00                   HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 19                                                                   
01 Urging implementation of an Alaska history curriculum in public schools.                                                
02 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                               
03       WHEREAS an education rich in history and government is vital to the development                                 
04 of a representative democracy and a civil society; and                                                                  
05       WHEREAS knowledge of a person's own state history, state government, and                                        
06 cultures is fundamental to informed and effective participation in state and local affairs; and                         
07       WHEREAS the study of Alaska history should be as rich as Alaska's origins and                                   
08 evolution as a political community, and should examine the ancient, historic, and modern                                
09 interactions of ethnic cultures, economies, governments, and values; and                                                
10       WHEREAS the face of Alaska is changing demographically, economically, and                                       
11 socially, and the speed of this change makes it imperative for Alaska's citizens and leaders to                         
12 have a sound understanding of the state's history and its people; and                                                   
13       WHEREAS an educated Alaska populace with a full appreciation for the history of                                 
14 Alaska will make better decisions for the good of all Alaska citizens; and understanding of                             
15 Alaska's history will help Alaska avoid mistakes of the past and will contribute to a                                   
16 prosperous, successful future for all Alaskans; and                                                                     

01       WHEREAS interest in having Alaska history and cultural studies taught in our                                    
02 schools dates back to the early years of statehood; progress has been steady but slow, and                              
03 Alaska history and cultural studies has not always been offered at the high school level; and                           
04       WHEREAS a broad-based Alaska history and cultural studies curriculum that meets                                 
05 state social studies standards could be offered as either a separate course or incorporated into                        
06 a district's existing curriculum, averting the need to add to the credit requirements for high                          
07 school graduation; and                                                                                                  
08       WHEREAS funding for the development of a standards-based curriculum has been                                    
09 secured through the efforts of the Alaska Humanities Forum and will result in curriculum                                
10 development available to school districts at no cost; and                                                               
11       WHEREAS the majority of Alaskans polled favor Alaska high school students being                                 
12 required to take an Alaska history course; and                                                                          
13       WHEREAS the network of community support to bring about a high school Alaska                                    
14 history course requirement includes the Alaska Municipal League, Anchorage Chamber of                                   
15 Commerce, Commonwealth North, the Alaska Humanities Forum, the Alaska Native Heritage                                   
16 Center, the United Way of Anchorage, the YWCA, the Alaska Historical Commission, the                                    
17 University of Alaska, NEA-Alaska, Bridge Builders, the First Alaskans Foundation, and                                   
18 others; the effort is supported by a breadth of citizenry that ranges from former governors,                            
19 mayors, and judges, to cultural groups;                                                                                 
20       BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature respectfully requests the State                                
21 Board of Education to require by regulation the equivalent of at least one semester of Alaska                           
22 history before graduation from high school.                                                                             
23       COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Frank Murkowski, Governor                              
24 of Alaska; the Honorable Loren Leman, Lieutenant Governor of Alaska; Richard I. Mauer,                                  
25 Chair, Alaska State Board of Education and Early Development; and to the Honorable Karen                                
26 Rehfeld, Acting Commissioner, Department of Education and Early Development.