Geography Bill
GEOGRAPHY BILL S2194
To: Teachers, parents, anyone who wants to see our students learn more about our world through geography education.
As you know there is now a Geography Bill - S 2194 - in the Massachusetts legislature. The bill has been released from the the Joint Committee on Education and we expect that it will move through the legislature and be approved in this session.
The bill establishes a Commission on Geography Education. The Commission will hold public hearings and will report its finding no later than December 31st, 2012. We are looking forward to having teachers, parents, and students appear in front of the Commission explaining why we need more geography in our schools and why the subject of geography should be much more strongly reflected in our curriculum framework. Also say why geography teacher certification is essential.
S. 2194
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives
in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as
follows:
SECTION 1. Section 1G of
Chapter 15 of the Massachusetts General Laws, as appearing in
the 2010 official addition, is hereby amended in striking out
the seventh paragraph and inserting in place thereof the
following sentence:-
“The council on global education shall include the directors of each of
the bay state centers for global education and a representative
from the Massachusetts Geographic Alliance.”
SECTION
2.
(a)
There
is hereby established
a
commission on geography education,
to consist of
8
members:
a
member of the council on global education, to be appointed by
the commissioner of elementary and secondary education, who
shall serve as chair; a
representative from the department of elementary and secondary
education to be appointed by the commissioner of elementary and
secondary education;
2
members to be appointed by the secretary of labor and workforce
development, 1 of whom shall be a representative of the
alternative energy industry and 1 of whom shall be a
representative of the geo-technology industry; and 4 members to
be appointed by the Governor: 1 of whom shall be a public
university professor or administrator in the Commonwealth to be
selected from a group of 3 nominees submitted by the New England
and St. Lawrence Valley Geographical Society, 1 of whom shall be
a teacher with expertise in geography education to be selected
from a list of three nominees submitted by the American
Federation of Teachers-Massachusetts, 1 of whom shall be a
teacher with expertise in geography education to be selected
from a list of three nominees submitted by the Massachusetts
Teachers Association, and 1 of whom shall be a
representative from the
Massachusetts Geographic Alliance to be selected from a group of
3 nominees to be submitted by the executive committee of the
Massachusetts Geographic Alliance.
(b)
The
commission shall be convened by the chair not later than 60 days
after the effective date of this act whether or not all of the
designees have been appointed.
(c) The commission shall make an investigation and study of the status of geography education including, but not limited to:
1) an assessment of the status of geography education from kindergarten
through grade 12 in the Massachusetts history and social science
frameworks; (2) an investigation of the status of programs that
promote geography education and whether the curriculum
frameworks and overall educational goals of the commonwealth
could be cost-effectively enhanced through cooperation among
public educational entities and those programs; (3) an
assessment of best practices in geography education in the
United States, including the national geography standards, that
could serve as models for improving geography education in the
Commonwealth; and (4) any other matters that the commission
considers relevant to the fulfillment of its mission and
purpose.
(d) The Massachusetts Geographic
Alliance, under the oversight of the commission co-chairs, shall
provide staff and other resources as the commission considers
appropriate. The commission shall report to the general court
the results of its investigation and study and its
recommendations, if any, together with drafts of legislation
necessary to carry out such recommendations, by filing the same
with the clerks of the senate and the house and who shall
forward the same to the chairs of the joint committee on
education and the chairs of the house and senate committees on
ways and means not later than December 31, 2012.
SECTION
3.
The
governor shall annually issue a proclamation setting apart the
first week of April
as
Massachusetts Geography Education week.
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We now have a window of opportunity here that we must not let
pass. Teachers, parents, and students are a strong force. There is a sense
of urgency and now is the time for action. Do let us know if you
wish to testify in front of the Commission.