Bill Text: FL H0775 | 2012 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Required Instruction in the Public Schools

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)

Status: (Failed) 2012-03-09 - Died in K-20 Innovation Subcommittee [H0775 Detail]

Download: Florida-2012-H0775-Introduced.html

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HB 775

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to required instruction in the public
3	schools; providing a short title;; amending s.
4	1003.42, F.S.; revising the curriculum of the
5	character-development program required in kindergarten
6	through grade 12; providing an effective date.
7
8	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
9
10	Section 1.  This act may be cited as the "Character
11	Education Act."
12	Section 2.  Paragraph (s) of subsection (2) of section
13	1003.42, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
14	1003.42  Required instruction.-
15	(2)  Members of the instructional staff of the public
16	schools, subject to the rules of the State Board of Education
17	and the district school board, shall teach efficiently and
18	faithfully, using the books and materials required that meet the
19	highest standards for professionalism and historic accuracy,
20	following the prescribed courses of study, and employing
21	approved methods of instruction, the following:
22	(s)  A character-development program in kindergarten
23	through grade 12 the elementary schools, similar to Character
24	First, or Character Counts, or The Leader in Me, which is
25	secular in nature. The character-development curriculum shall
26	stress the virtues of wisdom, pursuit of excellence, equality,
27	responsibility, honesty, courage, patriotism, self-discipline,
28	perseverance, duty, honor, charity, civility, tolerance, and
29	other qualities of character that better prepare students to
30	recognize and accept the responsibility for preserving the
31	blessings of liberty inherited from prior generations. Beginning
32	in school year 2004-2005, the character-development program
33	shall be required in kindergarten through grade 12. Each
34	district school board shall develop or adopt a curriculum for
35	the character-development program that shall be submitted to the
36	department for approval. Members of the administrative and
37	instructional staff must be informed of the requirements of this
38	paragraph at the beginning of each school year. The character-
39	development curriculum shall stress the qualities of patriotism;
40	responsibility; citizenship; kindness; respect for authority,
41	life, liberty, and personal property; honesty; charity; self-
42	control; racial, ethnic, and religious tolerance; and
43	cooperation.
44
45	The State Board of Education is encouraged to adopt standards
46	and pursue assessment of the requirements of this subsection.
47	Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2012.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.