We the People…
February 3, 2010 by admin
Filed under Community Outreach
Petition Calls for Schools to Teach Kids the U.S. Constitution
Two Palmetto Bay moms think we need to do more to educate our children about democracy.
Last week, Vivian Bileca and Jacquelyn Prussing initiated an online petition drive to compel Miami-Dade county school administrators to teach students the U.S. Constitution.
September 17 is Constitution Day, an American federal observance that recognizes the ratification of the United States Constitution. Bileca and Prussing want the school system to do more in September to teach children the importance of the Constitution.
As the petition reads, “We are requesting that our school boards, administrators, and teachers enforce the federal law to teach the U.S. Constitution to our children every school year as the law mandates.”
Bileca and Prussing are not alone in this conviction. Many more petitions are circulating in other states, calling for increased education of the principles of democracy to children.
A petition in Washington state declares, “Government is given the constitutional responsibility to protect and maintain individual
rights. This is the fundamental reason given in the Declaration of Independence for creating the United States of America. Yet our schools neglect to teach this principle.”
Bileca and Prussing hope their efforts will benefit future generations. “People want to give children, and their children’s children, the blessings of liberty. Schools must teach the constitution for this to happen.”
Here is the complete text of the petition:
“We the people of the United States of America and Miami-Dade County, hereby request that the Miami Dade County School Board and all of its members abide by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2005 (Pub. L. 108-447). This federal law clearly mandates that all educational institutions receiving federal funding hold an educational program on the U.S. Constitution, each and every school year during the week of September 17th. The essence of this law is integral to educate and inform our children of the U.S. Constitution. The curriculum enables our school children to understand the historical importance of our founding fathers and their unique contribution in the creation of the Constitution, a document unparalleled in the history of civilizations in institutionalizing individual liberty and democracy. We respectfully urge the school board, administrators, and teachers to hereby implement “Founding Fathers/Constitution Week” into the school curriculum and adhere to the federal law in Miami-Dade County.”
The full text of the legislation can be found in Section III of Division J of Pub. L. 108-447, the “Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005,” Dec. 8. 2004; 118 Stat, 2809, 3344-45 (Section 111).”
To view the petition, follow this link:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/constitutioninschools/.
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“A primary object should be education of our youth in the science of government. In a republic, what species of knowledge can be equally important? And what duty more pressing than communicating it to those who are to be the future guardians of the liberties of the country? – George Washington.
As A Mom….. I fully support this petition.
First of all, let me commend Vivian & Jacquelyn for taking the time to send the petition to all of their people. Secondly, what a wonderful way to attempt to get the Dade County Administrators to approve and allow our teachers to give our students the right to learn the U.S. Constitution. After all, isn’t that what it’s all about? Why should they be deprived of such important information? They are our future and without the knowledge, how will they ever know. Cudos to Vivan & Jacquelyn!
As a mom, grandmother and mother-in-law of a teacher, I support this petition with all of my being.