Schools to Teach Constitution on Sept. 17 (thanks to Sen. Byrd)

[Kadie]

Schools to Teach Constitution on Sept. 17
By BEN FELLER, AP Education Writer

Tuesday, May 24, 2005


(05-24) 14:17 PDT WASHINGTON, (AP) --


snip...
The Education Department outlined Tuesday how it plans to enforce a little-known provision that Congress passed in 2004: Every school and college that receives federal money must teach about the Constitution on Sept. 17, the day the document was adopted in 1787.


Schools can determine what kind of educational program they want, but they must hold one every year on the now-named "Constitution Day and Citizenship Day." And if Sept. 17 falls on a weekend or holiday, schools must schedule a program immediately before or after that date.


Historically, the federal government has avoided dictating what or when anything must be taught because those powers rest with the states under the 10th Amendment. The Education Department's Web site even underlines that point, saying matters such as the development of curricula and the setting of course requirements fall outside federal authority.


But Congress stepped in when it came to the nation's foundational document, thanks to Sen. Robert Byrd, the West Virginia Democrat who keeps a copy of the Constitution in his pocket. Byrd inserted the Constitution lesson mandate into a massive spending bill in 2004, frustrated by what he called a huge ignorance on the part of many Americans about history.

more...
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2005/05/24/national/w095918D23.DTL

[Pacifist Patriot]

1. Interesting.

How much can you cram in someone's head in a day?

[Occulus]

3. likely will address constitutional issues of the day

In today's case, the "constitutional option". :evilgrin:

[Ezlivin]

6. Go to a Fundy church. You'll be amazed at how much

pure crap they can try to cram into your mind in a single hour.

[Pacifist Patriot]

12. Thank you no. Had enough of that when I was a child.

Still have occasional nightmares about Vacation Bible School. LOL!

[proud patriot]

2. very cool

:thumbsup:

[babylonsister]

4. Great news, but may depend on how

it's presented and who is doing the teaching. I could use a refresher course my own self! :hi:

[Pirate Smile]

5. I love it.

[wicket]

7. Very cool

I love Byrd :patriot:

[legally blonde]

8. good idea

It would probably be beneficial for members of the House, Senate, Supreme Court, and Executive branch to have a refresher course as well.

[enlightenment]

9. Yes, very cool -- but the logistics are not

I teach college history. My state mandates that students receive instruction over both the state and federal constitutions. I assure you, I beat it into them --
However, I do not generally address it until later in the semester. The 17th of September will see me covering, approximately (haven't written my fall syllabi yet), PREHISTORY in North America. A little early for the constitution.
Should I stop and just insert it? Perhaps between discussion of the end of the Little Ice Age and the rise of Cahokia?
yerk.

"The best laid schemes o' mice an' men gang oft agley, and lea' us no' but grief an' pain for promised joy." -- Burns

[Initech]

10. In Cali we're required to know the constitution

In 8th grade, they made us take a test based on how well we know the Constitution.

I'm surprised that it's not mandated in the rest of the country.

[central scrutinizer]

11. It will be balanced with teaching the Ten Commandments

at the same time. Seriously, this is great news. There is a local school district that uses Howard Zinn's books as alternatives to the standard history garbage. if every school district used Zinn for American history, we wouldn't be in the neo-con, corporatist dictatorship we are in now.

[mitchum]

13. Why do I suspect that many schools will spend an inordinate...

amount of time on the second amendment?

[UpInArms]

14. kudos to Senator Byrd!

:yourock: