[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 128 (Wednesday, September 17, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1816]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        FIRST ANNUAL CONGRESSIONAL CONFERENCE ON CIVIC EDUCATION

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                          HON. DALE E. KILDEE

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 17, 2003

  Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, the problem of civic illiteracy and the 
ever-diminishing level of public engagement in our representative form 
of government must be confronted.
  I am pleased to report that a new national project, Representative 
Democracy in America: Voices of the People, funded by the U.S. 
Department of Education, was created by an Act of Congress to tackle 
this problem. The project is directed by the Alliance for 
Representative Democracy, a collaboration of three fine organizations: 
the Center for Civic Education, The Center on Congress at Indiana 
University, and the National Conference of State Legislatures.
  The Alliance is holding an important conference here in Washington, 
D.C., from September 20 to 22. The joint bipartisan leadership of the 
U.S. Congress is serving as the honorary hosts for the conference.
  The Conference will bring together key decision-makers on education 
policy from every state and representatives of professional and civic 
education organizations. Their common goal will be to create an 
initiative to encourage our schools to undertake the civic mission of 
preparing students for effective citizenship. The conference will 
encourage the establishment of state delegation working groups to 
improve the status of civic education in their state. I am pleased to 
note that Linda Start, who is the Executive Director of the Center for 
Civic Education Through Law, will be the state facilitator for the 
Michigan delegation.
  Student achievement levels in civics simply must improve. I know we 
all share the hope that out of this conference will come a renewed 
commitment to make that happen.

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