HB 505

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to required instruction for public
3schools; amending s. 1003.42, F.S.; requiring that the
4character-development program for kindergarten through
5grade 12 include conflict-resolution management; providing
6an effective date.
7
8Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
9
10     Section 1.  Subsection (2) of section 1003.42, Florida
11Statutes, is amended to read:
12     1003.42  Required instruction.--
13     (2)  Members of the instructional staff of the public
14schools, subject to the rules of the State Board of Education
15and the district school board, shall teach efficiently and
16faithfully, using the books and materials required that meet the
17highest standards for professionalism and historic accuracy,
18following the prescribed courses of study, and employing
19approved methods of instruction, the following:
20     (a)  The history and content of the Declaration of
21Independence, including national sovereignty, natural law, self-
22evident truth, equality of all persons, limited government,
23popular sovereignty, and inalienable rights of life, liberty,
24and property, and how they form the philosophical foundation of
25our government.
26     (b)  The history, meaning, significance, and effect of the
27provisions of the Constitution of the United States and
28amendments thereto, with emphasis on each of the 10 amendments
29that make up the Bill of Rights and how the constitution
30provides the structure of our government.
31     (c)  The arguments in support of adopting our republican
32form of government, as they are embodied in the most important
33of the Federalist Papers.
34     (d)  Flag education, including proper flag display and flag
35salute.
36     (e)  The elements of civil government, including the
37primary functions of and interrelationships between the Federal
38Government, the state, and its counties, municipalities, school
39districts, and special districts.
40     (f)  The history of the United States, including the period
41of discovery, early colonies, the War for Independence, the
42Civil War, the expansion of the United States to its present
43boundaries, the world wars, and the civil rights movement to the
44present. American history shall be viewed as factual, not as
45constructed, shall be viewed as knowable, teachable, and
46testable, and shall be defined as the creation of a new nation
47based largely on the universal principles stated in the
48Declaration of Independence.
49     (g)  The history of the Holocaust (1933-1945), the
50systematic, planned annihilation of European Jews and other
51groups by Nazi Germany, a watershed event in the history of
52humanity, to be taught in a manner that leads to an
53investigation of human behavior, an understanding of the
54ramifications of prejudice, racism, and stereotyping, and an
55examination of what it means to be a responsible and respectful
56person, for the purposes of encouraging tolerance of diversity
57in a pluralistic society and for nurturing and protecting
58democratic values and institutions.
59     (h)  The history of African Americans, including the
60history of African peoples before the political conflicts that
61led to the development of slavery, the passage to America, the
62enslavement experience, abolition, and the contributions of
63African Americans to society.
64     (i)  The elementary principles of agriculture.
65     (j)  The true effects of all alcoholic and intoxicating
66liquors and beverages and narcotics upon the human body and
67mind.
68     (k)  Kindness to animals.
69     (l)  The history of the state.
70     (m)  The conservation of natural resources.
71     (n)  Comprehensive health education that addresses concepts
72of community health; consumer health; environmental health;
73family life, including an awareness of the benefits of sexual
74abstinence as the expected standard and the consequences of
75teenage pregnancy; mental and emotional health; injury
76prevention and safety; nutrition; personal health; prevention
77and control of disease; and substance use and abuse.
78     (o)  Such additional materials, subjects, courses, or
79fields in such grades as are prescribed by law or by rules of
80the State Board of Education and the district school board in
81fulfilling the requirements of law.
82     (p)  The study of Hispanic contributions to the United
83States.
84     (q)  The study of women's contributions to the United
85States.
86     (r)  The nature and importance of free enterprise to the
87United States economy.
88     (s)  A character-development program in the elementary
89schools, similar to Character First or Character Counts, which
90is secular in nature. Beginning in school year 2004-2005, the
91character-development program shall be required in kindergarten
92through grade 12. Each district school board shall develop or
93adopt a curriculum for the character-development program that
94shall be submitted to the department for approval. The
95character-development curriculum shall emphasize stress the
96qualities of patriotism; responsibility; citizenship; kindness;
97respect for authority, life, liberty, and personal property;
98honesty; charity; self-control; racial, ethnic, and religious
99tolerance; and cooperation; and conflict-resolution management,
100including peer mediation.
101     (t)  In order to encourage patriotism, the sacrifices that
102veterans have made in serving our country and protecting
103democratic values worldwide. Such instruction must occur on or
104before Veterans' Day and Memorial Day. Members of the
105instructional staff are encouraged to use the assistance of
106local veterans when practicable.
107
108The State Board of Education is encouraged to adopt standards
109and pursue assessment of the requirements of this subsection.
110     Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2008.


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