Bill Creation and Government Needs to be Taught in the Classroom
Conor Darken
More government and civic engagement classes need to be taught in Hillsborough County and throughout Florida. This information must be implemented before more students graduate from high school and enter the “real world” with no knowledge of how government works or who governs.
“How does a bill become a law?” This is a familiar question that’s been repeated and answered in schools across Hillsborough County for a long time. It was even popular before School House Rock made it into the subject of a very familiar (and good!) instructional video. But beyond this, how much is really known about the answer?
Do the schoolchildren of Hillsborough County and Florida know what goes into creating a bill? Would they be able to do it themselves? Do they know when the Florida Legislature convenes, and what happens? Do schoolchildren know who their elected county representatives & administrators are?
The probable answer is no. Students must understand how government works.
There is a clear area in Florida law where this can be created. It’s called Florida Statutes 1003.42 (2). This section, and specifically subsection (2), discusses how students across Florida must be taught. Though some of what I am talking about exists there already, this isn’t enough. There is only one appropriate way to increase civic awareness and participation in schoolchildren to the maximum possible degree: F.S. 1003. 4 (2) should be modified for the mandatory creation of model bills for each level of government including County School Boards and Soil and Water Conservation Boards. This will allow students to understand how executive orders are created from elected and appointed administrators and agency heads. This should be taught to ALL students.
From a practical view, students must be taught these things because it affects most areas of their life, including their favorite restaurants. Every dining establishment has to be approved by a long series of governmental bodies including the City Council/Commission or the Board of County Commissioners. Students also should be taught this early because the County school board members are elected and are responsible for approving matters VERY important to them.
One possibility for keeping students engaged is by creating a mock judicial system, used for the process of putting a student through a court hearing for breaking laws. They will learn the different roles of judges and lawyers, and they will get to see how court procedures differ on the local and state level. Students will no longer be unaware of how the society around them is governed. They will probably find and develop their own political and governmental philosophies and learn from each other how to argue and compromise on their beliefs.
This must be implemented before more students graduate, turn 18, and go into the world empty of crucial knowledge of who governs.
Link §1003.42 (2): http://leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=1000-1099/1003/Sections/1003.42.html