Make civics a vital part of education
Civics 101: How a bill becomes a law.
At its simplest form in a bicameral legislative system, a bill must pass one chamber, then another before it is sent to the chief executive for signature.
A bill labeled HB (House Bill) 105 passed the Florida House of Representatives with a unanimous vote last week, which means that it has overwhelming bipartisan support. It will now be taken up by the Senate, where a companion bill labeled SB (Senate Bill) 1096 is sponsored by State Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Venice, the state senator who represents much of our readership's district.
The measure -- given the fancy, official title, "Justice Sandra Day O'Connor Civics Education Act" -- deserves Senate support during this year's legislative session and eventually the signature of Florida Gov. Charlie Crist. The reason is simple: It is needed to help ensure that young Floridians become better citizens.
Detert's bill would make civics content part of language arts curriculum in all grades in public schools. The act also would make civics a required one-semester course for all the state's seventh graders.
Most important, starting in 2012, middle-schoolers would have to pass the civics course to move on to high school. Thirty percent of their grade would be their score in a statewide, standard test. In 2013, the end-of-course test scores will be factored into a school's overall grade. In 2014 and afterward, students would have to pass the standard test to get a passing grade in the course and move on to high school.
That last provision goes a little too far. We'd prefer to see the test score blended into a student's final grade and agree that the test scores should be incorporated into the school's grade. But the overall idea of the legislation is sound: It would move social studies and civics to a level with
At its simplest form in a bicameral legislative system, a bill must pass one chamber, then another before it is sent to the chief executive for signature.
A bill labeled HB (House Bill) 105 passed the Florida House of Representatives with a unanimous vote last week, which means that it has overwhelming bipartisan support. It will now be taken up by the Senate, where a companion bill labeled SB (Senate Bill) 1096 is sponsored by State Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Venice, the state senator who represents much of our readership's district.
The measure -- given the fancy, official title, "Justice Sandra Day O'Connor Civics Education Act" -- deserves Senate support during this year's legislative session and eventually the signature of Florida Gov. Charlie Crist. The reason is simple: It is needed to help ensure that young Floridians become better citizens.
Most important, starting in 2012, middle-schoolers would have to pass the civics course to move on to high school. Thirty percent of their grade would be their score in a statewide, standard test. In 2013, the end-of-course test scores will be factored into a school's overall grade. In 2014 and afterward, students would have to pass the standard test to get a passing grade in the course and move on to high school.
That last provision goes a little too far. We'd prefer to see the test score blended into a student's final grade and agree that the test scores should be incorporated into the school's grade. But the overall idea of the legislation is sound: It would move social studies and civics to a level with