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Goal

Ought to be a Law is a service-learning program that provides students the chance to propose legislation to our local delegation of state legislators. This year our students were able to propose a bill idea and it was picked up by State Senator Jay Collins and State Representative Danny Alvarez. Students will travel to Tallahassee during the upcoming legislative session to lobby, testify on, and work to pass their bill. The bill the students are working on has three major components.
1. The bill asks the state legislature to keep a current statute F.S. 1000.36 - Military Interstate Children's Compact Commission from sunsetting at the end of this school year. The compact helps students that are connected to military families have smoother transitions into our schools.
2. The students ask for better implementation of the compact and its contents by requiring training for a minimum of one administrator and one school counselor per site.
3. The students are asking that several of the provisions of the compact that are not military specific be rolled over into FLDOE policy to assist all students in their transfer into Florida schools.

Here is a link to a news story by ABC News on the town hall meeting where the students pitched their ideas on Nov 13 2024.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/students-hillsborough-county-schools-present-225432097.html 

 

Category

Other -  

 

What will be done with my students

This project has many benefits to students including research, public speaking, networking, alliance building, grassroots organizing, learning negotiation skills, participating in meetings with stakeholders, debate, civil discourse, argument analysis, and the anticipation of questions they may be asked in regard to their idea. Students in this program will gain a deep level of understanding on how our state government works by being an active participant in the legislative process.  

 

Benefits to my students

Students will have a deeper understanding of how our state government functions by being an active participant in the legislative session. They will become better critical thinkers, negotiators, public speakers, and citizens of our state. 

 

Budget Narrative

The main cost of providing this program is the cost to transport the students to Tallahassee to participate in the committee meetings as the bill progresses through the legislature. If a bill is successful in reaching the governor's desk the students will have made multiple trips to the capital which will require a rented minivan, 1 night's hotel accommodations and gas. Each trip costs approximately $500 to complete. This grant would cover up to 4 trips to the capital which is what would be needed for a bill that will pass.  

 

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