Reading List

Below is my reading list for my white paper. If you have any resources that would be of benefit to me, please pass them on! :)

Thanks!

Policy Domain Reading List

Domain Topic: Election Reform

Newspaper Articles

Bills erect partisan vote hurdles. (2011, April 22). St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved from http://dosc.newbank.com/s/InfoWeb/aggdocs/AWNB/136C4E76E0E2F5E8/0D0CB5811D21e575?pmulti=SPTB&slang=en-US.

Bills headed to gov. scott for his signature. (2011, May 6). The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved from http://docs.newsbank.com/s/InfoWeb/aggdocs/AWNB/13713DF28CC94D0/0D0CB5811D21E575?pmulti=PBPB&slang=en-US.

Legislative winners and losers. (2011, May 8). St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved from http://docs.newsbank.com/s/InfoWeb/aggdocs/AWNB/137193B41AAF8EE8/0D0CB5811D21E575?pmulti=SPTB&slang=en-US.

Only goal of election bill is gop control. (2011, April 28). Charlotte Sun. Retrieved from http://docs.newsbank.com/s/InfoWeb/aggdocs/AWNB/136E55424F571FC0/0D0CB5811D21E575?pmulti=CNCB&slang=en-US.

Stop assault on all voters. (2011, April 24). The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved from http://docs.newsbank.com/s/InfoWeb/aggdocs/AWNB/136D9E7F79457020/0d0CB5811D21E575?pmulti=PBPB&slang=en-US.

Bousquet, S. (2011, April 2). GOP bill revises rules on voting. St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved from http://docs.newsbank.com/s/InfoWeb/aggdocs/AWNB/13668BB0229EC718/0D0CB5811D21E575?pmulti=SPTB&slang=en-US.

Bousequet, S. (2011, April 2). House bill would greatly change election laws. Bradenton Herald. Retrieved from http://docs.newsbank.com/s/InfoWeb/aggdoccs/AWNB/1365cAFE7A&A0C08/0D0CB5811D21E575?pmulti=BTHB&slang=en=US.

Bousquet, S. (2011, April 15). Panel okays election bill. St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved from http://docs.newsbank.com/s/InfoWeb/aggdocs/AWNB/136A004BB8FCAF20/0D0CB5811D21E575?pmulti=SPTB&slang=en-US.

Bousequet, S. (2011, April 15). Panel okays election bill. St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved from http://docs.newsbank.com/s/InfoWeb/aggdocs/AWNB/136A19FFC3DD2A900D)CB5811D21E575?pmulti=SPTB&slang=en-US.

Bousequet, S. (2011, April 15). Critics lash florida elections bill as voter suppression. The Bradenton Herald. Retrieved from http://docs.newsbank.com/s/InfoWeb/aggdocs/AWNB/136A13DC33A9F7A8/0D0CB5811D21E575?pmulti=BTHB&slang=en-US.

Bousequet, S. (2011, April 16). GOP targets early voting. St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved from http://docs.newsbank.com/s/InfoWeb/aggdocs/AWNB/136B7D1B78625768/0D0CB5811D221E575?pmulti=SPTB&slang=en-US. 

Bousequet, S. (2011, April 17). Republicans push to cut early voting. The Bradenton Herald. Retrieved from http://docs.newsbank.com/s/InfoWeb/aggdocs/AWNB/136ABC9B95F8B1E0/0D0CB5811D21E575?pmulti=BTHB&slang=en-US.

Bousequet, S. (2011, April 21). Elections overhaul passes house—the florida house approved an overhaul of the state’s elections law that opponents call an effort at suppressing voting. The Miami Herald. Retrieved from http://docs.newsbank.com/s/InfoWeb/aggdocs/AWNB/136C3DD41E8FFD68/0D0CB5811D21E575?pmulti=MIHB&slang=en-US.

Bousequet, S. (2011, April 22). Voting overhaul rolls in house. St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved from http://docs.newsbank.com/s/InfoWeb/aggdocs/AWNB/136C691231611530/0D0cB5811D21E575?pmulti=SPTB&slang=en-US.

Bousequet, S. (2011, April 22). Elections overhaul passes house on party-line vote. The Bradenton Herald. Retrieved from http://docs.newsbank.com/s/InfoWeb/aggdocs/AWNB/136C627BD72F1EA0/0D0CB811D21e575?pmulti=BTHB7slang=en-US.

Bousquet, S. (2011, May 6). GOP gets elections wish. St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved from http://docs.newsbank.com/s/InfoWeb/aggdocs/AWNB/137107CE126B0EB0/0D0CB5811D21E575?pmulti=SPTB&slang=en-US.

Bousquet, S. (2011 May 6). Critics slam election overhaul. The Bradenton Herald. Retrieved from http://docs.newsbank.com/s/InfoWeb/aggdocs/AWNB/1370FFBE21B#BB38/0D0CB5811D21E575?pmulti=BTHB&slang=en-US.

Dunkelberger, L. (2011, April 20). Fla . house vote likely Thursday on revamped election laws. Ocala Star-Banner. Retrieved from http://docs.newsbank.com/s/InfoWeb/aggdocs/AWNB/136C1A3A0A7EF360/0D0CB5811D2E575?pmulti=OSBB&slang=en-US.

Dunkelberger, L. (2011, April 21). Voting bills seen as play for power. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Retrieved from http://docs.newsbank.com/s/InfoWeb/aggdocs/AWNB/136C9EE74D00DF68/0D0CB5811D21E575?pmulti=SHTB&slang=en-US. 

Haughney, K. (2011, April 21). Election changes near passage. The Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved from http://docs.newsbank.com/s/InfoWeb/aggdocs/AWNB/136C101EA6D2E378/0D0CB5811D2E575?pmulti=ORLB&slang=en-US.

Haughney, K. (2011, April 22). House tightens rules on voting. Sun Sentinel. Retrieved from http://docs.newsbank.com/s/InfoWeb/aggdocs/AWNB/136C5D9FF19D7638/0D0CB5811D2E575?pmulti=SFLB&slang=en-US.

Haughney, K. (2011, May 5). Senate to vote on elections legislation. Sun Sentinel. http://docs.newsbank.com/s/InfoWeb/aggdocs/AWNB/1370A91A74A1C528/0D0CB5811D21E575?pmulti=SFLB&slang=en-US.

Haughney, K. (2011, May 5). Lawmakers poised to pass makeover of elections laws. The Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved from http://docs.newsbank.com/s/InfoWeb/aggdocs/AWNB/1370AD724639F2C8/0D0CB5811D211E575?pmulti=ORLB&slang=en-US.

Kam, D. (2011, May 3). Elections bill attacks democracy. The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved from http://docs.newsbank.com/s/InfoWeb/aggdocs/AWNB/13703FD589D2320D0/0D0CB5811D21E575?pmulti=PBPB&slang=en-US.

Kam, D. (2011, May 6). Bill that cuts early voting days, limits registration goes to scott. The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved from http://docs.newsbank.com/s/InfoWeb/aggdocs/AWNB/13713DF289E7F320/0D0CB5811D21E575?pmulti=PBPB&slang=en-US .

Kennedy, J. (2011, April 15). Panel approves voter registration rules. The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved from http://docs.newsbank.com/s/InfoWeb/aggdocs/AWNB/136A51224B242470/0D0CB5811D21E575?pmulti=PBPB&slang=eng-US.

Kennedy, J. (2011, May 5). Elections law rewrite closer to completion. The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved from http://docs.newsbank.com/s/InfoWeb/aggdocs/AWNB/1370EB64CE8D6720/0D0CB5811D21E575?pmulti=PBPB&slang=en-US.

Lyons, D.C. (2011, April 23). GOP stacks deck for 2012 election. Sun Sentinel. Retrieved from http://docs.newsbank.com/s/InfoWeb/aggdocs/AWNB/136CB43CFA5A0CA0/0D0CB5811D21E575?pmulti=SFLB&slang=en-US. 

Lyons, D.C. (2011, May 7). Election reform is anything but. Sun Sentinel. Retrieved from http://docs.newsbank.com/s/InfoWeb/aggdocs/AWNB/1371502BFC0A7B8/0D0CB5811D21E575?pmulti=SFLB7slang=en-US.

Macnab, D. (2011, April 26). War against the voters. St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved from http://docs.newsbank.com/s/InfoWeb/aggdocs/AWNB/136DBA0091FA91D0/0D0CB5811D21E575?pmulti=SPTB&slang=en-US.

Miami Herald. (2011, April 13). Another flori-duh movement? our opinion: speaker cannon’s bill sets up obstacles to voting. The Miami Herald. Retrieved from  http://docs.newsbank.com/s/InfoWeb/aggdocs/AWNB/13698CA70D82A9F8/0D0CB5811D21E575?pmulti=MIHB&slang=en-US.

Sharockman, A. (2011, April 20). House to rewrite state election laws. The Miami Herald. Retrieved from http://docs.newsbank.com/s/InfoWeb/aggdocs/AWNB/136BAD2EC9FFA588/0D0CB5811D21E575?pmulti=MIHB&slang=en-US.

Sharockman, A. (2011, April 26). Mickey mouse was registered to vote in florida, republican house member claims. St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved from http://docs.newsbanks.com/s/InfoWeb/aggdocs/AWNB/136E20B147F9AFE0/0D0CB5811D21E575?pmulti=SPTB&slang=en-US.

Sharockman, A. (2011, May 2). Election pranks are not equal to fraud. St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved from http://docs.newsbank.com/s/InfoWeb/aggdocs/AWNB/136FB3A2907472B8/0D0CB5811D21E575?pmulti=SPTB&slang=en-US.

Sharockman, A. (2011, May 2). Bill nelson criticizes state election bill, cites number of tossed provisional ballots. St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved from http://docs.newsbank.com/s/InfoWeb/aggdocs/AWNB/13700A7845838F60/0D0CB5811D21E575?pmulti=SPTB&slang=en-US.

Sharockman, A. (2011, May 7). And maybe it’s uphill both ways? St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved from http://docs.newsbank.com/s/InfoWeb/aggdocs/AWNB/1371401025744D78/0D0CB5811D21E575?pmulti=SPTB&slang=en-US.

Journal Articles

Alvarez, R.M., & Hall, T.E. (2006). Controlling democracy: the principal-agent problems in election administration. The Policy Studies Journal, 34(4), 491-510.

Atkeson, L.R., Bryant, L.A., Hall, T.E., Saunders, K.L., & Alvarez, R.M. (2010). A new barrier to participation: heterogeneous application of voter identification policies. Electoral Studies, 29, 66-73. doi:10.1016/j.electstud.2009.08.001.

Avery, J.M., & Peffley, M. (2005, Spring). Voter registration requirements, voter turnout, and welfare eligibility policy: class bias matters. State Politics and Policy Quarterly, 5(1), 47-67.

Brown, R.D., & Wedeking, J. (2006). People who have their ticket but do not use them: “moter voter,” registration, and turnout revisited. American Politics Research, 34, 479-504. doi: 10.1177/1532673X05281122. 

Cloonan, M., & Street, J. (1998). Rock the vote: popular culture and politics. Politics, 18(1), 33-38.

Fitzgerald, M. (2005). Greater convenience but not greater turnout: the impact of alternative voting methods on electoral participation in the united states. American Politics Research, 33, 842- 867. doi: 10.1177/1532673X04274066.

Friedman, A.K. (2005). Voter disenfranchisement and policy toward election reform. Review of Policy Research, 22(6), 787-810.

Highton, B., & Wolfinger, R.E. (1998). Estimating the effects of the national voter registration act of 1993. Political Behavior, 20(2), 79-104.

Hood, M.V., & Bullock, C.S. (2008). Worth a thousand words? An analysis of georgia’s voter identification statute. American Politics Research, 36, 555-579. doi: 10.1177/1532673X08316608.

James, T.S. (2010). Researching electoral administration in america: insights from the ‘post-florida’ era. Political Studies Review, 8, 357-367. doi: 10.111/j.1478-9302.2010.00214.x.

King, J.D., & Wambeam, R.A. (1995/1996 Autumn/Winter). Impact of election day registration on voter turnout: a quasi-experimental analysis. Policy Studies Review, 14(3), 263-278.

Lane, S.R., Humphreys, N.A., Graham, E., Matthews, N., & Moriarty, J. (2007). Voter registration. Journal of Policy Practice, 6(4), 79-93. doi: 10.1300/J508v06n04_06.

Lee, A.M., (2010). Don’t save the date: how more restrictive state voter registration deadlines disenfranchise minority movers. Columbia Journal of Law and Social Problems, 43, 245-281.

Loewen, P.J., Milner, H., & Hicks, B.M. (2008). Does compulsory voting lead to more informed and engaged citizens? an experimental test. Canadian Journal of Political Science, 41(3), 655-672. doi: 10.1017/S000842390808075X.

Niemi, R.G., & Hanmer, M.J. (2010). Voter turnout among college students: new data and a rethinking of traditional theories. Social Science Quarterly, 91(2), 301-323.

Palazzolo, D.J., & Moscardelli, V.G. (2006). Policy crisis and political leadership: election law reform in the states after the 2000 presidential election. State Politics and Policy Quarterly, 6, 300-321. doi: 10.1177/153244000600600303.

Prichett, M.S. (2002). Bi-partisan leadership in florida’s election reform. Spectrum: The Journal of State Government, 9-10.

Richie, R. (2007). Leave no voter behind: seeking 100 percent voter registration and effective civic education. National Civic Review, 39-45. doi: 10.1002/ncr.186.

Richman, J. (2010). Can the college vote turn out? evidence from the U.S. states, 2000-08. State Politics and Policy Quarterly, 10(1), 51-68.

Rosenfeld, S. (2007). Turning back the clock on voting rights. Social Policy, 52-66.

Rugeley, C. (2009). Getting on the rolls: analyzing the effects of lowered barriers on voter registration. State Politics and Policy Quarterly, 9(1), 56-78.

Ryun, N. (2011).  One woman, one vote. The American Spectator, 56-57.

Stein, R.M., & Vonnahme, G. (2008). Engaging the unengaged voter: vote centers and voter turnout. The Journal of Politics, 70(2), 487-497. doi: 10.1017/S0022381608080456.

Upchurch, T.A. (2004). Senator john tyler morgan and the genesis of jim crow ideology, 1889-1891. The Alabama Review, 110-131.

Bills

Florida Election Reform Act of 2001. SB 1118, Enrolled. 2001 Legislature. (2001). (enacted).

Florida House of Representatives. 1355, 2^nd Engrossed. (2011).

Help America Vote Act of 2002. Public Law 107-252. 107^th Congress. (2002). (enacted).

Voting Act of 1965. Public Law 89-110. 89^th U.S. Congress. (1965).  (enacted).

Podcast 1: Intro to Topic

Hi everyone,
Happy Sunday! Here is my first podcast. It is a podcast retracing the steps of voting in the history of the USA and a little bit of background on HB 1355--Florida's Election Reform bill signed into law by Gov. Rick Scott on Thursday. You can view my podcast here.

Enjoy!
Steph

It's been signed... :(

I'm in shock...that's all I can say. Total shock. I come back from teaching my assessment class and what do I find as the lead story in the St. Pete Times? Gov. Rick Scott signs controversial election reform bill into law. Jaw drop. According to the Governors Office, over 15,000 emails, phone calls and letters came through to his office about this bill. And yet, he signed it.

I'm speechless. Utterly speechless. And so disappointed.

The Countdown is on...

The countdown is on. Gov. Rick Scott has until May 21, 2011 to sign, veto, or let HB 1355 become law without signing it. 


Since this blog is all about voting--let's take a vote (and unlike HB 1355, everyone has the right to participate and no provisional ballots will be cast): 


Please select either number one, two, or three and post in the comment section. 
Gov. Rick Scott will:


1. Sign HB 1355 into law and have the state face the wrath of the U.S. Justice Department
2. Veto HB 1355 (a sensible solution!)
3. Let it become law without signing it. 


While you ponder your choices above, reflect on these quotes: 
 Those who stay away from the election think that one vote will do no good: 'Tis but one step more to think one vote will do no harm. Ralph Waldo Emerson

The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all. John F. Kennedy

Read more: http://www.finestquotes.com/select_quote-category-Voting-page-0.htm#ixzz1MjlgVSyz

Voting machine vs. Voter

Tonight I've been looking at SB 1118 (2001), a bill signed into law in Florida by Gov. Jeb Bush and HB 1355 (2011), a bill that recently passed the Florida legislature. Both bills address election reform. However, after reading SB 1118, I've concluded that this bill was created to address the fallout from the 2000 election in Florida. Remember the hanging chads? On the other hand, the 2011 bill addresses election reform largely looking at issues pertaining to the voter. Gov. Scott has until Saturday (May 21) to sign the bill (HB 1355), allow it to become law without his signature, or veto the bill. Let's hope he vetoes it.

While you anxiously await my next post, in which I'll go into much more detail about HB 1355 and how this relates to education (and in the form of a podcast no less!), reflect on these two quotes.


"The rational and peacable instrument of reform, the suffrage of the people. "
Thomas Jefferson, The Jeffersonian Cyclopedia, John P. Foley, ed. (New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1900), p. 842.


"In selecting men for office, let principle be your guide. Regard not the particular sect or denomination of the candidate--look to his character. "
Noah Webster, Letters to a Young Gentleman Commencing His Education to Which is Subjoined a Brief History of the United States (New Haven: S. Converse, 1823), p. 18.

Election Reform in Florida--twice in the last 10 years

As I was searching for articles last night to read about Election Reform I discovered that Florida's legislature passed an election reform bill (and Jeb Bush signed into law) in 2001 after the 2000 election fiasco. I haven't had the chance to read it yet but it can be found here. I'm excited about comparing the two pieces of legislation as well as the federal act Help America Vote Act of 2002. Stay tuned for an updated blog where I compare and contrast these three pieces of legislation. Until then, ponder this quote "The future of the republic is in the hands of the American voter." Dwight D. Eisenhower  

HB 1355: Election Reform Comes to Florida?

cartoon courtesy of: http://kzindex.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/vote.jpg. 

"At times history and fate meet at a single time in a single place to shape a turning point in man's unending search for freedom. So it was at Lexington and Concord. So it was a century ago at Appomattox. So it was last week in Selma, Alabama. There is no Negro problem. There is no southern problem. There is no northern problem. There is only an American problem. Many of the issues of civil rights are very complex and most difficult. But about this there can and should be no argument. Every American citizen must have the right to vote...Yet the harsh fact is that in many places in this country men and women are kept from voting simply because they are Negroes... No law that we now have on the books...can insure the right to vote when local officials are determined to deny it... There is no Constitutional issue here. The command of the Constitution is plain. There is no moral issue. It is wrong--deadly wrong--to deny any of your fellow Americans the right to vote in this country. There is no issue of States' rights or National rights. There is only the struggle for human rights."

President Lyndon B. Johnson (1965)

President Lyndon B. Johnson was talking about the Civil Rights movement and the disfranchisement of African American citizens in this country. Some would argue that HB 1355 is doing something similar to mobile citizens, college students in particular, in Florida--a state where 1 in 6 moves at least once in a given year. 

Last week, the Florida legislature passed HB 1355—a bill that radically reforms election law and voting rights of many Floridians. The bill addresses several election reform issues including minor political parties, third party voter registration, the Election Code pamphlet, Voter ID card, early voting, and voter registration. I am not going to look at the entire bill, instead I plan on examining three sections: voter registration, early voting, and third party voter registration.

Voter Registration: Previously, in Florida, individuals could change their address or name at the polls prior to casting a regular ballot as long as proper identification was provided. If this bill becomes law, this will no longer be the case. Under HB 1355, the only individuals who could change their name or address on Election Day would be those who have moved within the same county. Otherwise, an individual must cast a provisional ballot and later provide proper identification to the supervisor of elections in that county.

Early Voting: HB 1355 also reduces the early voting time from 14 days to 8 days.

Third Party Voter Registration: If a third party group such as Rock the Vote or League of Women Voters does not submit the voter registration paperwork within 48 hours of receiving it, a $50 fine will be administered per form.

What does this issue have to do with education? Simple, college students are some of the most mobile individuals in the state. If this bill becomes law, college students will no longer be able to change their voter registration information at the polls on Election Day. Instead, they will have to cast a provisional ballot, which according to one election supervisor “provisional ballots are often reserved for close races and thus go “uncounted”.  Additionally, historically Florida has a huge early voter turnout and long lines for early voting. In the 2008 election, many college students took advantage of the early voting opportunities. And, organizations such as Rock the Vote had incredible presence on the University of Florida’s campus during the 2008 election, promoting voter registration.

U.S. Senator Bill Nelson has informed Governor Scott that if he signs HB 1355 into law, he will have to answer to the U.S. Justice Department because “Florida is one of 9 states that, under the Voting Rights Acts, must get federal clearance for any changes to election laws that could impact racial, ethnic, or language minorities”.

Will this bill be signed into law? Will the U.S. Justice Department get involved? Stay tuned to find out. 

Name change

As you might have noticed, the name of my blog changed. Since I decided to change my topic for Policy class to HB 1355, I decided to change the title of my blog. However, the web address is still the same.

School Choice: Charter Schools and Digital Learning

Various bills in the 2011 Florida legislative session dealt with ‘school choice’. SB 1546, SB 1620, and HB 1329 all passed the Florida legislature before they ended their session in the early hours Saturday morning. The Republican majority rejoiced! Governor Scott has thrown his support behind the bills that expand student choice in education. 

However, some people say that the bills that were passed are a concerted attack on underfunded public schools. The Florida Education Association (FEA) believes that the Florida legislature does not think too highly of it's public schools. After the past two legislatives sessions where teachers have been dragged through the mud, I agree with the FEA. 

Let's take a look at a few of the 'school choice' bills from this 2011 Legislature session. 

SB 1546: High Performance Charter Schools

Charter schools that are considered to have a clean financial record (audits) and a school grade of an A or B are allowed to expand in order to boost enrollment and add grades to the school. 

Pro: More choice for students. There is a wait list of around 30,000 students who wish to enroll in an A or B charter school around the state and now many of those students will be able to attend a charter school.

Con: Charter schools may now be able to operate with little oversight. How can we say that they will not overstep their boundaries with this expansion on charter school legislation.

SB 1620: Digital Learning Act

This bill requires that by the 2011-2012 school year, all students entering 9^th grade must complete at least one course online as part of the graduation requirement. By 2014-15, all statewide end-of-course assessments must be administered online. The bill also creates online charter schools.

Pro: More and more universities and community colleges have an online option, so students who take an online class in high school will be more prepared to successfully maneuver through an online class or program if they already have experience in that online learning environment.

Con: Do we really want to put our end-of-course assessments online? I'm all for saving trees but I question administering end-of-course exams online. Doesn't anyone remember when FAIR was released and every school district was testing during the same window? The entire system crashed because it was overwhelmed with the number of students using the site at the same time. Think of the student as well. They may not be comfortable reading and taking exams online. What do you do then? Force them to take the test online? What happens if they do poorly on the test because they are uncomfortable in that testing setting? Do we say, "ah who cares.." and move on?? 

The FL legislative session was one for the books! These two bills are just a sampling of what passed in regards to Education during the 2011 FL legislative session. 

Search Terms: School choice, charter schools, online schools

Sources:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/education/os-legislature-school-laws-20110506,0,1644322.story

http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/gradebook/content/what-didnt-pass-florida-legislature

http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/k12/lawmakers-deepened-hole-for-floridas-schools-but-also-passed-major-reforms/1168554

Engaging Young People in Civic Life

Along with the readings for Policy class, I've been reading Engaging Young People in Civic Life (Youniss and Levine, 2009). It's a great read and one that I'm passionate about. It has taken me a good six months to finally find my "research bliss" in looking at critical media literacy, civic engagement/education, and youth. Other research projects that I've been involved in--I'm over them. :) My focus and interest in these topics do not surprise me however, since I have always been deep down a social studies teacher first, reading teacher second. I truly love social studies. Now my quest, since I'm taking Design in the fall is figuring out how I can do a study on civic engagement and youth and media literacies and take it out of the schools. I want to get involved with an organization such as Kids Voting Tampa Bay (made contact with the organization, the director said he would love for me to get involved, and then he never emailed me any details)..So, if anyone out there in blogger land knows of an organization in Tampa that I could get involved in and use for my dissertation topic, let me know. :) I know what I want now I have to get there.

Anyway, this site is supposed to be about policy not my ramblings! Just know that I will be talking about civic engagement along with the teaching of history. Enjoy the ride! :)

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog on History: Fact or Interpretation! In this blog I will be looking at the teaching of history in our schools. Do we simply teach historical facts or interpretation of those facts? What does the FL Legislature say on this issue? What is considered 'best practice' by the SSE community? I will explore this questions and more in the upcoming weeks. So sit back and enjoy. :)