Bill Text: FL S2590 | 2010 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Public Schools/Instruction/Conflict-resolution [SPSC]

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2010-04-30 - Died in Committee on Education Pre-K - 12 [S2590 Detail]

Download: Florida-2010-S2590-Introduced.html

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Florida Senate - 2010                                    SB 2590 
 
By Senator Siplin 
19-00304-10                                           20102590__ 
1                        A bill to be entitled 
2         An act relating to required instruction for public 
3         schools; amending s. 1003.42, F.S.; requiring that the 
4         character-development program for kindergarten through 
5         grade 12 include conflict-resolution management; 
6         providing an effective date. 
7 
8  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 
9 
10         Section 1. Paragraph (s) of subsection (2) of section 
11  1003.42, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 
12         1003.42 Required instruction.— 
13         (2) Members of the instructional staff of the public 
14  schools, subject to the rules of the State Board of Education 
15  and the district school board, shall teach efficiently and 
16  faithfully, using the books and materials required that meet the 
17  highest standards for professionalism and historic accuracy, 
18  following the prescribed courses of study, and employing 
19  approved methods of instruction, the following: 
20         (s) A character-development program in the elementary 
21  schools, similar to Character First or Character Counts, which 
22  is secular in nature. Beginning in school year 2004-2005, the 
23  character-development program shall be required in kindergarten 
24  through grade 12. Each district school board shall develop or 
25  adopt a curriculum for the character-development program that 
26  shall be submitted to the department for approval. The 
27  character-development curriculum shall emphasize stress the 
28  qualities of patriotism; responsibility; citizenship; kindness; 
29  respect for authority, life, liberty, and personal property; 
30  honesty; charity; self-control; racial, ethnic, and religious 
31  tolerance; and cooperation; and conflict-resolution management, 
32  including peer mediation. 
33 
34  The State Board of Education is encouraged to adopt standards 
35  and pursue assessment of the requirements of this subsection. 
36         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2010.