on March 4, 2003. The subject was something I cared about then and care about today and on which we have made some progress.
I argued, as I mentioned earlier, it was time to put the teaching of American history and civics back in its rightful place in our schools so as our children grow, they can learn what it means to be an American. On the "Nation's Report Card," our worst scores for our seniors in high school are not in math or science but in U.S. history. It will be very difficult for us as a country to succeed if we don't learn where we came from.
I ask unanimous consent that the speech I made 6 years ago be printed in the Record immediately following my remarks.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that if Senator Byrd and Senator Kennedy make statements today on this legislation, as I believe they will, that our statements be put in the Record in about the same place, with Senator Byrd's first, then Senator Kennedy's, and mine third.
Mr. President, in the speech I made 6 years ago, I called it the American History and Civics Education Act. I suggested we create summer academies for outstanding students and teachers of American history. The idea was to create one of those academies focused on American history and civics for teachers and one for students and to see how they worked and to gradually expand them.
These presidential academies for students and teachers were modeled after the Tennessee Governors School, which I began when I was Governor of Tennessee, which still continue today, after 20 years. They are relatively inexpensive. They are 2-, 3-, or 4-week schools for students, and one for teachers. They held students in a variety of subjects, such as mathematics, science, the arts, international studies. They come together for a while and inspire one another, and then they go back to their schools and inspire their fellow students. They have been a great success in Tennessee and in other States.
Senator Reid, the majority leader, was the whip at that time. He was on the floor when I made my remarks and he asked to be the prime cosponsor of the legislation, and he was. Senator Kennedy, who has had a long interest in U.S. history, takes his family once a year to some an historical part of the United States. A couple years ago, they went into Virginia and saw where Patrick Henry made his famous speech. I kid him and say he cares so much about history because he is a part of it in such a big way. Senator Kennedy heard about the proposal, and he went along the Democratic side and rounded up 20 cosponsors of the legislation. So, Senator Kennedy, Senator Reid and I and several Republican Senators introduced a bill. We had a hearing during which Senator Byrd testified on behalf of my proposal for summer academies. It passed the Senate and the House, and we have had those summer academies now for three summers. One of those is at the Ashland University in Ashland, OH, which has been a great success. I see the students and teachers every summer. I bring them on the Senate floor, and it has been proven that it is good for teachers and good for our country. So that is the reason we want to expand those programs. We also felt we would meet as a group -- those of us who have something to do with U.S. history here -- and we met with the Library of Congress and with other parts of the Federal Government and many of us are involved in helping Americans learn more about our country's history, especially young people. As part of that, we thought it would be wise to try to consolidate in one section of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act -- which we call No Child Left Behind -- the various programs we already have for U.S. history and then to expand those that seemed worthwhile.
That is what this legislation does. There is a great need for it. I mentioned earlier that it is our worst subject for high school, even though some of our pages seem to do pretty well. Very few students score at or above the proficient level on the American history exam conducted by the National Assessment for Education Progress. Twenty percent of fourth graders were proficient in U.S. history, 17 percent of eighth graders were proficient in U.S. history, and 12 percent of high school seniors were proficient in U.S. history.
In addition, the No Child Left Behind Act may have had the unintentional effect of reducing the focus on U.S. history, as some school districts have concentrated their efforts on reading and mathematics. Therefore, it is appropriate and necessary to improve and expand State and local efforts to increase the understanding and awareness of American history and to do it, of course, in a way that doesn't preempt State and local responsibility and authority for elementary and secondary education.
Therefore, what the legislation we are doing today will do is expand the summer academies. We call them presidential academies for teachers and congressional academies for students. Those academies were created in 2004 to the number of 100 in the summer gradually over the years. The priority would be to place those academies in the National Park Service's national centennial parks initiative so the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian, and other museums that have innovative programs in U.S. History can be aligned with these academies. David McCullough, for example, suggested we have the academies at locations such as Andrew Jackson's home in Heritage. I think an even better idea would be to have a week for U.S. teachers at John Adams' home in Massachusetts, with Mr. McCullough as the teacher. That is the idea.
Secondly, we would expand the Nation's report card -- we call that NAEP -- so there could be a 10-State pilot program for American history and civics student assessment in grades 8 and 12. Today, our Nation's report card doesn't measure State performance in American history. It gives us a picture of how 8th to 12th graders do nationally. This would permit Colorado, Tennessee, Alaska, and California to compare the seniors and, in doing so, call attention to improvements that might need to be made.
The third thing would be to require all States to develop and implement standards and assessments in American history under the No Child Left Behind Act. But it doesn't require any Federal reporting, as we do in other subjects. Finally, it would take Senator Byrd's program -- called Teaching American History, which he put into the No Child Left Behind Act 6 years ago -- and it would double the authorization for that program from $100 million to $200 million, so it can serve even more than the 20,000 teachers it serves today.
I thank David Cleary and Sarah Rittling of my staff, who have worked hard with the staffs of Senators Byrd and Kennedy to prepare this legislation. We intend to invite all Members of the Senate, and we hope the House will join us in cosponsoring this.
Finally, I wish to tell one short story to conclude my remarks about some of the teachers who have participated. One of the things a Senator can do is to bring someone on the Senate floor who is not a Senator. It has to be done when the Senate is not in session and I have found it is a great privilege for most Americans. Early one morning last summer, I brought onto the Senate floor the 50 teachers who had been selected -- one from each State -- for the presidential academy for outstanding teachers of American history. I showed them Daniel Webster's desk right here, and I showed them Jefferson Davis's desk, which is back there, and where the sword mark is where when the Union soldier came in and started chopping the desk, and the soldier who was stopped by a commander who said, "We came to save the Union, not destroy it." I showed them where the majority and minority leaders speak. They saw "E Pluribus Unum" up there, and "In God We Trust" back there. They learned that we operate by unanimous consent, and we talked about what it would be like to actually try to operate a classroom by unanimous consent, much less the Senate.
As you might expect, they asked a lot of good questions, being outstanding history teachers. I especially remember the final question. I believe it was from the teacher from Oregon who asked: Senator, what would you like for us to take back to our students? I said that what I hope you will take back is that I get up every day, and I believe most of us on either side get up hoping that by the end of the day, we will have done something to make our country look better. It may not look that way on television or read that way in the newspaper because we are sent here to debate great issues. That produces conflict and disagreement a lot of the time. I feel, and I believe all of us feel, we are in a very special place, in a very special country, with a very special tradition. We would like for the students to know that and to know that is how we feel about the job we have.
I am delighted today that Senators Byrd and Kennedy, who have contributed so much to U.S. history over the years, both in their own personalities and by legislation they have introduced, have joined me in this effort to expand the Federal programs that focus on putting U.S. history and civics in a little higher place in the classroom so that our students learn what it means to be an American.
I invite my colleagues to join us, and I invite all Americans to join us in their communities, in their schools and in their States, to make that a priority. I yield the floor.
March 20th, 2009 - Mr. President, on a day in a week when there is a lot of news where people are hurting in a serious economy, I have some good news to report, and it will just take me a few minutes to do it. Our senior Senator, Mr. Byrd, Senator Ted Kennedy, who is chairman of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, and I introduced legislation today that will help push the teaching of U.S. history in our classrooms. The way I like to describe it is by saying this: that it will help to put the teaching of American history and civics back in its rightful place, in our classrooms, so our children can grow up learning what it means to be an American.
The legislation which we have introduced would expand summer academies for outstanding teachers, authorize new teacher programs, require States to set standards for the teaching and learning of U.S. history, and create new opportunities to compare the tests that students take on U.S. history.
Specifically, the legislation would, No. 1, authorize 100 new summer academies for outstanding students and teachers of U.S. history and align those academies with locations in our national park system, such as the John Adams' House in Massachusetts or the Independence Hall in Philadelphia. I see the pages sitting here today. They are real students of U.S. history because they live it and learn it. I don't know what their scores are on the advanced placement tests for U.S. history, but I know one fact, which the Chair may be interested in learning: The highest scores in any high school in America on the advanced placement test for U.S. history is not from a New England prep school or a Tennessee prep school or an elite school in some rich part of America; it is from the page school of the House of Representatives. They had better scores on U.S. history than any other high school. I don't know what the Senate page scores were, so I won't compare them.
The point is -- and this is an idea David McCullough, a well-known author, had: We would expand the number of presidential and congressional academies for outstanding students and teachers and have them placed in the National Park Service initiative.
Second, the bill we’ve introduced today would double the authorization of funding for the teaching of American history programs in local school districts, which today involve 20,000 students as a part of the No Child Left Behind Act.
Third, it would require States to develop and implement standards for student assessments in U.S. history, although there would be no Federal reporting requirement, as there is now for reading and mathematics.
Finally, it would allow States to compare history and civics student test scores in the 8th and 12th grades by establishing a 10-State pilot program expanding the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), which is also called the "Nation's Report Card." We have a tradition in the Senate where each of us, when we first arrive, make a maiden speech. We still call it that. Most of us pick a subject that is important to us. I made mine almost exactly 6 years ago, on March 4, 2003. The subject was something I cared about then and care about today and on which we have made some progress.
I argued, as I mentioned earlier, it was time to put the teaching of American history and civics back in its rightful place in our schools so as our children grow, they can learn what it means to be an American. On the "Nation's Report Card," our worst scores for our seniors in high school are not in math or science but in U.S. history. It will be very difficult for us as a country to succeed if we don't learn where we came from.
I ask unanimous consent that the speech I made 6 years ago be printed in the Record immediately following my remarks.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that if Senator Byrd and Senator Kennedy make statements today on this legislation, as I believe they will, that our statements be put in the Record in about the same place, with Senator Byrd's first, then Senator Kennedy's, and mine third.
Mr. President, in the speech I made 6 years ago, I called it the American History and Civics Education Act. I suggested we create summer academies for outstanding students and teachers of American history. The idea was to create one of those academies focused on American history and civics for teachers and one for students and to see how they worked and to gradually expand them.
These presidential academies for students and teachers were modeled after the Tennessee Governors School, which I began when I was Governor of Tennessee, which still continue today, after 20 years. They are relatively inexpensive. They are 2-, 3-, or 4-week schools for students, and one for teachers. They held students in a variety of subjects, such as mathematics, science, the arts, international studies. They come together for a while and inspire one another, and then they go back to their schools and inspire their fellow students. They have been a great success in Tennessee and in other States.
Senator Reid, the majority leader, was the whip at that time. He was on the floor when I made my remarks and he asked to be the prime cosponsor of the legislation, and he was. Senator Kennedy, who has had a long interest in U.S. history, takes his family once a year to some an historical part of the United States. A couple years ago, they went into Virginia and saw where Patrick Henry made his famous speech. I kid him and say he cares so much about history because he is a part of it in such a big way. Senator Kennedy heard about the proposal, and he went along the Democratic side and rounded up 20 cosponsors of the legislation. So, Senator Kennedy, Senator Reid and I and several Republican Senators introduced a bill. We had a hearing during which Senator Byrd testified on behalf of my proposal for summer academies. It passed the Senate and the House, and we have had those summer academies now for three summers. One of those is at the Ashland University in Ashland, OH, which has been a great success. I see the students and teachers every summer. I bring them on the Senate floor, and it has been proven that it is good for teachers and good for our country. So that is the reason we want to expand those programs. We also felt we would meet as a group -- those of us who have something to do with U.S. history here -- and we met with the Library of Congress and with other parts of the Federal Government and many of us are involved in helping Americans learn more about our country's history, especially young people. As part of that, we thought it would be wise to try to consolidate in one section of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act -- which we call No Child Left Behind -- the various programs we already have for U.S. history and then to expand those that seemed worthwhile.
That is what this legislation does. There is a great need for it. I mentioned earlier that it is our worst subject for high school, even though some of our pages seem to do pretty well. Very few students score at or above the proficient level on the American history exam conducted by the National Assessment for Education Progress. Twenty percent of fourth graders were proficient in U.S. history, 17 percent of eighth graders were proficient in U.S. history, and 12 percent of high school seniors were proficient in U.S. history.
In addition, the No Child Left Behind Act may have had the unintentional effect of reducing the focus on U.S. history, as some school districts have concentrated their efforts on reading and mathematics. Therefore, it is appropriate and necessary to improve and expand State and local efforts to increase the understanding and awareness of American history and to do it, of course, in a way that doesn't preempt State and local responsibility and authority for elementary and secondary education.
Therefore, what the legislation we are doing today will do is expand the summer academies. We call them presidential academies for teachers and congressional academies for students. Those academies were created in 2004 to the number of 100 in the summer gradually over the years. The priority would be to place those academies in the National Park Service's national centennial parks initiative so the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian, and other museums that have innovative programs in U.S. History can be aligned with these academies. David McCullough, for example, suggested we have the academies at locations such as Andrew Jackson's home in Heritage. I think an even better idea would be to have a week for U.S. teachers at John Adams' home in Massachusetts, with Mr. McCullough as the teacher. That is the idea.
Secondly, we would expand the Nation's report card -- we call that NAEP -- so there could be a 10-State pilot program for American history and civics student assessment in grades 8 and 12. Today, our Nation's report card doesn't measure State performance in American history. It gives us a picture of how 8th to 12th graders do nationally. This would permit Colorado, Tennessee, Alaska, and California to compare the seniors and, in doing so, call attention to improvements that might need to be made.
The third thing would be to require all States to develop and implement standards and assessments in American history under the No Child Left Behind Act. But it doesn't require any Federal reporting, as we do in other subjects. Finally, it would take Senator Byrd's program -- called Teaching American History, which he put into the No Child Left Behind Act 6 years ago -- and it would double the authorization for that program from $100 million to $200 million, so it can serve even more than the 20,000 teachers it serves today.
I thank David Cleary and Sarah Rittling of my staff, who have worked hard with the staffs of Senators Byrd and Kennedy to prepare this legislation. We intend to invite all Members of the Senate, and we hope the House will join us in cosponsoring this.
Finally, I wish to tell one short story to conclude my remarks about some of the teachers who have participated. One of the things a Senator can do is to bring someone on the Senate floor who is not a Senator. It has to be done when the Senate is not in session and I have found it is a great privilege for most Americans. Early one morning last summer, I brought onto the Senate floor the 50 teachers who had been selected -- one from each State -- for the presidential academy for outstanding teachers of American history. I showed them Daniel Webster's desk right here, and I showed them Jefferson Davis's desk, which is back there, and where the sword mark is where when the Union soldier came in and started chopping the desk, and the soldier who was stopped by a commander who said, "We came to save the Union, not destroy it." I showed them where the majority and minority leaders speak. They saw "E Pluribus Unum" up there, and "In God We Trust" back there. They learned that we operate by unanimous consent, and we talked about what it would be like to actually try to operate a classroom by unanimous consent, much less the Senate.
As you might expect, they asked a lot of good questions, being outstanding history teachers. I especially remember the final question. I believe it was from the teacher from Oregon who asked: Senator, what would you like for us to take back to our students? I said that what I hope you will take back is that I get up every day, and I believe most of us on either side get up hoping that by the end of the day, we will have done something to make our country look better. It may not look that way on television or read that way in the newspaper because we are sent here to debate great issues. That produces conflict and disagreement a lot of the time. I feel, and I believe all of us feel, we are in a very special place, in a very special country, with a very special tradition. We would like for the students to know that and to know that is how we feel about the job we have.
I am delighted today that Senators Byrd and Kennedy, who have contributed so much to U.S. history over the years, both in their own personalities and by legislation they have introduced, have joined me in this effort to expand the Federal programs that focus on putting U.S. history and civics in a little higher place in the classroom so that our students learn what it means to be an American.
I invite my colleagues to join us, and I invite all Americans to join us in their communities, in their schools and in their States, to make that a priority. I yield the floor.
FLORIDA PUSHES TO REFORM NAEP, EXPAND HISTORY AND CIVICS LEGISLATION
March 30, 2009
The Honorable Senator Lamar Alexander
455 DIRKSEN Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510 (202) 224-4944
Dear Senator Alexander,
The Florida Association of Social Studies Supervisors (FASSS) applauds your efforts to strengthen and consolidate a number of vital programs affecting the teaching of United States History and Civics into another measure – S659. The provisions of this bill will greatly enhance and strengthen these subjects in the nation’s public schools. Florida’s social studies teachers can attest first hand to the effectiveness of such programs as: “We the People,” “Project Citizen,” “National History Day,” “National Close-Up,” and the “Teaching Traditional American History Grant Program.” Moreover, your provision to implement and expand student and teacher summer academies in these disciplines will additionally serve to revitalize the civic and historical mission of the nation’s public schools.
Even more significantly is the provision within the bill to provide equity – by ensuring first time comparability to a national profile -- of these vital subjects on the 2010 National Assessment for Educational Progress program. Unlike other core curriculum subjects and despite repeated attempts to correct this problem in previous Congresses, states have yet to be held accountable in these areas. Florida’s Social Studies educators feel such comparisons are vitally important to the civic health of our nation. Not long ago, American History and American Government were briefly eviscerated from the list of course requirements all Florida students had to successfully complete for graduation. Although these requirements have since been reinstated in Florida, events continue to threaten the civic health of both our state and nation. At a time when drastic demographic changes are challenging the vital civic mission of our schools and when our former adversaries glibly predict the imminent collapse of our Republican form of government, it is imperative that Congress pass this important provision within S659.
FASSS is committed to the entire proposal and will work to secure additional co-sponsors for the bill. We will also aggressively urge like-minded national groups and organizations to join you in this vital campaign. We urge that you make this legislation a priority!
Sincerely,
Jack Bovee, Legislative Chair
Florida Association for Social Studies Supervisors
Cc: Honorable Senator Robert C. Byrd
Honorable Senator Edward M. Kennedy
Honorable Representative Betty McCollum
Susan Griffin, Executive Director, National Council for the Social Studies
Cynthia Stout, Executive Director, National Council for History Education
Lee White, Executive Director, National Coalition for History
The Honorable Senator Lamar Alexander
455 DIRKSEN Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510 (202) 224-4944
Dear Senator Alexander,
The Florida Association of Social Studies Supervisors (FASSS) applauds your efforts to strengthen and consolidate a number of vital programs affecting the teaching of United States History and Civics into another measure – S659. The provisions of this bill will greatly enhance and strengthen these subjects in the nation’s public schools. Florida’s social studies teachers can attest first hand to the effectiveness of such programs as: “We the People,” “Project Citizen,” “National History Day,” “National Close-Up,” and the “Teaching Traditional American History Grant Program.” Moreover, your provision to implement and expand student and teacher summer academies in these disciplines will additionally serve to revitalize the civic and historical mission of the nation’s public schools.
Even more significantly is the provision within the bill to provide equity – by ensuring first time comparability to a national profile -- of these vital subjects on the 2010 National Assessment for Educational Progress program. Unlike other core curriculum subjects and despite repeated attempts to correct this problem in previous Congresses, states have yet to be held accountable in these areas. Florida’s Social Studies educators feel such comparisons are vitally important to the civic health of our nation. Not long ago, American History and American Government were briefly eviscerated from the list of course requirements all Florida students had to successfully complete for graduation. Although these requirements have since been reinstated in Florida, events continue to threaten the civic health of both our state and nation. At a time when drastic demographic changes are challenging the vital civic mission of our schools and when our former adversaries glibly predict the imminent collapse of our Republican form of government, it is imperative that Congress pass this important provision within S659.
FASSS is committed to the entire proposal and will work to secure additional co-sponsors for the bill. We will also aggressively urge like-minded national groups and organizations to join you in this vital campaign. We urge that you make this legislation a priority!
Sincerely,
Jack Bovee, Legislative Chair
Florida Association for Social Studies Supervisors
Cc: Honorable Senator Robert C. Byrd
Honorable Senator Edward M. Kennedy
Honorable Representative Betty McCollum
Susan Griffin, Executive Director, National Council for the Social Studies
Cynthia Stout, Executive Director, National Council for History Education
Lee White, Executive Director, National Coalition for History
Monday, March 30, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
NATIONAL HISTORY DAY - CALL TO ACTION
CALL TO ACTION
CALL CONGRESS TODAY IN SUPPORT OF NHD FUNDING
FOR FISCAL YEAR 2010
CALL CONGRESS TODAY IN SUPPORT OF NHD FUNDING
FOR FISCAL YEAR 2010
Please read this full email.
National History Day (NHD) is asking for your help to gain support from members of Congress for a $5 million National History Day appropriation that will help our state programs grow and improve.
Thanks to your efforts, NHD was included in the omnibus bill for FY 2009 with an appropriation of $500,000! It’s important to note that to be included in a congressional budget for the first time is a major accomplishment. National History Day clearly has the attention of members of Congress, so let’s try and build on our success for the 2010 budget. Keep in mind that we have programs across the country that could use the extra help of an increased congressional appropriation.
Representative Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) is circulating what is called a “Dear Colleague” letter. The letter is similar to a petition that members of Congress sign in support of funding a program (click here to view the Dear Colleague Letter).The Dear Colleague asks all members of the House to sign their name to the letter supporting NHD. This letter is addressed to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations Subcommittee asking them to support funding NHD in the FY 2010 budget. It is very important to get support from as many members of Congress as soon as possible. This is a very common practice which is implemented during the appropriations process. It is important that we get as many signatures as we can – as soon as we can (in the next two weeks). The appropriations committee will literally count every signature and the more signatures we have the better chance we will have of getting $5 million in support.What to do?Never called your Member of Congress before? Don't worry, it's easy! When you call your Representative, your call will be answered by a receptionist. Tell him or her that you want to leave a message for the Representative. The receptionist will take down your message.
We need your help. Congress must hear from you today!
NHD NEEDS YOUR HELP TODAY! We have two weeks and it is critical that you pick up the phone today to contact your members of Congress and ask them to sign the NHD Dear Colleague Letter. Our goal is get as many members of Congress to sign this letter in two weeks which will demonstrate wide-spread support for funding for the NHD program.
When calling a Representative’s office, tell them:
Your name and the city and state you live in.
You say you’re calling today to urge the Representative to sign the Dear Colleague letter, in support of funding for National History Day in the FY 2010 budget. The letter is being circulated by Rep. Van Hollen.
Tell them why this money would be helpful to the NHD program in your state and district.
How would it make an impact to increase the number of participants and improve overall programmatic efforts in the state.
Tell your member of Congress they can contact Sarah Schenning in Rep. Van Hollen's office at 225-5341 with questions or to sign the letter.
How to Contact a Member of Congress
To find your Member’s contact information, including phone and fax numbers, visit http://server1.streamsend.com/streamsend/clicktracker.php?cd=6739&ld=30&md=46&ud=977a466ab7652e25059e8305f0223662&url=http://www.house.gov/, http://server1.streamsend.com/streamsend/clicktracker.php?cd=6739&ld=30&md=46&ud=977a466ab7652e25059e8305f0223662&url=http://www.senate.gov/, or call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask for your Representative.
If you have any questions contact Noah Shaw at National History Day at 301.314.8379
Friday, May 2, 2008
Patriot's Day Guest Editorial
April 25, 2005
Re: Guest Editorial or Article
Sadly, most of the nation’s newspapers (Education Week included) seemingly ignored an important event that recently involved several of the nation’s noted historians, key Congressional leaders and educators. The National Council for History Education brought these groups together in the nation’s capitol last week to commemorate both “Patriot’s Day” and to call for a national campaign to “Make History Stronger in Our Schools”. That this is needed, no one denies. Kathleen Manzo’s recent article (“Social Studies Losing Out to Reading, Math,” March 15, 2005) accurately described the deplorable state that the subject has come to in the nation’s schools. She cited a litany of problems in the teaching of History, Civics and Social Studies in states such as California, Maryland, Florida, and Illinois.
But it’s worse than this. Knowledge of economics and geography is equally deplorable. Several international surveys now indicate that American young adults possess less knowledge requisite for U.S. citizenship than even their peers from around the world! A Roper Survey for National Geographic conducted in nine countries in 2002, for example, showed American students coming in last in knowing the correct size of our population, identifying which nation gave sanctuary to the Taliban and Osama bin Laden, and even the ability to identify our nation on a world map! Not surprisingly, noted historian David McCullough recently stated that nothing less than “national security” is at stake due to this rising tide of historical and civic ignorance.
Those assembled in the nation’s capitol for “Patriot’s Day” last week put forth a powerful argument for the revitalization of American History. Senator Lamar Alexander has repeatedly stated that based upon National Assessment for Education Progress (N.A.E.P.) results for all academic subjects, “American history is our students worst subject”.
It’s interesting to note that during the confirmation hearing for Margaret Spellings, not a single question was directed to her as to what plans she has for how the Department of Education might reverse this trend. One legislative proposal filed by Senators Alexander and Kennedy to coincide with “Patriot’s Day” -- Senate bill 860 -- may offer a solution. Aimed at the elimination of ‘second-class status” on N.A.E.P. for History and Civics, it would authorize Spelling to spend $5 million to hold up to 10 states accountable for how well they prepare students in History and Civics. Comparisons of states to one another and to a national average have been done for many years in the areas of Math, Reading, Writing and Science at grades four and eight, but these have never occurred in History or Civics. The federal Department of Education actually spends more money annually to collect comparable state data on the extent of teenage drinking, smoking and drug use than that being proposed by S860! This is the second time the bill has been filed by the senators. In the 108th Congress the measure (S2721) never even came up for a vote. Nor was there much of a cry amongst History or Civics educators that it do so. Surprisingly, it was strongly advocated by social studies educators. These folks, perhaps more familiar with the realities of K-12 public education, realize that until you begin to hold some states accountable, History and Civics will continue to lose valuable time and resources. The old adage, “What gets tested is what gets taught,” holds true today more than ever before. I might add, however, “This only happens if you’re keeping score.” In the case of History and Civics, no one is.
It’s easily argued that when states are not held accountable to a national standard, they need mot worry or do much to improve. Take Florida, for example. Governor Jeb Bush and leading legislators serve as commissioners to the Education Commission of the States. One of the main missions of this group is to improve civic education programs. As a result, a subsidiary of this group - the National Center for Learning and Citizenship (NCLC) - has been formed to carry out this mission and to serve as a repository for civics educators. Perhaps not surprisingly, NCLC argues for increased assessment of civic knowledge by local school districts or by the state. It is mute on the idea of granting Civics parity -- by comparing states’ performance in this subject -- with other subjects on N.A.E.P. As a result, Florida politicians who serve on the Education Commission of the States need not worry about how Florida will compare to other states or to a national average. Incredulously, in recent years Governor Bush and these same legislative leaders have signed into law proposals eliminating American History and American Government as required high school courses for all students. Moreover, despite support from the Florida League of Women Voters and from social studies teachers, the legislature has for three years refused to pass a bill which would require districts to take student performance in history/civics/social studies into consideration when children are promoted from one grade to the next. Nor should it be any surprise that none of these subjects are part of the state’s assessment program.
What is surprising is the near total silence on the subject of revitalizing the upcoming 2006 N.A.E.P assessments in U.S. History and Civics by nationally renowned educators – even those with a strong affinity for the civic mission of our schools! Chester Finn and Diane Ravitch, both well known for their heated editorials attacking “social studies” as the primary culprit for today’s decline of historical and civic knowledge, have never argued for a revitalized N.A.E.P similar to that proposed by former Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander. They argue for, among other things, increased history training opportunities for teachers. They miss the fact that by never holding states accountable, nothing will ever change! What many seem to forget is that Congress has appropriated almost $400 million in the last few years for training teachers in the areas of history and civics. While appreciative of this, I’m amazed that Congress has yet to authorize a paltry $5 million to find out how well the states seem to be living up to their civic responsibilities. When 2006 passes, the opportunity to do this again won’t come around in the N.A.G.B. schedule until 2012 (Civics). The next U.S. History assessment isn’t listed on their current schedule, and can be presumed to come until after 2012.
Equally surprising is the lack of Op-Ed articles from leading national educators decrying the proposal by the National Assessment Governing Board (N.A.G.B.) to possibly eliminate future 12th grade assessments in U.S. History, Civics and Geography. These provide our only window on how well we’ve prepared voting age students in these vital subjects. President Bush, who unfortunately once endorsed a delay in the 2001 Civics assessment so resources might be reallocated to Reading and Math, endorsed this new 12th grade plan some time ago. He did so in order that N.A.G.B. could use their resources to consider initiating for the first time statewide comparisons in Reading and Math at grade 12.
If there is a trend, it is the movement to postpone, eliminate or eviscerate any attempt to hold states and students accountable in these vital subjects. There is a dire need to restore History and Civics to their rightful place in public education. In the rush to do so, however, let’s not lose sight of the important need to hold a few states accountable for what our students have learned! Until this happens, things will only get worse!
Jack Bovee
Legislative Chair, Florida Council for the Social Studies
The writer is a 32-year social studies educator, a former elementary school principal, and now the coordinator for K-12 Social Studies in Collier County, Fla.
Re: Guest Editorial or Article
Sadly, most of the nation’s newspapers (Education Week included) seemingly ignored an important event that recently involved several of the nation’s noted historians, key Congressional leaders and educators. The National Council for History Education brought these groups together in the nation’s capitol last week to commemorate both “Patriot’s Day” and to call for a national campaign to “Make History Stronger in Our Schools”. That this is needed, no one denies. Kathleen Manzo’s recent article (“Social Studies Losing Out to Reading, Math,” March 15, 2005) accurately described the deplorable state that the subject has come to in the nation’s schools. She cited a litany of problems in the teaching of History, Civics and Social Studies in states such as California, Maryland, Florida, and Illinois.
But it’s worse than this. Knowledge of economics and geography is equally deplorable. Several international surveys now indicate that American young adults possess less knowledge requisite for U.S. citizenship than even their peers from around the world! A Roper Survey for National Geographic conducted in nine countries in 2002, for example, showed American students coming in last in knowing the correct size of our population, identifying which nation gave sanctuary to the Taliban and Osama bin Laden, and even the ability to identify our nation on a world map! Not surprisingly, noted historian David McCullough recently stated that nothing less than “national security” is at stake due to this rising tide of historical and civic ignorance.
Those assembled in the nation’s capitol for “Patriot’s Day” last week put forth a powerful argument for the revitalization of American History. Senator Lamar Alexander has repeatedly stated that based upon National Assessment for Education Progress (N.A.E.P.) results for all academic subjects, “American history is our students worst subject”.
It’s interesting to note that during the confirmation hearing for Margaret Spellings, not a single question was directed to her as to what plans she has for how the Department of Education might reverse this trend. One legislative proposal filed by Senators Alexander and Kennedy to coincide with “Patriot’s Day” -- Senate bill 860 -- may offer a solution. Aimed at the elimination of ‘second-class status” on N.A.E.P. for History and Civics, it would authorize Spelling to spend $5 million to hold up to 10 states accountable for how well they prepare students in History and Civics. Comparisons of states to one another and to a national average have been done for many years in the areas of Math, Reading, Writing and Science at grades four and eight, but these have never occurred in History or Civics. The federal Department of Education actually spends more money annually to collect comparable state data on the extent of teenage drinking, smoking and drug use than that being proposed by S860! This is the second time the bill has been filed by the senators. In the 108th Congress the measure (S2721) never even came up for a vote. Nor was there much of a cry amongst History or Civics educators that it do so. Surprisingly, it was strongly advocated by social studies educators. These folks, perhaps more familiar with the realities of K-12 public education, realize that until you begin to hold some states accountable, History and Civics will continue to lose valuable time and resources. The old adage, “What gets tested is what gets taught,” holds true today more than ever before. I might add, however, “This only happens if you’re keeping score.” In the case of History and Civics, no one is.
It’s easily argued that when states are not held accountable to a national standard, they need mot worry or do much to improve. Take Florida, for example. Governor Jeb Bush and leading legislators serve as commissioners to the Education Commission of the States. One of the main missions of this group is to improve civic education programs. As a result, a subsidiary of this group - the National Center for Learning and Citizenship (NCLC) - has been formed to carry out this mission and to serve as a repository for civics educators. Perhaps not surprisingly, NCLC argues for increased assessment of civic knowledge by local school districts or by the state. It is mute on the idea of granting Civics parity -- by comparing states’ performance in this subject -- with other subjects on N.A.E.P. As a result, Florida politicians who serve on the Education Commission of the States need not worry about how Florida will compare to other states or to a national average. Incredulously, in recent years Governor Bush and these same legislative leaders have signed into law proposals eliminating American History and American Government as required high school courses for all students. Moreover, despite support from the Florida League of Women Voters and from social studies teachers, the legislature has for three years refused to pass a bill which would require districts to take student performance in history/civics/social studies into consideration when children are promoted from one grade to the next. Nor should it be any surprise that none of these subjects are part of the state’s assessment program.
What is surprising is the near total silence on the subject of revitalizing the upcoming 2006 N.A.E.P assessments in U.S. History and Civics by nationally renowned educators – even those with a strong affinity for the civic mission of our schools! Chester Finn and Diane Ravitch, both well known for their heated editorials attacking “social studies” as the primary culprit for today’s decline of historical and civic knowledge, have never argued for a revitalized N.A.E.P similar to that proposed by former Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander. They argue for, among other things, increased history training opportunities for teachers. They miss the fact that by never holding states accountable, nothing will ever change! What many seem to forget is that Congress has appropriated almost $400 million in the last few years for training teachers in the areas of history and civics. While appreciative of this, I’m amazed that Congress has yet to authorize a paltry $5 million to find out how well the states seem to be living up to their civic responsibilities. When 2006 passes, the opportunity to do this again won’t come around in the N.A.G.B. schedule until 2012 (Civics). The next U.S. History assessment isn’t listed on their current schedule, and can be presumed to come until after 2012.
Equally surprising is the lack of Op-Ed articles from leading national educators decrying the proposal by the National Assessment Governing Board (N.A.G.B.) to possibly eliminate future 12th grade assessments in U.S. History, Civics and Geography. These provide our only window on how well we’ve prepared voting age students in these vital subjects. President Bush, who unfortunately once endorsed a delay in the 2001 Civics assessment so resources might be reallocated to Reading and Math, endorsed this new 12th grade plan some time ago. He did so in order that N.A.G.B. could use their resources to consider initiating for the first time statewide comparisons in Reading and Math at grade 12.
If there is a trend, it is the movement to postpone, eliminate or eviscerate any attempt to hold states and students accountable in these vital subjects. There is a dire need to restore History and Civics to their rightful place in public education. In the rush to do so, however, let’s not lose sight of the important need to hold a few states accountable for what our students have learned! Until this happens, things will only get worse!
Jack Bovee
Legislative Chair, Florida Council for the Social Studies
The writer is a 32-year social studies educator, a former elementary school principal, and now the coordinator for K-12 Social Studies in Collier County, Fla.
Justice O’Connor Again Misses the Big Picture on Civics
Here's 'more of the same' from the former Supreme Court Justice. ("Turning Students Into Citizens" by Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, October 27, 2008.)
As we look to the beginning of a new Presidency and Congress, the National Assessment Governing Board makes preparation for the upcoming 2010 NAEP assessments in Civics and U.S. History. I found it interesting that Justice O'Connor continues to ignore this event. She could not bring herself to utter even one word about the inequity which Civics faces at the national level -- that no state has ever been held accountable for how well it imparts to students the knowledge and skills requisite for effective citizenship. For the umpteenth time she has said not a word, nadda, zip, zero!
I find it a bit amusing to see that Justice O'Connor once again begins with the comment "we are failing to impart civics information . . ." and then proceeds to cite the ever famous survey that revealed kids today know the "Three Stooges" better than they know the "three branches" of government. Although she discusses the 'partial answer' to the problem, I keep wondering when she is ever going to address the 'rest’ of the problem? She never has and apparently never will'.
Justice O’Connor, for what reason would the president's brother, Governor Jeb Bush of Florida, sign into law a measure that once eliminated American Government and American History as graduation requirements for all students? For anyone who needs reminding, it was because Florida wasn't being held accountable on these subjects and they weren't therefore 'important' to his mission of 'raising student achievement.' Although we need to thank O'Connor for once again sharing the awareness that we've lost 'instructional time' to civics (I wonder what caused that to happen?), I resent her contention that the major problem for this crisis is that it's being taught poorly by teachers. Or that it's our 'textbooks’ fault. Or that a half billion dollars in teacher training hasn't been enough to get things 'right' by now. Although we all agree with her statement that it’s too ‘important’ to put on the sidelines, it’s just as obvious that until someone starts to keep score, this subject won’t get much playing time on the field. And even if it does, what will keep it that way?
When she does manage to speak to the impact of national testing in areas other than civics, she seemingly can't even mention the everlasting inequity we face on the NAEP assessments that occur every 4-8 years. Worse, she can’t even seem to mention that these assessments are even coming up again in 2010. (Does she even know this, one wonders?) Two bills in Congress (S1414 and H6525) would address this issue by appropriating $8 million in order that the Department of Education could compare the student achievement scores in grades 8 and 12 in up to 10 states against a national profile – something which is routine for all other core subjects. These bills have languished in committee for the last three Congresses as the situation has only grown worse. Justice Connor missed this opportunity in the last NAEP of 2006 and she cannot seem to depart from the role of being Nero while Rome burns! The time to address the need for such a program is now Justice O’Connor, not the year they are to be administered.
Every governor and every state DOE webpage is filled with references to "The Nation's Report Card," as NAEP is called. It appears that hell will first freeze over before anyone at the national level gets some realistic talking points to Justice O'Connor so that when she takes the Bully Pulpit the next time she might be able to describe what the 'rest’ of the problem is.
How could the 'conspiracy of silence' which began long before the NAEP 2006 assessments took place continue to this day? How can it be that Justice O’Connor and other national civic leaders and historians for the most part remain mute on this issue? Why is it that Congress will once again have to -- for the FOURTH time -- watch as civics and history professional organizations practically ignore legislation that would reform NAEP and quite possibly help serve to turn the tide in restoring our curriculum as a core subject area?
Heaven only knows. Perhaps there really IS a conspiracy to destroy the nation. That makes about as much sense as some of the 'answers' to the above questions.
That's just my two cents.
Jack Bovee
199698 Villa Rosa Loop
Ft. Myers, FL 33967
Phone 239-482-8594 email: JSBovee@aol.com
The writer has been a social studies educator, a former elementary school principal, and serves as Legislative Chair for the Florida Association of Social Studies Supervisors. He may be reached at JSBovee@aol.com.
Lack of National Leadership 2006
Fellow FCSS Folks & Fellow Civic Educators — (sent September 3, 2006)
Here are still more recent articles on the crisis the nation currently is experiencing (and will continue to experience) concerning civic and historical illiteracy. They will soon be most likely consigned to the national dustbin like countless hundreds of similar articles before them.
The file to the left is from about one week ago and is titled "Civic Illiteracy: A Threat to America's Freedom".
The second article from NCSS repeats the same theme.
These are nothing new. I believe I've got about 250 such articles dating back to the time Warren Burger resigned the Supreme Court to give us his "civics lesson". Apparently, he was a poor teacher. Since those days, civic and historical illiteracy have been an ever increasing threat to the nation. Noted historian David McCullough argues it now constitutes the "greatest threat" to America's future. Who among us would disagree?
So what is the plan for improvement? If you read Diane Ravitch's recent column in the September 2005 "History Matters" entitled "A Job For the Legislature" it appears that the solution lies at the state level. She bemoans what is happening in New York, much as Tom Foley remarked in the second file below that "civics should be a part of the curriculum from the earliest grades". Right . . . . sure. Teach civics in every grade. Let's pass a Declaration of Independence Teaching Bill to go along with Sen. Byrd's Constitution Day legislation. Meanwhile, Rome burns.
What these folks have YET to face is that Senate Bill 860 — which will once again DIE in this Congress — is probably the BEST answer to this national problem. It would place History and Civics on an equitable plane with Math, Reading, Writing and Science on the national assessment program known familiarly as "The Nation's Report Card." It would hold the states, the various Education Commissioners and the respective state legislatures such as Ravitch's own New York state accountable for how well they prepare our future citizens. And it would cost a trifling compared to the buckets of money thrown at teacher training over the past few years. Katrina will undoubtedly end the gravy train of such teacher training workshops. Where is the long term benefit?
Why is it that not a single national organization (except NCSS) among all those historical and civic groups have yet endorsed S860? Despite repeated calls from the Florida Council for the Social Studies to all the major national organizations to get behind S860, we've not seen it mentioned in print in paragraph form from these groups even once. No calls for folks to write their Senators or Congressmen urging it be scheduled for a vote. No guest Op Ed pieces from the nation's preeminent leaders in Civics or History on the possible benefits of this legislation. Natta. Zilch. Zero. Where are the editorials and speeches asking Congress to pass this bill? Why is it Ravitch, who served TWO terms on the National Assessment for Educational Progress can't see past her nose on this issue? [The fact she put so many years in the position with NEVER ONCE bewailing the second-class status accorded to these subjects for which she was the 'sitting expert' makes her in my mind, the enemy, not our friend. But that's just my opinion.] Why is it that Chester Finn, who rails against social studies educators from his bastion at the Fordham Foundation can't deign to mention the lack of equity on NAEP as a possible solution to this crisis? Instead these folks often rail against 'social studies' majors like there is some dark conspiracy that social studies is destroying the nation. I can even put up with that nonsense if they would at least MENTION S860 in passing. They can't even do that! (Read Ravitch's paragraph one which she predicts another NAEP catastrophe for civics and history without even alluding to the reason why! If no state is held accountable, then no single governor nor state commissioner of education need worry! (Read the fourth file to see how hypocritical they can be - like Florida's Governor Jeb Bush has proven to be on this issue.) How many of those watching or reading about the testimony David McCulloch and NAGB chairman Charles Smith gave at this summer's hearing on S860 even knew that Smith's own NAGB planned to eviscerate the national assessment of these subjects at grade 12? Or that President Bush has supported this plan? With 'friends' of history and civics such as these, who needs enemies? Yet where is ANY mention of any of this past history in any paper by anyone? Surely, Ravitch and Finn have selected their battles very carefully.
The 2006 NAEP Assessments on History and Civics are currently in the preparation stage while the reform bill sponsored by Senators Alexander and Kennedy languishes in yet another Congress. As of last week it hadn't even been scheduled for a vote. The ten year battle of FCSS to reform NAEP will apparently die in the 109th Congress as it did in the 108th Congress. It will have died because Ivory Towered folks really don't understand what has been driving K-12 education for the last 20 years. It will have died because many of the national groups were more concerned about consulting contracts than they were about restoring equity to our curriculum. It will have died because some leaders were more alarmed over threats to their fiefdoms than they were about the future of this nation. It will have died for many unknown reasons. [Can anyone explain the reason for the deafening silence on this bill from folks who are seemingly concerned about civic and historical literacy?]
I think there will be plenty of blame to go around as to why all the professional groups have lost yet another opportunity to end the second-class status of our curriculum on NAEP.
Neither Hitler nor Stalin could have devised a better plan for our civic undoing. What IS amazing is how many folks like Diane Ravitch can't seem to see beyond their own backyards. All are agreed we have a national problem — where are we with the reasonable national solution of holding states and hence school districts and students responsible for what they know and understand about these vital subjects? Nowhere.
If and when this bill dies, FCSS should raise bloody hell over this debacle and let the chips fall where they may!
Jack Bovee
Naples, Florida
Attach. 1: Civic Illiteracy Threatens America's Freedom
Attach. 2: Another NCSS alert on the harmful effects of NCLB (but which ommited mention of S860)
Attach. 3: Diane Ravitch Article in NCHE "History Matters"
Attach. 4: my Guest Op Ed piece sent to West VA and FL papers opposing "Constitution Day" legislation as meaningless trop
Here are still more recent articles on the crisis the nation currently is experiencing (and will continue to experience) concerning civic and historical illiteracy. They will soon be most likely consigned to the national dustbin like countless hundreds of similar articles before them.
The file to the left is from about one week ago and is titled "Civic Illiteracy: A Threat to America's Freedom".
The second article from NCSS repeats the same theme.
These are nothing new. I believe I've got about 250 such articles dating back to the time Warren Burger resigned the Supreme Court to give us his "civics lesson". Apparently, he was a poor teacher. Since those days, civic and historical illiteracy have been an ever increasing threat to the nation. Noted historian David McCullough argues it now constitutes the "greatest threat" to America's future. Who among us would disagree?
So what is the plan for improvement? If you read Diane Ravitch's recent column in the September 2005 "History Matters" entitled "A Job For the Legislature" it appears that the solution lies at the state level. She bemoans what is happening in New York, much as Tom Foley remarked in the second file below that "civics should be a part of the curriculum from the earliest grades". Right . . . . sure. Teach civics in every grade. Let's pass a Declaration of Independence Teaching Bill to go along with Sen. Byrd's Constitution Day legislation. Meanwhile, Rome burns.
What these folks have YET to face is that Senate Bill 860 — which will once again DIE in this Congress — is probably the BEST answer to this national problem. It would place History and Civics on an equitable plane with Math, Reading, Writing and Science on the national assessment program known familiarly as "The Nation's Report Card." It would hold the states, the various Education Commissioners and the respective state legislatures such as Ravitch's own New York state accountable for how well they prepare our future citizens. And it would cost a trifling compared to the buckets of money thrown at teacher training over the past few years. Katrina will undoubtedly end the gravy train of such teacher training workshops. Where is the long term benefit?
Why is it that not a single national organization (except NCSS) among all those historical and civic groups have yet endorsed S860? Despite repeated calls from the Florida Council for the Social Studies to all the major national organizations to get behind S860, we've not seen it mentioned in print in paragraph form from these groups even once. No calls for folks to write their Senators or Congressmen urging it be scheduled for a vote. No guest Op Ed pieces from the nation's preeminent leaders in Civics or History on the possible benefits of this legislation. Natta. Zilch. Zero. Where are the editorials and speeches asking Congress to pass this bill? Why is it Ravitch, who served TWO terms on the National Assessment for Educational Progress can't see past her nose on this issue? [The fact she put so many years in the position with NEVER ONCE bewailing the second-class status accorded to these subjects for which she was the 'sitting expert' makes her in my mind, the enemy, not our friend. But that's just my opinion.] Why is it that Chester Finn, who rails against social studies educators from his bastion at the Fordham Foundation can't deign to mention the lack of equity on NAEP as a possible solution to this crisis? Instead these folks often rail against 'social studies' majors like there is some dark conspiracy that social studies is destroying the nation. I can even put up with that nonsense if they would at least MENTION S860 in passing. They can't even do that! (Read Ravitch's paragraph one which she predicts another NAEP catastrophe for civics and history without even alluding to the reason why! If no state is held accountable, then no single governor nor state commissioner of education need worry! (Read the fourth file to see how hypocritical they can be - like Florida's Governor Jeb Bush has proven to be on this issue.) How many of those watching or reading about the testimony David McCulloch and NAGB chairman Charles Smith gave at this summer's hearing on S860 even knew that Smith's own NAGB planned to eviscerate the national assessment of these subjects at grade 12? Or that President Bush has supported this plan? With 'friends' of history and civics such as these, who needs enemies? Yet where is ANY mention of any of this past history in any paper by anyone? Surely, Ravitch and Finn have selected their battles very carefully.
The 2006 NAEP Assessments on History and Civics are currently in the preparation stage while the reform bill sponsored by Senators Alexander and Kennedy languishes in yet another Congress. As of last week it hadn't even been scheduled for a vote. The ten year battle of FCSS to reform NAEP will apparently die in the 109th Congress as it did in the 108th Congress. It will have died because Ivory Towered folks really don't understand what has been driving K-12 education for the last 20 years. It will have died because many of the national groups were more concerned about consulting contracts than they were about restoring equity to our curriculum. It will have died because some leaders were more alarmed over threats to their fiefdoms than they were about the future of this nation. It will have died for many unknown reasons. [Can anyone explain the reason for the deafening silence on this bill from folks who are seemingly concerned about civic and historical literacy?]
I think there will be plenty of blame to go around as to why all the professional groups have lost yet another opportunity to end the second-class status of our curriculum on NAEP.
Neither Hitler nor Stalin could have devised a better plan for our civic undoing. What IS amazing is how many folks like Diane Ravitch can't seem to see beyond their own backyards. All are agreed we have a national problem — where are we with the reasonable national solution of holding states and hence school districts and students responsible for what they know and understand about these vital subjects? Nowhere.
If and when this bill dies, FCSS should raise bloody hell over this debacle and let the chips fall where they may!
Jack Bovee
Naples, Florida
Attach. 1: Civic Illiteracy Threatens America's Freedom
Attach. 2: Another NCSS alert on the harmful effects of NCLB (but which ommited mention of S860)
Attach. 3: Diane Ravitch Article in NCHE "History Matters"
Attach. 4: my Guest Op Ed piece sent to West VA and FL papers opposing "Constitution Day" legislation as meaningless trop
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Calling Senator Byrd's Bluff! Sept. 2005
(Sent to major newspapers in Virginia and Florida at the time Senator Byrd introduced and Congress passed legislation requiring every institution receiving federal funds to implement a Civic Education program with employees on or around September 17th of each year. The article attempted to point out the continued passage of meaningless laws at the state and national level would not do as much as periodically holding the separate states accountable for how well they prepare students with the requisite skills and knowledge for citizenship. After asking editors to possibly devote space to the complex issue, the author argued, "It is a national tragedy what is happening in Congress and the possible consequence is of such importance that it necessitates some depth in coverage. Feel free, of course, to edit as you need." It is not known if papers printed the article or not.
Calling Senator Byrd’s Bluff
Sept. 12, 2005 - (Sent to major newspapers in Virginia and Florida)
I had the pleasure of watching Sen. Robert Byrd deliver on C-SPAN a rousing and emotional Constitution Day speech on September 16th at Shepherd University in West Virginia. As the sponsor of the bill it was very appropriate. The senator intoned how government requires an informed citizenry. His remarks were laced with the wisdom of such great statesmen as Cicero, our Founders, Daniel Webster and even Ronald Reagan. The audience chuckled when he related how the ‘Great Communicator’ once remarked “government is like a baby’s elementary canal – it has a hearty appetite on one end and no responsibility on the other.” Warming to the occasion, he lamented that our calendars generally do not specify “Constitution Day” on their page for September, yet they never fail to point out the phases of the moon or the First Day of Spring. He got another round of chuckles when he pointed out that Americans more often take their cars to Jiffy Lube than vote. He then soberly asked the audience how long the nation, just like any other machine that requires constant vigilance and periodic maintenance, could be expected to endure when we care more about our cars than our responsibilities as citizens? The laughter ended rather abruptly.
Now I’m all for giving the nation a good civics lesson. Heaven knows we sure need one. But when haven’t we? Survey after survey for over 30 years has demonstrated this. My generation remembers how stunned Americans were to see Chief Justice Warren Burger resign from one of the highest positions of power in the nation to become honorary Chairman of the Bicentennial of the Constitution Commission. He did so, he said, to give the nation a very-much needed lesson in civics. Nothing’s changed much. Warren is no longer with us when we desperately need him and only the names of the surveys have changed.
Back to Senator Byrd. It was a wonderful speech but I remain opposed to Constitution Day. I oppose it as an educator who has put more than 30 years into teaching about the Constitution because I’m tired of national leaders and Congressmen who can easily appropriate hundreds of millions of dollars to train teachers of U.S. History and Civics to do their jobs better, but then can’t find a measly $10 million to hold states accountable for how well they prepare their students in these subjects. Senate Bill 860, which was aimed at ending the second-class status of Civics and U.S. History on NAEP, often referred to as the Nation’s Report Card, is languishing in Congress and will probably die again. No one noticed when it’s sponsor Lamar Alexander stated U.S. History is our worst subject. It died in the last Congress without a hearing. Although it recently had a hearing and noted historian David McCullough spoke to the Senators about the civic crisis the nation faces, it will probably die again. Interestingly, this NAEP bill would only fund enough to know how students perform in up to 10 states. We compare all 50 in all the other subjects! Is this the best that Congress can do -- spend a half BILLION dollars training teachers and pass Constitution Day while continuing to ignore holding states accountable for one of the most important reasons for public education?
Why is S860 important? Because without it, Governors like Florida’s Jeb Bush can talk about the importance of imbuing students with civic knowledge while actually remaining hostile to it. Governor Bush sits on the Education Commission of the States whose subsidiary group, the National Center for Learning and Citizenship works to improve civic education programs. He’s also an “Honorary Member of Constitution Day, Inc.” Civic educators in Florida, however, know the truth. He signed into law a measure a few years back that eliminated American History, American Government and Economics as graduation courses for all Florida students. For years, his legislature leaders have stymied attempts by civic educators to require that student performance in Civics and History be allowed to be taken into consideration when children are reviewed for promotion from one grade to the next. The measure, which once was passed by the entire House and which never had one vote cast in opposition to it in the Senate, was killed by legislative leaders because it was on a fast track for approval.
Why? Because it appears that some feared that it might, someday, somehow, in some way by some future legislature be interpreted as meaning these courses should be added to the states’ assessment program. [How anyone could arrive at that conclusion is amazing. It’s a totally separate statute that was NOT addressed in the measure.] Civic educators in Florida know that Jeb Bush and his statewide legislative leaders oppose adding these vital subjects to the state-wide assessment program. This is, by the way, completely contrary to the stated goals of the ECS and NCLC of which Jeb is a proud member and “Director”.
Nevertheless, Jeb has endorsed the wide-scale sampling of students in our state -- 70,000 of them a couple of years ago -- on very intrusive Drug, Tobacco and Alcohol Surveys that contains literally hundreds of questions. Thus, Florida can know with scientific accuracy when the last time a typical student in a middle school was offered a swig of beer, a 'joint' -- or something worse. Sadly, the Governor has ignored the only study ever conducted in the state to assess students’ civic understanding and which has demonstrated that Florida's University students are more ignorant of basic civic knowledge than their peers across the nation. Of course, with regard to K-12 public education, such understandings are anyone’s guess! Things were so bad that Florida Congressman Jim Davis, now a Gubernatorial Candidate to replace Jeb, actually introduced a bill in Congress to punish his own state with a loss of federal education funds because of its hostile attitude toward civic education. Finally, when asked to break the legislative logjam on an important civic education measure two years ago, direct pleas to Governor Bush fell upon deaf ears. Amazingly, the honorary titles for his keen sense of civic-mindedness keep coming.
This brings us back to Senator Byrd’s “Constitution Day”. Congress needs to pass this bill that would begin to place civic and historical understanding on an equitable standing with other core curriculum subjects. Then, states like Florida won’t be able to hide in a cloak of total civic ignorance. Senator Byrd and his colleagues can do better. Only the very survival of this Republic hangs in the balance.
The writer has been a social studies educator, a former elementary school principal, and serves as Legislative Chair for the Florida Council for the Social Studies. He may be reached at JSBovee@aol.com.
Jack Bovee
319 Fifth Avenue
Lehigh Acres, FL 33972
Ph: 239-369-1297 cell: 239-272-3508
Email: JSBovee@aol.com
Calling Senator Byrd’s Bluff
Sept. 12, 2005 - (Sent to major newspapers in Virginia and Florida)
I had the pleasure of watching Sen. Robert Byrd deliver on C-SPAN a rousing and emotional Constitution Day speech on September 16th at Shepherd University in West Virginia. As the sponsor of the bill it was very appropriate. The senator intoned how government requires an informed citizenry. His remarks were laced with the wisdom of such great statesmen as Cicero, our Founders, Daniel Webster and even Ronald Reagan. The audience chuckled when he related how the ‘Great Communicator’ once remarked “government is like a baby’s elementary canal – it has a hearty appetite on one end and no responsibility on the other.” Warming to the occasion, he lamented that our calendars generally do not specify “Constitution Day” on their page for September, yet they never fail to point out the phases of the moon or the First Day of Spring. He got another round of chuckles when he pointed out that Americans more often take their cars to Jiffy Lube than vote. He then soberly asked the audience how long the nation, just like any other machine that requires constant vigilance and periodic maintenance, could be expected to endure when we care more about our cars than our responsibilities as citizens? The laughter ended rather abruptly.
Now I’m all for giving the nation a good civics lesson. Heaven knows we sure need one. But when haven’t we? Survey after survey for over 30 years has demonstrated this. My generation remembers how stunned Americans were to see Chief Justice Warren Burger resign from one of the highest positions of power in the nation to become honorary Chairman of the Bicentennial of the Constitution Commission. He did so, he said, to give the nation a very-much needed lesson in civics. Nothing’s changed much. Warren is no longer with us when we desperately need him and only the names of the surveys have changed.
Back to Senator Byrd. It was a wonderful speech but I remain opposed to Constitution Day. I oppose it as an educator who has put more than 30 years into teaching about the Constitution because I’m tired of national leaders and Congressmen who can easily appropriate hundreds of millions of dollars to train teachers of U.S. History and Civics to do their jobs better, but then can’t find a measly $10 million to hold states accountable for how well they prepare their students in these subjects. Senate Bill 860, which was aimed at ending the second-class status of Civics and U.S. History on NAEP, often referred to as the Nation’s Report Card, is languishing in Congress and will probably die again. No one noticed when it’s sponsor Lamar Alexander stated U.S. History is our worst subject. It died in the last Congress without a hearing. Although it recently had a hearing and noted historian David McCullough spoke to the Senators about the civic crisis the nation faces, it will probably die again. Interestingly, this NAEP bill would only fund enough to know how students perform in up to 10 states. We compare all 50 in all the other subjects! Is this the best that Congress can do -- spend a half BILLION dollars training teachers and pass Constitution Day while continuing to ignore holding states accountable for one of the most important reasons for public education?
Why is S860 important? Because without it, Governors like Florida’s Jeb Bush can talk about the importance of imbuing students with civic knowledge while actually remaining hostile to it. Governor Bush sits on the Education Commission of the States whose subsidiary group, the National Center for Learning and Citizenship works to improve civic education programs. He’s also an “Honorary Member of Constitution Day, Inc.” Civic educators in Florida, however, know the truth. He signed into law a measure a few years back that eliminated American History, American Government and Economics as graduation courses for all Florida students. For years, his legislature leaders have stymied attempts by civic educators to require that student performance in Civics and History be allowed to be taken into consideration when children are reviewed for promotion from one grade to the next. The measure, which once was passed by the entire House and which never had one vote cast in opposition to it in the Senate, was killed by legislative leaders because it was on a fast track for approval.
Why? Because it appears that some feared that it might, someday, somehow, in some way by some future legislature be interpreted as meaning these courses should be added to the states’ assessment program. [How anyone could arrive at that conclusion is amazing. It’s a totally separate statute that was NOT addressed in the measure.] Civic educators in Florida know that Jeb Bush and his statewide legislative leaders oppose adding these vital subjects to the state-wide assessment program. This is, by the way, completely contrary to the stated goals of the ECS and NCLC of which Jeb is a proud member and “Director”.
Nevertheless, Jeb has endorsed the wide-scale sampling of students in our state -- 70,000 of them a couple of years ago -- on very intrusive Drug, Tobacco and Alcohol Surveys that contains literally hundreds of questions. Thus, Florida can know with scientific accuracy when the last time a typical student in a middle school was offered a swig of beer, a 'joint' -- or something worse. Sadly, the Governor has ignored the only study ever conducted in the state to assess students’ civic understanding and which has demonstrated that Florida's University students are more ignorant of basic civic knowledge than their peers across the nation. Of course, with regard to K-12 public education, such understandings are anyone’s guess! Things were so bad that Florida Congressman Jim Davis, now a Gubernatorial Candidate to replace Jeb, actually introduced a bill in Congress to punish his own state with a loss of federal education funds because of its hostile attitude toward civic education. Finally, when asked to break the legislative logjam on an important civic education measure two years ago, direct pleas to Governor Bush fell upon deaf ears. Amazingly, the honorary titles for his keen sense of civic-mindedness keep coming.
This brings us back to Senator Byrd’s “Constitution Day”. Congress needs to pass this bill that would begin to place civic and historical understanding on an equitable standing with other core curriculum subjects. Then, states like Florida won’t be able to hide in a cloak of total civic ignorance. Senator Byrd and his colleagues can do better. Only the very survival of this Republic hangs in the balance.
The writer has been a social studies educator, a former elementary school principal, and serves as Legislative Chair for the Florida Council for the Social Studies. He may be reached at JSBovee@aol.com.
Jack Bovee
319 Fifth Avenue
Lehigh Acres, FL 33972
Ph: 239-369-1297 cell: 239-272-3508
Email: JSBovee@aol.com
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