02/04/2015 08:00 AM House EDUCATION

            HB 30-CONSTITUTIONAL HISTORY CURRICULUM                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:54:43 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KELLER announced  that the final order of  business would be                                                              
HOUSE BILL NO.  30, "An Act requiring school  districts to develop                                                              
and    require   completion    of    a   history    of    American                                                              
constitutionalism  curriculum   segment;  and  providing   for  an                                                              
effective date."                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KELLER,  speaking as sponsor  of HB 30, called  attention to                                                              
the  legislative  findings  and said  the  bill  is a  mandate  on                                                              
districts  to provide  a history  segment in  the curriculum  that                                                              
focuses on  American constitutionalism.   He  stressed the  use of                                                              
the suffix  "ism", which allows  latitude for personal  evaluation                                                              
of  the values  that  were fundamental  in  the  founding of  this                                                              
country  as recorded  in the  historical documents,  namely:   the                                                              
Declaration  of  Independence, the  first  state's  constitutions,                                                              
the  Articles of  Confederation,  the Constitution  of the  United                                                              
States, the  Federalists Papers,  and the  Bill of  Rights.   At a                                                              
time   when   other   countries   are  grappling   to   devise   a                                                              
constitution,   America's   documents   remain  an   example   for                                                              
establishing  national  freedom,  which  is  unparalleled  in  the                                                              
world,  he  opined.    The bill  represents  a  soft  mandate  for                                                              
schools to adopt  and implement curriculum teaching  the values of                                                              
this  country, and  that  a passing  grade  be  a requirement  for                                                              
receiving  a diploma.    He  was quick  to  add that  schools  are                                                              
already offering  civic and history classes, and  this legislation                                                              
would envision the  addition of this component  to existing course                                                              
work.   He  asked members  to review  the  bill, specifically  the                                                              
details set out in Section 3.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KELLER announced HB 30 as held.