[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 120 (Thursday, September 22, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10367-S10370]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
THIRD ANNUAL CONGRESSIONAL CONFERENCE ON CIVIC EDUCATION
Mr. REID. Mr. President, Justice Louis Brandeis once said, ``The only
title in our democracy superior to that of President is the title of
citizen.'' This statement illustrates the paramount importance that the
citizen plays within these United States. And, as such, we must
continue to learn and teach what it means to be a good citizen.
``Civic education'' is the term used to describe the transmitting of
knowledge
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and skills necessary for people to become responsible citizens. And our
democracy is sustained and strengthened when our citizens have these
skills and tools. In fact, there is no more important or urgent task
than preparing this and future generations of Americans to maintain our
democracy.
To advance the continuing importance of civic education, I am pleased
to announce that the Joint Leadership of the Congress of the United
States will host the Third Annual Congressional Conference on Civic
Education on September 24-26 here in Washington, DC.
The Congressional Conference on Civic Education will bring together
educators and experts from all across the country who work to promote
civic education and civic engagement at the state and local levels. I
am pleased to serve as honorary host for the conference, along with
Majority Leader Frist, Speaker Hastert, and Leader Pelosi.
The 2005 Congressional Conference on Civic Education will emphasize
the state of civic education in America. In an effort to restore the
civic mission of schools, each State is working on creating a plan to
promote civic education and engagement. Conferees will work to build
upon these foundations built by participants and State delegations from
the past two conferences.
The Congressional Conference on Civic Education is the third of five
annual conferences planned to focus public attention on the state of
civic education in America's public schools. This conference is
sponsored by the nonpartisan Alliance for Representative Democracy, and
consists of the National Conference of State Legislatures, the Center
on Congress at Indiana University and the Center for Civic Education.
Through an act of Congress, the Alliance is funded by the Department of
Education.
I am honored to recognize the work of the Nevada delegation. The
Nevada Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools is building on the
previous success of the Nevada Commission on Participatory Democracy.
The Nevada Campaign has completed a benchmark survey regarding the
state of civic education in the State and is planning the First Nevada
Civic Education Summit for this December. Thanks to the efforts of
congressional conference delegate, Senator Valerie Wiener, a resolution
was passed by the Nevada Legislature this year supporting efforts of
the Nevada Department of Education in increasing the role of civics in
the Nevada schools curriculum.
I find it particularly appropriate that the Congressional Conference
on Civic Education convenes this week. Just last week, on September 17,
we observed Constitution Day, celebrating the brilliance of our
founding document and the essential role citizens play in our
democracy.
I am sure that the congressional leadership joins me in expressing
gratitude to the many educators and State delegations that make this
conference possible. We thank them for their time and commitment to
this important endeavor. We look forward to learning about their ideas
and hearing of the progress made at next year's conference.
Among those delegates who are in Washington, DC, are the following,
whose names I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
Alabama: Ms. Janice A. Cowin, State Facilitator; Ms.
Rebecca Beaty, Executive Director, The American Village
Citizenship Trust; Representative Priscilla Dunn, Alabama
House of Representatives; Dr. Ethel Hall, Vice-President,
Alabama State Board of Education; Dr. William P. Collins,
Professor, Samford University.
Alaska: Ms. Mary Bristol, State Facilitator; Mr. Macon
Roberts, Treasurer, Anchorage School Board; Dr. Carl F. N.
Rose, Executive Director, Association of Alaska School
Boards; Ms. Krista Scully, Pro Bono Director, Alaska Bar
Association; Mr. David Baranow, Chair, Law Related Education
Committee, Alaska Bar Association.
Arizona: Senator Tim Bee, State Facilitator, Majority
Leader, Arizona Senate; Mrs. Lynda Rando, Assistant State
Facilitator; Representative Mark Anderson, Arizona House of
Representatives; Ms. Kathleen Williams, Retired Teacher, Mesa
Schools; Senator Linda Gray, Arizona State Senate; Mr.
Jeffrey Schrade, Director, LRE, Arizona Foundation for Legal
Services & Education; Representative Jennifer Burns, Arizona
House of Representatives.
Arkansas: Ms. Barbara Patty, State Facilitator;
Representative Betty Pickett, Arkansas House of
Representatives; Ms. Suzanne McPherson, Director of Special
Programs, Van Buren School District; Mr. Frank Smith, Social
Studies Supervisor, Pulaski County Schools; Ms. Margaret
Herrick, Social Studies Specialist, Arkansas Department of
Education.
California: Mr. Roy Erickson, State Facilitator; Mr. David
W. Gordon, Sacramento County Superintendent of Schools; Mrs.
Michelle Herczog, Consultant, Los Angeles County Office of
Education; Mr. Todd Clark, Executive Director, Constitutional
Rights Foundation. Dr. Darline Robles, Superintendent, Los
Angeles County Office of Education; Mr. Gary K. Hart,
Institute for Education Reform, California State University;
Mr. Michael Hulsizer, Administrator, Kern County
Superintendent of Schools; Mr. Michael Ricketts, Chief
Consultant, California Assembly Committee on Education; Ms.
Julie Sauls, Chief of Staff, Office of Assemblyman Kevin
McCarthy; Dr. William Cirone, County Superintendent, Santa
Barbara County.
Colorado: Ms. Barbara Miller, State Facilitator; Mrs. Maria
Garcia-Berry, President, CRL Associates; Representative David
Balmer, Colorado General Assembly; Senator Sue Windels,
Colorado General Assembly; Ms. Jill Conrad, Director,
Colorado Canopy; Dr. Jane Urschel, Associate Executive
Director, Colorado Association of School Boards.
Connecticut: Dr. James Schmidt, State Facilitator; Ms.
Sheila McKay, Government Relations, Connecticut Association
of Boards of Education; Ms. Mary Skelly, Social Studies
Coordinator, Vocational-Technical School System; Ms. Martha
Press, Supervisor of Social Studies, Stratford Public
Schools.
Delaware: Mr. Lewis Huffman, State Facilitator; Mr.
Reginald Greenwald, Collette Educational Resource Center; Mr.
Ed Freel, Director of Policy, University of Delaware, IPA;
Mr. Fran O'Malley, Delaware Social Studies Education Project,
University of Delaware.
District of Columbia: Ms. Deborah Foster, State
Facilitator; Honorable Royce Lamberth, Judge, U.S. District
Court; Doug Alexander, Newspapers in Education Coordinator,
Washington Times; Ms. Carla Cartwright, Attorney, McKee,
Nelson, LLP; Mr. John Cruden, President District of Columbia
Bar Association; Ms. Jacquelyn Davis, Executive Director, New
Leaders for New Schools.
Florida: Ms. Annette Boyd Pitts, State Facilitator;
Honorable Barbara Pariente, Chief Justice, Supreme Court of
Florida; Mr. John Doyle, Director, Division of Social
Sciences, Dade County Public Schools; Ms. Dianne Wheatley
Gilotti, President, Florida League of Women Voters; Ms. Levon
Terrell, Social Studies Program Specialist, FL Dept. of
Education; Honorable Peggy A. Quince, Justice, Supreme Court
of Florida; Ms. Mary Chiles, Office of U.S. Senator Bill
Nelson.
Georgia:
Ms. Mary Stakes, State Facilitator; Representative David
Casas, Georgia House of Representatives; Dr. Bill Cranshaw,
Social Studies Program Specialist; Mr. Eddie Bennett, Social
Studies Supervisor, Cobb County Public Schools; Mr. William
Cheeks, Businessman; Senator Daniel Weber, Georgia State
Senate; Ms. Shalynda Warren, Regional Voting Education
Coordinator.
Hawaii: Representative Lyla Berg, State Facilitator, Hawaii
House of Representatives; Mr. Robert McClelland, Planning and
Evaluation, Hawaii State Department of Education; Senator
Norm Sakamoto, Hawaii State Senate Representative; Roy
Takumi, Hawaii House of Representatives; Mr. Roger
Takabayashi, President, Hawaii State Teacher's Association.
Idaho: Dr. Dan Prinzing, State Facilitator Justice; Linda
Copple Trout, Idaho Supreme Court; Mrs. Parra Byron,
Education Policy Advisor, Office of the Governor; Dr. Marilyn
Howard, State Superintendent of Public Instruction; Ms. Linda
Clark, Superintendent, Meridian Schools.
Illinois: Dr. Patton Feichter, State Facilitator; Dr.
Darlene Ruscitti, Regional Superintendent, DuPage County
Schools; Dr. Carolyn Pereira, Executive Director,
Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago; Dr. Steven Klein,
State Coordinator, Law Related Education, Elgin School
District; Representative Suzanne Bassi, Illinois House of
Representatives; Representative William Davis, Illinois House
of Representatives; Mr. Jesse Ruiz, Chairman, Illinois State
Board of Education.
Indiana: Mr. Peter Bomberger, State Facilitator; Dr. John
Patrick, Indiana University; Dr. Suellen Reed, Superintendent
of Public Instruction, Indiana Department of Education;
Senator Theresa Lubbers, Indiana State Senate; Representative
Robert Behning, Indiana House of Representatives; Mr. Dennis
Lee, Birmingham & McHale Law Firm; Ms. Jill Baisinger, Social
Studies Coordinator, Indiana Department of Education.
Iowa: Mr. Jason Follett, State Facilitator; Senator Paul
McKinley, Iowa State Senator; Ms. Dianne Bystrom, Iowa State
University.
Kansas: Ms. Lynn Stanley, State Facilitator; Mr. Paul
Stuewe, Teacher, Lawrence High School; Dr. Dan C. Yunk, CEO,
Kansas Fann Bureau; Mr. Rick Reed, Educator, McPherson High
School; Dr. Randall Watson, Superintendent, McPherson School
District; Senator Roger Retiz, Kansas State Senate.
Kentucky: Dr. Deborah Williamson, State Facilitator;
Honorable Trey Grayson, Secretary of State of Kentucky; Ms.
Natalie
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Stiglitz, Social Studies Coordinator, Kentucky Department of
Education; Ms. Robin Chandler, Branch Manager, Kentucky
Department of Education; Representative Tanya Pullin,
Kentucky House of Representatives; Ms. Polly Page, Northern
Kentucky University; Senator Jack Westwood, Kentucky State
Senate.
Louisiana: Ms. Maria Yiannopoulos, State Facilitator;
Senator Gerald Theunissen, Louisiana Senate; Mr. E. Wade
Shows, Attorney at Law.
Maine: Mr. Patrick Phillips, State Facilitator; Kala Clark,
Legislative Youth Advisory Board; Kathryn Hunt, University of
Maine; Theodore Sharp, Superintendent of Schools, Gorham, ME;
Representative Stephen Bowen, Maine House of Representatives.
Maryland: Ms. Marcie Taylor-Thoma, State Facilitator; Ms.
Sharon Cox, President, Montgomery County Board of Education;
Delegate David Rudolph, Maryland House of Delegates; Mrs.
Julie Ayers, Student Learning Specialist, Maryland State
Department of Education; Senator Gwendolyn Britt, Maryland
General Assembly.
Massachusetts: Ms. Diane Palmer, State Facilitator; Senator
Richard T. Moore, Massachusetts Senate; Mr. Sheldon Berman,
Superintendent, Hudson Public Schools; Ms. Susan Wheltle,
Director, Office for the Humanities, Massachusetts Department
of Education; Mr. Roger Desrosiers, Social Studies Teacher,
Millbury High; School Representative Michael Rush,
Massachusetts House of Representatives.
Michigan: Ms. Linda Start, State Facilitator; Mr. Chris
Siebenmark, Office of Senator Ron Jelinek; Mrs. Kathleen
Straus, President, State Board of Education;
Representative Hoon-Yung Hopgood, Michigan House of
Representatives.
Minnesota: Ms. Jennifer Bloom, State Facilitator; Ms.
Juanita Peterson, 1st Vice President, League of Women Voters
Minnesota; Ms. Dana Carmichael, Minneapolis Public Schools;
Senator Jim Greenwalt, Minnesota State Senate; Mr. Richard
Theisen, Past President, National Council for the Social
Studies.
Mississippi: Dr. Susie Burroughs, State Facilitator; Ms.
Judith Couey, Curriculum Director, Mississippi Department of
Education; Dee Chambliss, Assistant Secretary of State for
Education & Publications.
Missouri: Ms. Millie Aulbur, State Facilitator; Ms. Leslye
Winslow, Deputy Secretary of State for Elections, Office of
the Secretary of State; Mr. Stan Johnson, Missouri Department
of Elementary and Secondary Education; Senator Gary Nodler,
Missouri General Assembly; Ms. Melissa Randol, Associate
Executive Director of Law, Missouri School Boards
Association; Representative Danielle Moore, Missouri House of
Representatives.
Montana: Dr. Bruce Wendt, State Facilitator; Senator Sam
Kitzenberg, Montana Senate; Ms. Brenda Wahler, Attorney,
State of Montana Child and Family Services; Representative
Gary Branae, Montana House of Representatives; Honorable
Linda McCulloch, State Superintendent of Education; Honorable
Brad Johnson, Montana Secretary of State.
Nebraska: Mr. Mitch McCartney, State Facilitator; Senator
DiAnna Schimek, Member, Nebraska Unicameral Legislature; Joe
Rowson, Assistant Vice President, University of Nebraska; Mr.
Ken Meyers, 9th Grade Social Studies Teacher, Wilcox-Hildreth
High School; Mr. Larry K. Starr, Director of Social Science
Education, Nebraska Department of Education; Ms. Doris
Huffman, Nebraska State Bar Foundation.
Nevada: Ms. Judith Simpson, State Facilitator; Senator
Valerie Wiener, Nevada State Senate; Assemblywoman Bonnie
Parnell, Nevada Assembly; Mr. Steve George, Public
Information Officer, Office of the Secretary of State; Dr.
Keith Rheault, Nevada Superintendent of Schools.
New Hampshire: Mr. Mica B. Stark, New Hampshire Institute
of Politics, State Facilitator; Ms. Debby Scire, Executive
director, Campus Compact, New Hampshire; Mr. Kenneth Relihan,
Social Studies Consultant, New Hampshire Department of
Education; Ms. Debra Hamel, New Hampshire State Board of
Education.
New Jersey: Ms. Arlene Gardner, State Facilitator; Ms.
Debra Casha, Vice President, New Jersey State Board of
Education; Mr. Phillip Brown, Center for Character Education
at Rutgers; Mr. Ramon De La Cruz, Director, Division of
Elections, Office of the Attorney General; Assemblyman Craig
A. Stanley, New Jersey General Assembly.
New Mexico: Ms. Dora Marroquin, State Facilitator,
Secretary Rebecca Vigil-Giron, New Mexico Secretary of State;
Patricia Concannon, Social Studies Consultant, New Mexico
Department of Education; Ms. Jennifer MacDonald, Curriculum
Director; Representative; Teresa Zanetti, New Mexico House of
Representatives; Ms. Leah Gutierrez Wier Instructional
Manager, Albuquerque Public Schools.
New York: Dr. Stephen Schechter, State Facilitator; Ms.
Rita Lashway, Deputy Executive Director, New York State
School Boards Association; Dr. John Bierwirth,
Superintendent, Herricks Union Free School District; Mr. Carl
Onken, President Elect, New York State School Boards
Association; Ms. Deborah Shayo, Director, Law, Youth &
Citizenship Program, New York State Bar Assn.; Mr. Timothy
Backus, Supervisor, Social Studies, South Colonie Central
School District.
North Carolina: Ms. Kelley O'Brien, State Facilitator;
Representative Susan Fisher, North Carolina House of
Representatives; Representative Rick Glazier, North Carolina
House of Representatives; Ms. Margot Christensen, North
Carolina League of Municipalities; Ms. Mollie Henderson,
Social Studies Consultant, North Carolina Department of
Public Instruction; Ms. Sandra Cook, Newspapers in Education,
NC Press Foundation.
North Dakota: Dr. Phil Harmeson, Co-State Facilitator;
Senator Ray Holmberg, Co-State Facilitator, North Dakota
Senate; Honorable Wayne Stenehjem, Attorney General, State of
North Dakota; Mr. Neil Howe, Director, Division of
Independent Study; Representative Rae Ann Kelsch, North
Dakota House of Representatives; Honorable Mary Maring,
Justice, North Dakota Supreme Court.
Ohio: Mr. Jared Reitz, State Facilitator; Ms. Linda Petz,
Consultant for Social Studies, Stark Educational Service
Center; Representative Dixie Allen, Ohio House of
Representatives; Mr. Frank Underwood, Special Projects and
Initiatives, Ohio Community Service Council; Ms. Lisa Duty,
Education Consultant, Ohio Department of Education; Ms.
Patricia Allen Day, Executive Director, Secondary Education,
Dayton Public Schools.
Oklahoma: Ms. Lisa Pryor, State Facilitator; Representative
Gary Banz, Oklahoma House of Representatives; Ms. Gina Wekke,
Campus Compact/Academic Affairs, OK State Regents for Higher
Education; Representative Bill Nations, Oklahoma House of
Representatives; Dr. Teena Nations, Director, Professional
Development, OK Commission on Teacher Preparation; Ms. Jean
Hendrickson, Executive Director, Oklahoma A+ Schools.
Oregon: Ms. Barbara Rost, State Facilitator; Ms. Marilyn
Cover, Executive Director, Classroom Law Project;
Representative Linda Flores, Oregon House of Representatives;
Ms. Kathleen Cornett, Oregon Community Foundation; Ms.
Cynthia Guyer, Executive Director, Portland Schools
Foundation.
Pennsylvania: Ms. Stephanie McKissic, State Facilitator;
Ms. Sue Perrotty, Chief of Staff, First Lady of Pennsylvania;
Representative Dwight Evans, Pennsylvania House of
Representatives; Ms. Sabrina Holloway, Office of
Representative Dwight Evans; Mr. Jeffrey Zeiders,
Pennsylvania Department of Education; David Trevaskis,
Executive Director LEAP Kids PA.
Rhode Island: Mr. Michael Trofi, State Facilitator; Mr.
James Parisi, Rhode Island Federation of Teachers & Health
Professionals; Representative Edwin Pacheco, Rhode Island
General Assembly; Senator Juan Pichardo, Rhode Island General
Assembly; Representative Hanna Gallo, Rhode Island General
Assembly.
South Carolina: Ms. Beth DeHart, South Carolina Bar
Association; Mr. James Bryan, Social Studies Coordinator;
Senator Robert Hayes, South Carolina State Senate; Dr. Paul
Home, Director of Curriculum and Program Review, Education
Oversight Committee; Mr. Matthew Gates, Staff Attorney SC
House of Representatives; Senator John W. Matthews, South
Carolina State Senate.
South Dakota: Dr. John Lyons, State Facilitator;
Representative Gerald Lange, South Dakota House of
Representatives; Mrs. Glena Fouberg, President, State Board
of Education; Representative Keri Weems, South Dakota House
of Representatives; Ms. Patty Pearson, Executive Director,
Kids Voting South Dakota.
Tennessee: Ms. Janis Kyser, State Facilitator; Dr. Ashley
Smith, President, Tennessee Association of Middle Schools;
Mr. Bruce Opie, Legislative Liaison, Tennessee Department of
Education; Mr. Al Mance, Executive Director, Tennessee
Education Association; Ms. Brenda Ables, Social Studies
Specialist, Tennessee Department of Education.
Texas: Mrs. Jan Miller, State Facilitator; Ms. Patricia Ann
Hardy, Texas State Board of Education; Mr. George Rislov,
Managing Director, Curriculum Development, Texas Education
Agency; Ms. Michelle Ungurait, Director of Social Studies,
Curriculum Division, Texas Education Agency; Ms. Mary Lee
Webeck, Assistant Professor, University of Texas at Austin.
Utah: Ms. Kathy Dryer, State Facilitator; Representative
LaVar Christensen, Utah House of Representatives; Judge
Judith Billings, Utah Court of Appeals; Mr. Ed Dalton,
Member, Utah State Board of Education; Senator Karen Hale,
Utah State Senate; Mr. Alan Griffin, Civic, Character and
Service-Learning Specialist, Utah State Office of Education.
Vermont: Vee Gordon, State Facilitator; Secretary Deborah
L. Markowitz, Secretary of State; Mr. Robert Paolini,
Executive Director, Vermont Bar Association; Ms. Janel
Johnson, Civic Education Coordinator, Office of the
Secretary of State, State of Vermont; Senator Donald
Collins, Vermont State Senate; Mr. William Corrow, Vice-
Chairman, Vermont Board of Education; Representative Kathy
Lavoie, Vermont House of Representatives; Margaret
Sanchez, The Vermont Youth Engagement Coalition; Mr. Kevin
Ryan, Director of Education and Communication, Vermont Bar
Association.
Virginia: Dr. Barbara Parry, Co State Facilitator; Dr.
Steve Bragaw, Co State Facilitator; Ms. Beverly Thurston,
Specialist-History, Social Sciences, Virginia Department of
Education; Delegate James Dillard, Virginia General Assembly.
Washington: Mrs. Kathy Hand, State Facilitator; Mr. Steve
Mullin, President,
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Washington Roundtable; Representative David Upthegrove,
Washington House of Representatives; Representative Dave
Quall, Washington House of Representatives; Dr. Robert Butts,
Assistant Superintendent, Office of the Superintendent of
Public Instruction.
West Virginia: Mrs. Priscilla Haden, State Facilitator,
Member, State Board of Education; Delegate Tom Campbell, West
Virginia House of Delegates; Mr. Ben Beakes, Chief of Staff,
West Virginia Secretary of State; Mr. Bill Thomas, West
Virginia Legislative Reference and Information Center; Ms.
Regina Scotchie, Social Studies Coordinator, West Virginia
Department of Education.
Wisconsin: Ms. Dee Runaas, State Facilitator; Dr. Diana
Hess, Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin; Honorable
Elizabeth A. Burmaster, State Superintendent; Senator Luther
Olsen, Wisconsin State Senate; Dr. Richard Grobschmidt,
Assistant State Superintendent, Department of Public
Instruction; Lindsey Draper, Milwaukee County Children's
Court; Senator Robert Jauch, Wisconsin State Senate; Ms. Beth
Ratway, Social Studies Consultant, Department of Public
Instruction.
Wyoming: Mr. Matt Strannigan, State Facilitator; Ms. Wendy
Madsen, Legislative Information Officer, Wyoming Legislature;
Senator Mike Massie, Wyoming State Senate; Mr. Geoff O'Gara,
Member, Member, Wyoming State Board of Education;
Representative Rosie Berger, Wyoming House of
Representatives; Ms. Kristi Wallin, Coordinator, Wyoming
Partnership for Civic Education.
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