ARIZONA STATE LEGISLATURE
Forty-seventh Legislature – First Regular Session
JOINT LEGISLATIVE AD HOC COMMITTEE ON CIVIC EDUCATION
Minutes of Meeting
Senate Hearing Room 1 -- 10:00 a.m.
Chairman Bee called the meeting to order at 10:10 a.m. and attendance was noted by the secretary.
Members Present
Senator Gray Representative Anderson
Senator Mitchell Representative Garcia
Senator Bee, Cochair Representative Lujan
Representative Burns, Cochair
Members Absent
Senator Aguirre Representative Biggs
Senator Hellon
Speakers Present
Lynda Rando, Educational Consultant, representing self
Beth Hebert, Senior Program Director, Young Men’s Christian Association Youth and Government
Jeffery Schrade, Program Director, Civics Coalition
Janice Palmer, Governmental Relations Analyst, Arizona School Boards Association
Dr. Kevin Good, Arizona Foundation for Legal Services and Education
PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Lynda Rando, Educational Consultant, representing self, conveyed that she researched the different structures of what is called a civics commission in states involved in rejuvenating the civic mission of schools. The following legislation was passed and enacted:
Commonwealth of Kentucky: The Commonwealth of Kentucky created a committee whose goal is to determine strategies for enhancing long-term civic engagement and literacy within the Commonwealth and recommend a plan for improving civic engagement and literacy before the full Assembly. The committee is comprised of a diverse range of students, teachers, administrators from the K-16 system through the education media, civic organizations, and other elected officials. The Committee is charged with providing a report with its findings and recommendations for future action to the Secretary of State.
Louisiana: The State of Louisiana established a 22-member Commission on Civic Education whose purpose includes educating students on the importance of citizen involvement in a representative democracy and promoting communication and collaboration among organizations in the state that conduct civic education programs. The structure is as follows:
· Governor or designee
· Lieutenant Governor or designee
· State Attorney General or designee
· Secretary of State or designee
· President of the Senate or designee
· Speaker of the House of Representatives or designee
· Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education or designee
· Chairman of the House Committee on Education or designee
· State Superintendent of Education or designee
· President of the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education or designee
· One State Coordinator of the Louisiana Legislator’s Back to School Program to represent the Senate appointed by the President of the Senate
· One State Coordinator of the Louisiana Legislator’s Back to School Program to represent the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House
· State Coordinator of Project Citizen
· Executive Director of the Public Affairs Research Council
· Executive Director of the Council for a Better Louisiana
· One member to represent the Louisiana Public Broadcasting System appointed by the Executive Director of the Public Broadcasting Corporation
· One member to represent the League of Women Voters appointed by the League of Women Voters of Louisiana
· One member to represent Louisiana Press Association and the Association Broadcasters appointed by the President of each association acting jointly
· One member to represent the Louisiana Center for Law and Civic Education appointed by the President of its Board of Directors
· One member to represent the Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations appointed by the Chairman of the Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations
· One member to represent the Louisiana Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People appointed by the President of the Louisiana Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
· Chairman of the Louisiana Serve Commission or designee
The members of the Commission must elect a Chairman, Vice Chairman, and other officers that will be determined to carry out its functions. No compensation will be provided to the members for services, but members may be reimbursed for reasonable necessary travel and expenses. The commission is to hold at least two meetings per year and may hold other meetings upon the call of the Chair or the majority of the members. The initial meeting shall be called by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives acting jointly. Staff and facilities needed by the commission to accomplish its purpose shall be provided by the Legislature from existing resources. The commission shall be charged with the following:
· Develop and coordinate outreach programs in collaboration with schools to educate students in the importance of understanding that representative democracy is a process dependent on reasoned debate, good faith, negotiation and compromise, individual involvement is a critical factor in community success, and consideration and respect for others must be shown when deliberating, negotiating, and advocating positions on public concerns.
· Identify civic education projects in Louisiana and provide technical assistance as may be needed.
· Build a network of education professionals to share information and strength in partnerships.
· Develop consultation with entities having representatives on the commission and others as determined by the commission.
· Develop a clearinghouse which shall be available on the Internet to include but not be limited to a database of civic education resources, lesson plans, and other programs of best practices in civic education, a bulletin board to promote discussion on and exchange of ideas relative to civic education, an events calendar, and links to civic education research.
· Value and support successful education programs in the state and encourage expansion of those efforts.
· Prepare and provide an annual report of activities to the Governor and Legislature.
The commission may seek, accept and expend monies from any source including donations, state appropriations, and federal grants and may seek, accept and use services from individuals, corporations and government entities.
Ms. Rando indicated to Senator Bee that instructions in the Kentucky legislation are very general and an appropriation was not included, whereas the Louisiana legislation is fairly detailed and provides for an appropriation and outside sources of funding.
Rhode Island: The State of Rhode Island established a 17-member commission including legislators from both parties, teachers, and designees from the Superintendent of Education and a variety of associations and nonprofits, such as the Historical Society. The commission will be studying the areas of concern in Rhode Island, furnish advice and information, and must provide a report of the findings and recommendations to the Speaker of the House, the Senate Majority Leader, and the Commission of Elementary and Secondary Education. The commission will meet four times per year and there is no language preventing an appropriation.
Virginia: The State of Virginia established a commission composed of 23 members,
6 legislative, 11 non-legislative, and 6 ex-officio. The members can receive
compensation and necessary expenses, and funding is derived from the Department
of Education. The commission is empowered to develop and coordinate outreach
plans of collaboration, identify civic education programs in the state, and build
a network of professionals. The commission expires on July 1, 2008.
Ms. Rando stated that she did not find a sunset law for the commissions established in Kentucky, Louisiana, and Rhode Island. She understands the State of Massachusetts has a bill that is expected to pass in the next few days with a 10-year run for the commission and an appropriation.
Discussion of Draft Recommendations
Cochairman Burns reviewed a handout stating that the mission of the Commission on Civic Education is to promote the goal of informed, responsible participation in political life by competent citizens committed to the fundamental values and principles of the American system. The commission would focus on civic education and civic engagement to include children, youth, college and adults. The life of the commission would be 10 years. The commission may make recommendations to all levels of government on ideas that will promote and enhance civic education and civic engagement. Four options for establishing a commission are as follows:
Option 1: Fourteen-member commission composed of current elected officials and designated lay members.
· Governor
· Chief Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court
· Secretary of State
· Attorney General
· Superintendent of Public Instruction
· Three members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, not more than two shall be from the same political party
· Three members of the Senate appointed by the President of the Senate, not more than two shall be from the same political party
· Three members from other groups to be determined by the Ad Hoc Committee
Ms. Burns commented that it could be difficult to get all of these people together since they are in office.
Option 2: Same as Option 1, except elected officials could appoint a designee.
Ms. Burns noted that this would address the problem of getting everyone together, but there would not be as much media attention, focus, or high-profile people.
Option 3: Nine-member commission, initial appointments will set precedent that former statesmen with no future political aspirations serve on the commission.
· Three members appointed by the Governor
· Three members appointed by the Speaker
· Three members appointed by the President
Ms. Burns said there would still be high-profile people who have the time and commitment. Very basic and general guidelines would be provided so there is flexibility, but the first time around, appointments would be lined up by the time the legislation passes. The idea is to have people not necessarily interested in politics and without an agenda, except the commitment to focus on civic education and civic engagement, who also know a lot about Arizona politics and have contacts with current elected officials, so there would be some media attention and focus.
Option 4: Ten-member commission, initial appointments will set precedent that former statesmen with no future political aspirations serve on the commission.
· Two members appointed by the Governor
· Two members appointed by the Speaker
· Two members appointed by the President
· One member appointed by the Chief Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court
· One member appointed by the Secretary of State
· One member appointed by the Attorney General
· One member appointed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction
Ms. Burns said with this option, the members could be former Governors or Teacher of the Year. The idea is not to require a certain number of members from either political party so people can be chosen who have the time and willingness to serve.
Regarding the mission, Ms. Burns related that instead of including as much detail as the Louisiana legislation, the proposed legislation would be fairly general so the commission would have the latitude to make recommendations and suggestions. That is why recommendations could be made to all levels of government, such as the city council or the Arizona Department of Education. Focusing on children, youth, college, and adults covers the entire spectrum. The commission could be reconstituted and continued after 10 years, but 10 years provides a certain amount of time. The commission could have different ideas every year, some short term and some long term.
Discussion followed among the Members regarding the options, after which the Members indicated agreement to recommend establishment of a Commission on Civic Education.
Public Testimony (continued)
Beth Hebert, Senior Program Director, Young Men’s Christian Association Youth and Government, stated that Youth and Government is a civics education and leadership development program for high school students. Civics is part of everyday life and young children need to be taught how to become informed and engaged citizens. Youth and Government has a dynamic program that is recreational, experiential, and opens students up to learning more about how governmental processes work in the state. Participants participate in local weekly meetings and learn issue development, critical thinking skills, how to research the Arizona Revised Statutes, public speaking techniques, the processes of parliamentary procedure, and how a bill becomes law. One weekend each year students from throughout Arizona convene at the State Capitol and conduct a three-day simulation of Arizona government. The students elect their own Governor, Attorney General, Speaker of the House, President of the Senate, Secretary of State, Supreme Court Chief Justice, chief lobbyist, and various other committee leaders and legislative officers. The students discuss subjects such as taxes, education, crime, public health and annexation. The most important thing the students learn in the program is how to advocate for themselves or their community.
Senator Bee commented that there are many outstanding groups with great programs. The intent is to create a network of communication amongst these organizations and education in order to establish a strong program in Arizona.
Jeffery Schrade, Program Director, Arizona Civics Coalition, testified that he had an opportunity to talk a lot about civic education at the Congressional Conference on Civic Education, which was partly the genesis of ideas for the commission. He cited the names of organizations involved in the Arizona Civics Coalition:
Mr. Schrade said these organizations are similar to organizations in other states on civic education commissions. It is important for the commission members to hear from people on the ground who are actively involved and impassioned about this change in strengthening civic education.
Ms. Burns remarked that the commission members would be the idea people, but teachers and everyone on the ground would actually do the work and make it happen. This could be a great partnership in moving forward.
Mr. Anderson asked if it would be better to have two people from the Civics Coalition on the commission. Mr. Schrade responded that it would be good to have two or three people or some mechanism for representation or communication to avoid the possibility of being disjointed.
Mr. Anderson wondered if the Coalition could hold a meeting to select two delegates to the commission. Ms. Burns stated that the Attorney General does not have to appoint a former Attorney General, but could appoint the State Bar President, for example. Senator Gray remarked that since the Teacher of the Year is probably very busy during that year, perhaps someone from the Arizona Council of Social Studies could be considered.
Ms. Burns asked if the Members wish to delineate membership more clearly or allow some flexibility. The plan is to develop a list of people so that before the bill passes a precedent is set the first time around for who is on the commission. Senator Mitchell said he would like to leave it open, with suggestions as to the kinds of people the Members believe are important to be represented.
Mr. Anderson suggested adding a general clause for appointment of two people from the Civics Coalition selected by the Civics Coalition, opining that it is key to have the group represented since it has done most of the legwork.
Ms. Burns said there could be a separation of powers problem if the Governor only appointed one member and the Speaker and President appointed three, so the number of appointments by the Executive Branch may have to be increased.
Chairman Bee suggested that another option could be to have the Governor appoint three members, two of which should be selected from the Arizona Coalition, for example.
Janice Palmer, Governmental Relations Analyst, Arizona School Boards Association (ASBA), stated that the ASBA is very committed to civic education as far as being the foundation of public schools and wants to be as helpful as possible. If the commission is going to be an overreaching public relations-type group with high-status people to focus on civic education, there could be a subcommittee as far as people to actually implement some of the suggestions. If the Members are considering more of an action-oriented team, some organizations should at least be considered, such as the State Board of Education since it is the policy-setting body for social studies standards in which civic education is embedded.
Senator Bee responded that there was a vision of having a high-level high-visibility commission that would work in conjunction with groups like the Civic Coalition and ASBA. Ms. Palmer said that makes a huge difference as far as appointments.
Ms. Burns added that the commission of high-profile people could create work groups to focus on different aspects. She added that she was advised by staff that the legislation cannot specifically delineate the Arizona Civics Coalition, but would have to be more generic and state an organization interested in civic education, etc.
Dr. Kevin Good, Arizona Foundation for Legal Services and Education, advised that commissions he served on in the past were composed of high-power people, but there were also people who were not members of the commission, but regularly attended meetings and presented reports as the commission members did not have the time. The Arizona Civics Coalition would be worker bees. The organization wants somebody who can provide a voice and help put things in a broader perspective. It is important to make sure both groups hear one another and there is a built-in structure that is tied.
Ms. Burns stated that the proposed legislation will give the commission the authority to establish subcommittees.
Adoption of Draft Recommendations
Ms. Burns moved that the Joint Legislative Ad Hoc Committee on Civic Education adopt a recommendation for establishment of a Commission on Civic Education whose mission is to promote the goal of informed responsible participation in political life by competent citizens committed to the fundamental values and principles of the American system. It will focus on civic education and civic engagement. The focus is to include children, youth, college students, and adults. There will be a 10-year life of the commission. The commission may make recommendations to all levels of government on ideas that will promote and enhance civic education and engagement. The commission will have the authority to establish working groups or subcommittees to complete the commission’s duties. The commission will be a 13-member commission. The initial appointments will set the precedent that former statesmen with no future political aspirations serve on the commission. There will be three members appointed by the Governor and three appointed by the Speaker, two of those Members shall be legislators, one from each party. There will be three members appointed by the President, two of such being senators, one from each party. There will be one member appointed by the Chief Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court, one member appointed by the Secretary of State, one member appointed by the Attorney General, and one member appointed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction. The motion carried.
Without objection, the meeting adjourned at 11:03 a.m.
________________________________
Linda Taylor, Committee Secretary
December 16, 2005
(Original minutes, attachments, and tape are on file in the Office of the Chief Clerk.)
---------- DOCUMENT FOOTER ---------
JOINT LEGISLATIVE AD HOC
2
COMMITTEE ON CIVIC EDUCATION
December 6, 2005
---------- DOCUMENT FOOTER ---------