Florida Senate - 2009                                     SB 776
       
       
       
       By Senator Siplin
       
       
       
       
       19-00648-09                                            2009776__
    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  The State Board of Education is encouraged to adopt standards
   34  and pursue assessment of the requirements of this subsection.
   35         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2009.