Civics Alliance, Website, Our Work, Model Civics Code, 5 Special

THE CIVICS ALLIANCE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SCHOLARS MODEL CIVICS LEGISLATION SPECIAL OBSERVANCES ACT Introduction Many states make provision for programs of civic instruction keyed to one or more federal holidays, or to other specified days, weeks, or months. We have incorporated elements of all categories of state statute pertaining to Special Observances into our model Special Observances legislation. Many states make provision for Special Observances unique to their state. Arizona commemorates Sandra Day O’Connor, Illinois commemorates Leif Erickson, New Jersey commemorates Commodore John Barry. We encourage states to add unique civic observances to the list we provide. We restrict our list to observances linked to federal holidays, or to other aspects of national commemoration. Model Legislative Text SECTION A: The governing body of any school district or public charter school shall conduct appropriate patriotic exercises, and prepare programs of relevant civic and historical instruction that convey the meaning and significance of the day, on the day or week preceding or following these holidays: (1) Constitution Day; (2) Columbus Day; (3) Veterans Day; (4) Thanksgiving Day; (5) Bill of Rights Day; (6) Martin Luther King Day; (7) George Washington’s birthday; (8) Abraham Lincoln’s birthday; (9) Armed Forces Day; and (10) Memorial Day. SECTION B: If any provision of this chapter, or the application of any provision to any person or circumstance, is held to be invalid, the remainder of this chapter and the application of its provisions to any other person or circumstance shall not be affected thereby. Existing State Statutes Arizona: A.R.S. § 15-710.01 [Sandra Day O’Connor civics celebration day; civics instruction requirement] Arkansas: ACA § 6-16-101 [Celebrate Freedom Week]; ACA § 6-16-107 [Patriotic holidays—Observance]; ACA § 6-16-121 [African-American history—Teaching materials] Florida: Fla. Stat. § 1003.42 [Required instruction]; Fla. Stat. § 1003.421 [Recitation of the Declaration of Independence]; Fla. Stat. § 1003.44 [Patriotic programs; rules] Georgia: O.C.G.A. § 20-2-147 [Instructional activities focusing on veterans and the armed forces; closure of schools for Veterans Day] Illinois: 105 ILCS 5/27-19 [Leif Erickson day]; 105 ILCS 5/27-20.1 [Illinois Law Week] Kansas: K.S.A. 72-3233 [Celebrate freedom week]; K.S.A. 72-3234 [Same; state board of education; rules and regulations]; K.S.A. 72-9928 [Patriotic exercises; flag etiquette; observation of holidays] Kentucky: KRS § 158.075 [Veterans Day observance in public schools] Maine: M.R.S. Title 20-A §4803 [Special observance days]; M.R.S. Title 20-A §4805 [Other special observances] Maryland: MD Educ Code § 7-103 [Required school days and holidays]; MD Educ Code § 7-116 [Constitution Day and Citizenship Day] Minnesota: Minn. Stat. § 120A.42 [Conduct of school on certain holidays] Montana: Mont. Code Ann. § 20-1-306 [Commemorative exercises on certain days] Nebraska: Neb. Rev. Stat. § 79-724 [Committee on American civics; created; duties; school board, State Board of Education, and superintendent; duties] New Hampshire: NH RSA §189:18 [Patriotic Exercises] New Jersey: N.J. Stat. § 18A:36-6 [Observance of flag day]; N.J. Stat. § 18A:36-10 [Designation of Commodore Barry Day]; N.J. Stat. § 18A:36-11 [Observance of Commodore Barry Day]; N.J. Stat. § 18A:36-12 [Exercises on Commodore Barry Day]; N.J. Stat. § 18A:36-13 [Patriotic exercises preceding holidays]; N.J. Stat. § 18A:36-13.1 [Observation of certain holidays by school district] New York: NY CLS Title 1, Article 17, § 802 [Instruction relating to the flag; holidays] Ohio: Ohio Rev. Code Ann. §3313.602 [Pledge of allegiance - principles of democracy and ethics - Veterans' day observance] Oklahoma: Okla. Stat. tit. 70, § 24-109 [Oklahoma Statehood Day - November 16]; Okla. Stat. tit. 70, § 24-110[Oklahoma Statehood Day - Program for]; Okla. Stat. tit. 70, § 24-152 [Veterans Day and Celebrate Freedom Week in public schools - Instruction on Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution] Oregon: ORS 336.029 [Oregon Civics Day for Teachers] Pennsylvania: 24 P.S. § 15-1542 [Frances Willard Day]; 24 P.S. § 15-1543 [William Penn Day]; 24 P.S. § 15-1544 [Free School Day]; 24 P.S. § 15-1544 [Free School Day] South Carolina: S.C. Code Ann. §59-29-120 [Study of United States Constitution requisite for graduation; attendance at veteran's activities] Tennessee: Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-6-1014 [Celebrate Freedom Week] Texas: Texas Education Code §29.907 [Celebrate Freedom Week]; Texas Education Code §29.9071 [Texas Military Heroes Day]; Texas Education Code §29.9072 [Holocaust Remembrance Week] Vermont: Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 16 § 907 [Lincoln's birthday]; Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 16 § 908 [Pre-Memorial Day exercises] Washington: Rev. Code Wash. § 28A.230.150 [Temperance and Good Citizenship Day—Aids in programming—Voter registration—Report]; Rev. Code Wash. § 28A.230.160 [Educational activities in observance of Veterans’ Day] West Virginia: W. Va. Code § 18-2-9 [Required course of instruction].

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