Florida Senate - 2020                                     SB 184
       
       
        
       By Senator Rader
       
       
       
       
       
       29-00187B-20                                           2020184__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to Holocaust education in public
    3         schools; providing a short title; amending s. 1002.33,
    4         F.S.; requiring charter school instructional personnel
    5         to teach specified topics; amending s. 1002.421, F.S.;
    6         requiring certain private school instructional
    7         personnel to teach specified topics; amending s.
    8         1003.42, F.S.; revising the requirements for
    9         instructional content relating to the Holocaust that
   10         members of public school instructional staff are
   11         required to teach; creating s. 1003.4201, F.S.;
   12         requiring the Department of Education, in consultation
   13         with a certain organization, to develop specified
   14         content standards for a Holocaust curriculum;
   15         requiring school districts to provide specified
   16         instruction; requiring the department to develop and
   17         maintain a specified roster of volunteers; requiring
   18         the department to use public and private funds for a
   19         specified purpose; requiring the department to
   20         coordinate with school districts to appoint Holocaust
   21         curriculum coordinators; providing for rulemaking;
   22         providing an effective date.
   23          
   24  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   25  
   26         Section 1. This act may be cited as the “Holocaust
   27  Education Act of 2020.”
   28         Section 2. Paragraph (r) is added to subsection (9) of
   29  section 1002.33, Florida Statutes, to read:
   30         1002.33 Charter schools.—
   31         (9) CHARTER SCHOOL REQUIREMENTS.—
   32         (r)Each charter school governing board shall require
   33  charter school instructional personnel to teach efficiently and
   34  faithfully, using the books and materials required which meet
   35  the highest standards for professionalism and historical
   36  accuracy, following the prescribed courses of study, and
   37  employing approved methods of instruction, the topics specified
   38  in s. 1003.42(2)(g).
   39         Section 3. Paragraph (r) is added to subsection (1) of
   40  section 1002.421, Florida Statutes, to read:
   41         1002.421 State school choice scholarship program
   42  accountability and oversight.—
   43         (1) PRIVATE SCHOOL ELIGIBILITY AND OBLIGATIONS.—A private
   44  school participating in an educational scholarship program
   45  established pursuant to this chapter must be a private school as
   46  defined in s. 1002.01(2) in this state, be registered, and be in
   47  compliance with all requirements of this section in addition to
   48  private school requirements outlined in s. 1002.42, specific
   49  requirements identified within respective scholarship program
   50  laws, and other provisions of Florida law that apply to private
   51  schools, and must:
   52         (r)Require members of its instructional personnel to teach
   53  efficiently and faithfully, using the books and materials
   54  required which meet the highest standards for professionalism
   55  and historical accuracy, following the prescribed courses of
   56  study, and employing approved methods of instruction, the topics
   57  specified in s. 1003.42(2)(g).
   58  
   59  The department shall suspend the payment of funds to a private
   60  school that knowingly fails to comply with this subsection, and
   61  shall prohibit the school from enrolling new scholarship
   62  students, for 1 fiscal year and until the school complies. If a
   63  private school fails to meet the requirements of this subsection
   64  or has consecutive years of material exceptions listed in the
   65  report required under paragraph (q), the commissioner may
   66  determine that the private school is ineligible to participate
   67  in a scholarship program.
   68         Section 4. Subsection (2) of section 1003.42, Florida
   69  Statutes, is amended to read:
   70         1003.42 Required instruction.—
   71         (2) Members of the instructional staff of the public
   72  schools, subject to the rules of the State Board of Education
   73  and the district school board, shall teach efficiently and
   74  faithfully, using the books and materials required which that
   75  meet the highest standards for professionalism and historical
   76  accuracy, following the prescribed courses of study, and
   77  employing approved methods of instruction, the following:
   78         (a) The history and content of the Declaration of
   79  Independence, including national sovereignty, natural law, self
   80  evident truth, equality of all persons, limited government,
   81  popular sovereignty, and inalienable rights of life, liberty,
   82  and property, and how they form the philosophical foundation of
   83  our government.
   84         (b) The history, meaning, significance, and effect of the
   85  provisions of the Constitution of the United States and
   86  amendments thereto, with emphasis on each of the 10 amendments
   87  that make up the Bill of Rights and how the constitution
   88  provides the structure of our government.
   89         (c) The arguments in support of adopting our republican
   90  form of government, as they are embodied in the most important
   91  of the Federalist Papers.
   92         (d) Flag education, including proper flag display and flag
   93  salute.
   94         (e) The elements of civil government, including the primary
   95  functions of and interrelationships between the Federal
   96  Government, the state, and its counties, municipalities, school
   97  districts, and special districts.
   98         (f) The history of the United States, including the period
   99  of discovery, early colonies, the War for Independence, the
  100  Civil War, the expansion of the United States to its present
  101  boundaries, the world wars, and the civil rights movement to the
  102  present. American history shall be viewed as factual, not as
  103  constructed, shall be viewed as knowable, teachable, and
  104  testable, and shall be defined as the creation of a new nation
  105  based largely on the universal principles stated in the
  106  Declaration of Independence.
  107         (g) The history of the Holocaust (1933-1945), the
  108  systematic, planned annihilation of European Jews and other
  109  groups by Nazi Germany, a watershed event in the history of
  110  humanity, to be taught in a manner that meets the requirements
  111  under s. 1003.4201 and that leads to an investigation of human
  112  behavior, an understanding of the ramifications of prejudice,
  113  racism, and stereotyping, and an examination of what it means to
  114  be a responsible and respectful person, for the purposes of
  115  encouraging tolerance of diversity in a pluralistic society and
  116  for nurturing and protecting democratic values and institutions.
  117  Members of instructional staff shall also:
  118         1.Provide instruction that further emphasizes the personal
  119  responsibility that each citizen bears to fight racism and
  120  hatred whenever and wherever it happens;
  121         2.Prepare students to confront and understand the
  122  immorality of the Holocaust;
  123         3.Promote students’ understanding of how the Holocaust
  124  contributed to the need for the term “genocide” and led to
  125  international legislation that recognized genocide as a crime;
  126         4.Stimulate students’ reflection on the roles and
  127  responsibilities of citizens in democratic societies to combat
  128  misinformation, indifference, and discrimination; and
  129         5.Preserve the memories of survivors of the Holocaust and
  130  provide opportunities for students to discuss and honor
  131  survivors’ legacies.
  132         (h) The history of African Americans, including the history
  133  of African peoples before the political conflicts that led to
  134  the development of slavery, the passage to America, the
  135  enslavement experience, abolition, and the contributions of
  136  African Americans to society. Instructional materials shall
  137  include the contributions of African Americans to American
  138  society.
  139         (i) The elementary principles of agriculture.
  140         (j) The true effects of all alcoholic and intoxicating
  141  liquors and beverages and narcotics upon the human body and
  142  mind.
  143         (k) Kindness to animals.
  144         (l) The history of the state.
  145         (m) The conservation of natural resources.
  146         (n) Comprehensive health education that addresses concepts
  147  of community health; consumer health; environmental health;
  148  family life, including an awareness of the benefits of sexual
  149  abstinence as the expected standard and the consequences of
  150  teenage pregnancy; mental and emotional health; injury
  151  prevention and safety; Internet safety; nutrition; personal
  152  health; prevention and control of disease; and substance use and
  153  abuse. The health education curriculum for students in grades 7
  154  through 12 shall include a teen dating violence and abuse
  155  component that includes, but is not limited to, the definition
  156  of dating violence and abuse, the warning signs of dating
  157  violence and abusive behavior, the characteristics of healthy
  158  relationships, measures to prevent and stop dating violence and
  159  abuse, and community resources available to victims of dating
  160  violence and abuse.
  161         (o) Such additional materials, subjects, courses, or fields
  162  in such grades as are prescribed by law or by rules of the State
  163  Board of Education and the district school board in fulfilling
  164  the requirements of law.
  165         (p) The study of Hispanic contributions to the United
  166  States.
  167         (q) The study of women’s contributions to the United
  168  States.
  169         (r) The nature and importance of free enterprise to the
  170  United States economy.
  171         (s) A character development program in the elementary
  172  schools, similar to Character First or Character Counts, which
  173  is secular in nature. Beginning in school year 2004-2005, the
  174  character development program shall be required in kindergarten
  175  through grade 12. Each district school board shall develop or
  176  adopt a curriculum for the character development program that
  177  shall be submitted to the department for approval. The character
  178  development curriculum shall stress the qualities of patriotism;
  179  responsibility; citizenship; kindness; respect for authority,
  180  life, liberty, and personal property; honesty; charity; self
  181  control; racial, ethnic, and religious tolerance; and
  182  cooperation. The character development curriculum for grades 9
  183  through 12 shall, at a minimum, include instruction on
  184  developing leadership skills, interpersonal skills, organization
  185  skills, and research skills; creating a resume; developing and
  186  practicing the skills necessary for employment interviews;
  187  conflict resolution, workplace ethics, and workplace law;
  188  managing stress and expectations; and developing skills that
  189  enable students to become more resilient and self-motivated.
  190         (t) In order to encourage patriotism, the sacrifices that
  191  veterans and Medal of Honor recipients have made in serving our
  192  country and protecting democratic values worldwide. Such
  193  instruction must occur on or before Medal of Honor Day,
  194  Veterans’ Day, and Memorial Day. Members of the instructional
  195  staff are encouraged to use the assistance of local veterans and
  196  Medal of Honor recipients when practicable.
  197  
  198  The State Board of Education is encouraged to adopt standards
  199  and pursue assessment of the requirements of this subsection,
  200  notwithstanding paragraph (g). A character development program
  201  that incorporates the values of the recipients of the
  202  Congressional Medal of Honor and that is offered as part of a
  203  social studies, English Language Arts, or other schoolwide
  204  character building and veteran awareness initiative meets the
  205  requirements of paragraphs (s) and (t).
  206         Section 5. Section 1003.4201, Florida Statutes, is created
  207  to read:
  208         1003.4201Holocaust awareness instruction.—
  209         (1)The Department of Education shall develop academic
  210  content standards for a Holocaust curriculum. The department
  211  must, during the process of developing the academic content
  212  standards for the curriculum, consult an organization located in
  213  this state which has the primary purpose of providing education
  214  about the Holocaust. School districts shall provide instruction
  215  on the Holocaust based on the standards adopted by the
  216  department under this section and in accordance with s. 1003.42.
  217         (2)The department shall develop and maintain a roster of
  218  individual volunteers who may share their knowledge and
  219  experience in classrooms, seminars, and workshops on the subject
  220  of the Holocaust. Such volunteers may include survivors of the
  221  Holocaust, concentration camp liberators, scholars, clergymen,
  222  community relations professionals, and other individuals who, by
  223  virtue of their experience or interest, have acquired personal
  224  or academic knowledge of the Holocaust.
  225         (3)The department shall use public and private funds to
  226  provide instructional personnel with background content and
  227  resources to assist them in teaching the Holocaust.
  228         (4)The department shall coordinate with school districts
  229  to appoint a designated Holocaust curriculum coordinator for
  230  each district. A regional coordinator position may be created
  231  for smaller school districts.
  232         (5)The Legislature encourages schools to teach the
  233  Holocaust curriculum during the week of International Holocaust
  234  Remembrance Day.
  235         (6)The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to
  236  implement this section.
  237         Section 6. This act shall take effect July 1, 2020.