Bill Text: FL S1854 | 2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Required Instruction in the Public Schools
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-05-07 - Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration [S1854 Detail]
Download: Florida-2011-S1854-Introduced.html
Florida Senate - 2011 SB 1854 By Senator Wise 5-01631-11 20111854__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to required instruction in the public 3 schools; amending s. 1003.42, F.S.; requiring that the 4 instructional staff of a public school teach a 5 thorough presentation and critical analysis of the 6 scientific theory of evolution and certain 7 governmental, legal, and civic-related principles; 8 revising the curriculum of the character-development 9 program required for students in kindergarten through 10 grade 12 and requiring school districts to annually 11 inform certain personnel of that curriculum; amending 12 s. 1006.148, F.S.; conforming a cross-reference; 13 providing an effective date. 14 15 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 16 17 Section 1. Subsection (2) of section 1003.42, Florida 18 Statutes, is amended to read: 19 1003.42 Required instruction.— 20 (2) Members of the instructional staff of the public 21 schools, subject to the rules of the State Board of Education 22 and the district school board, shall teach efficiently and 23 faithfully, using the books and materials required tothatmeet 24 the highest standards for professionalism and historic accuracy, 25 following the prescribed courses of study, and employing 26 approved methods of instruction, the following: 27 (a) A thorough presentation and critical analysis of the 28 scientific theory of evolution. 29 (b)(a)The history and content of the Declaration of 30 Independence, including national sovereignty, natural law, self 31 evident truth, equality of all persons, limited government, 32 popular sovereignty, and inalienable rights of life, liberty, 33 and property, and how they form the philosophical foundation of 34 our government. 35 (c)(b)The history, meaning, significance, and effect of 36 the provisions of the Constitution of the United States and 37 amendments thereto, with emphasis on each of the 10 amendments 38 that make up the Bill of Rights and how the constitution 39 provides the structure of our government. 40 (d)(c)The arguments in support of adopting our republican 41 form of government, as they are embodied in the most important 42 of the Federalist Papers. 43 (e)(d)Flag education, including proper flag display and 44 flag salute. 45 (f)(e)The elements of civil government, including the 46 primary functions of and interrelationships between the Federal 47 Government, the state, and its counties, municipalities, school 48 districts, and special districts. 49 (g) The historical context in which the Declaration of 50 Independence was drafted and signed; the purposes, functions, 51 and limitations of the legislative, executive, and judicial 52 branches of the federal, state, and local governments; the 53 significance of common law, state and federal constitutional 54 law, statutory law, procedural law, and local ordinances or 55 codes; an understanding of important legal principles, including 56 the rule of law, stare decisis, and the federal supremacy 57 clause; and the duties that all citizens share in order to know 58 and protect the rule of law. 59 (h)(f)The history of the United States, including the 60 period of discovery, early colonies, the War for Independence, 61 the Civil War, the expansion of the United States to its present 62 boundaries, the world wars, and the civil rights movement to the 63 present. American history shall be viewed as factual, not as 64 constructed, shall be viewed as knowable, teachable, and 65 testable, and shall be defined as the creation of a new nation 66 based largely on the universal principles stated in the 67 Declaration of Independence. 68 (i)(g)The history of the Holocaust (1933-1945), the 69 systematic, planned annihilation of European Jews and other 70 groups by Nazi Germany, a watershed event in the history of 71 humanity, to be taught in a manner that leads to an 72 investigation of human behavior, an understanding of the 73 ramifications of prejudice, racism, and stereotyping, and an 74 examination of what it means to be a responsible and respectful 75 person, for the purposes of encouraging tolerance of diversity 76 in a pluralistic society and for nurturing and protecting 77 democratic values and institutions. 78 (j)(h)The history of African Americans, including the 79 history of African peoples before the political conflicts that 80 led to the development of slavery, the passage to America, the 81 enslavement experience, abolition, and the contributions of 82 African Americans to society. Instructional materials shall 83 include the contributions of African Americans to American 84 society. 85 (k)(i)The elementary principles of agriculture. 86 (l)(j)The true effects of all alcoholic and intoxicating 87 liquors and beverages and narcotics upon the human body and 88 mind. 89 (m)(k)Kindness to animals. 90 (n)(l)The history of the state. 91 (o)(m)The conservation of natural resources. 92 (p)(n)Comprehensive health education that addresses 93 concepts of community health; consumer health; environmental 94 health; family life, including an awareness of the benefits of 95 sexual abstinence as the expected standard and the consequences 96 of teenage pregnancy; mental and emotional health; injury 97 prevention and safety; nutrition; personal health; prevention 98 and control of disease; and substance use and abuse. The health 99 education curriculum for students in grades 7 through 12 shall 100 include a teen dating violence and abuse component that 101 includes, but is not limited to, the definition of dating 102 violence and abuse, the warning signs of dating violence and 103 abusive behavior, the characteristics of healthy relationships, 104 measures to prevent and stop dating violence and abuse, and 105 community resources available to victims of dating violence and 106 abuse. 107 (q)(o)Such additional materials, subjects, courses, or 108 fields in such grades as are prescribed by law or by rules of 109 the State Board of Education and the district school board in 110 fulfilling the requirements of law. 111 (r)(p)The study of Hispanic contributions to the United 112 States. 113 (s)(q)The study of women’s contributions to the United 114 States. 115 (t)(r)The nature and importance of free enterprise to the 116 United States economy. 117 (u)(s)A character-development program in kindergarten 118 through grade 12the elementary schools, similar to Character 119 First or Character Counts, which is secular in nature. The 120 program must emphasize the core values of honesty, virtue, moral 121 courage, dignity of honest labor, patriotism, self-discipline, 122 self-respect, perseverance, duty, honor, compassion, charity, 123 conflict-resolution management, peer mediation, and other 124 qualities of character that better prepare students to recognize 125 and accept the responsibility for preserving the blessings of 126 liberty inherited from prior generations. The goal is for these 127 core values to be integrated into primary classroom instruction 128 for students in kindergarten through grade 5.Beginning in129school year 2004-2005, the character-development program shall130be required in kindergarten through grade 12.Each district 131 school board shall develop or adopt a curriculum for the 132 character-development program that shall be submitted to the 133 department for approval. Each school district shall inform its 134 principals, administrators, teachers, and any other appropriate 135 school personnel of this paragraph at the beginning of each 136 school year.The character-development curriculum shall stress137the qualities of patriotism; responsibility; citizenship;138kindness; respect for authority, life, liberty, and personal139property; honesty; charity; self-control; racial, ethnic, and140religious tolerance; and cooperation.141 (v)(t)In order to encourage patriotism, the sacrifices 142 that veterans have made in serving our country and protecting 143 democratic values worldwide. Such instruction must occur on or 144 before Veterans’ Day and Memorial Day. Members of the 145 instructional staff are encouraged to use the assistance of 146 local veterans when practicable. 147 148 The State Board of Education is encouraged to adopt standards 149 and pursue assessment of the requirements of this subsection. 150 Section 2. Subsection (1) of section 1006.148, Florida 151 Statutes, is amended to read: 152 1006.148 Dating violence and abuse prohibited.— 153 (1) Each district school board shall adopt and implement a 154 dating violence and abuse policy. The policy shall: 155 (a) Prohibit dating violence and abuse by any student on 156 school property, during a school-sponsored activity, or during 157 school-sponsored transportation. 158 (b) Provide procedures for responding to such incidents of 159 dating violence or abuse, including accommodations for students 160 experiencing dating violence or abuse. 161 (c) Define dating violence and abuse and provide for a teen 162 dating violence and abuse component in the health education 163 curriculum, according to s. 1003.42(2)(p)s.1003.42(2)(n), with 164 emphasis on prevention education. 165 (d) Be implemented in a manner that is integrated with a 166 school district’s discipline policies. 167 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2011.