Fund the Civics Project Trust Fund
The civic education law was passed in 2018.
No funds were appropriated for it.
We must work to keep it from becoming an unfunded mandate.
In 2018 the Northampton Area league sent hundreds of post cards urging our legislators to vote for the civic education law. LWVMA was a major supporter of the bill, S.2631, working as a member of the Massachusetts Civic Learning Coalition. We all celebrated when it passed.
The new law provides for funding for the professional development of teachers to teach civics effectively, the opportunity for students to participate in civics-based projects, and establishes civic education as a priority for school districts across the state.
“Understanding how government works is the essence of power. To be a strong citizen, you need to know how the structures of our government work and how to operate within them,”wrote Stefanie Sanford, chief of global policy of the College Board. A few years ago, the leaders of the College Board, those who write the SAT exams, identified the two most important areas of knowledge that students would need to become engaged citizens: the U.S. Constitution and computer skills. Thomas Friedman described the focus of the College Board this way, “if you want to be an empowered citizen in our democracy – able to not only navigate society and its institutions but also to improve and shape them, and not just be shaped by them – you need to know how the code of the U.S. Constitution works.” “The Two Codes Your Kids Need to Know,” Thomas Friedman, NYTimes,2/12/19.
Contact your state Representative and Senator.
What should I say?
It is of paramount importance to fund the Civics Project Trust Fund. I encourage you to support this funding in both the supplemental budget for 2019 and for the FY20 operating budget.
Senator Adam Hinds Senator Jo Comerford
24 Beacon St. 24 Beacon St.
Room 109-E Room 70C
Boston, MA 02133 Boston, MA 02133
Phone: 617-722-1625 Phone:617-722-1532
Adam.hinds@masenate.gov Jo.Comerford@masenate.gov
Senator Donald Humason, Jr.
24 Beacon St.
Room 313-A
Boston, MA 02133
Phone: 617-722-1415
Representative Daniel Carey Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa
24 Beacon St. 24 Beacon St.
Room 33 Room 443
Boston, MA 02133 Boston, MA 02133
Phone: 617-722-2060 Phone:617-722-2460
Daniel.carey@mahouse.gov Lindsay.sabadosa@mahouse.gov