The We the People: the Citizen and the Constitution curriculum is distributed in Florida through the Florida Law Related Education Association, Inc. and is provided by the Center for Civic Education. District Coordinators are assigned to each congressional district to aide in the promotion of this program.

For additional information on the We the People: the Citizen and the Constitution Program, please contact Tiana McGlockton, Program Director, at TMcGlockton@flrea.org.

Links

Program Information
Florida District Coordinators
Upcoming Training
State Competition
Contact Us

Program Information     return to top

The primary goal of We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution is to promote civic competence and responsibility among the nation's elementary and secondary students. What makes the program so successful is the design of its instructional program, including its innovative culminating activity.

The instructional program enhances students understanding of the institutions of American constitutional democracy. At the same time, students discover the contemporary relevance of the Constitution and Bill of Rights.

The culminating activity is a simulated congressional hearing in which students "testify" before a panel of judges. Students demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of constitutional principles and have opportunities to evaluate, take, and defend positions on relevant histroical and contemporary issues.

Free professional-development opportunities is provided by the Center for Civic Education for elementary, middle, high school educators, university and college professors, members of the legal community, We the People Programs state and congressional district coordinators, and youth organization leaders throughout the nation and in selected sites throughout the world.

Since the inception of the We the People program in 1987, more than 28 million students and 90 thousand educators have participated in this innovative course of study. Several studies by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) and Professor Richard Brody, Stanford University, indicate that students who used the curriculum "significantly outperformed comparison students" on every topic studied. The program enjoys the active participation of members of Congress, as well as support from professional, business, and community organizations across the nation.

Click here for the 2009 We The People... the Citizen and the Constitution Report.

Please follow this link to the Center for Civic Education website: http://www.civiced.org/wethepeople.php

Download list of Supporting Organizations
Download list of Internet Resources

Florida District Coordinators     return to top

For more Florida specific information regarding this program, please follow the link provided to access the congressional district coordinator for your local area.

Florida District Coordinators Map

FL01
Gene May
Email: GMay@escambia.k12.fl.us

FL02 - Vacant
Please contact the State Co-Coordinator for assistance.

FL03
Jason Caros
Email: JCaros@volusia.k12.fl.us

FL04
Sharon Ledbetter
Email: Sledbet252@aol.com

FL05
Paula Lesko
Email: PLesko@pasco.k12.fl.us

FL06
Lisa Lauger
Email: LaugerL@bellsouth.net

FL07
Diane Mills
Email: MillsDT@aol.com

FL08
Janie Phelps
Email: PhelpsJ@ocps.net

FL09
Kathleen Steiner
Email: KSteiner@pasco.k12.fl.us

FL10 - Vacant
Please contact the State Co-Coordinator for assistance.

FL11
Paul Trojak
Email: Gettysburg69@juno.com

FL12
Bill Woolwine
Email: Bill.Woolwineiii@polk-fl.net

FL13
Judy Nugent
Email: Nugentgifted@hotmail.com

FL14
Kathryn Selden
Email: SeldenKa@collier.k12.fl.us

FL15
Barbara Jagrowski
Email: Jandbjagrowski@earthlink.net

FL16
Ronald Frazer
Email: RDFrazer@earthlink.net

FL17
Sherrilyn Scott
Email: Sherrilynscott@dadeschools.net

FL18
John Doyle
Email: JDoyle@dadeschools.net

FL19
Barbara Blakeslee
Email: Not available

FL20
Mark Quintana
Email: Markquintana@browardschools.com

FL21
Robert Brazofsky
Email: RBrazofsky@dadeschools.net

FL22
Barbara Blakeslee
Email: Not Available

FL23
Mary Wilson
Email: elagoddess@aol.com

FL24 - Vacant
Please contact the State Co-Coordinator for assistance.

FL25
Maria Elena Sardinas
Email: MRamirez@dadeschools.net

State Co-Coordinator
Tiana McGlockton
Email: TMcGlockton@flrea.org

If you should have any questions or concerns, please contact the State Co-Coordinator at TMcGlockton@flrea.org

Note: Congressional Districts are determined by the physical address of schools. To determine which congressional district your school is in, please go to www.congress.org. Under "My Elected Officials" please enter the 9-digit zip code of the school. To ensure accuracy of the district, the 9-digit zip code must be used. If you are unsure of the 9-digit zip code, please enter the physical address of the school plus the 5-digit zip code.

State Finals Competition     return to top
We the People: the Citizen and the Constitution State Finals Competition
Date: January 9, 2009
Location:

For more information or details, email TMcGlockton@flrea.org.

For additional information or details email ABPflreaED@aol.com

We the People Hearings is Performance Assessment in Action

Participants hold a simulated congressional hearing as the culminating activity for the We the People program. The entire class, working in cooperative teams, prepares and presents statements before a panel of community representatives who act as congressional committee members. Students then answer questions posted by the committee members. The format provides students an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of constitutional principles while providing teachers with an excellent means of assessing performance.

Teachers may engage their students in the simulated hearing activity at the following levels:

Elementary and middle school level classes may conduct noncompetitive hearings in front of a classroom or auditorium-size audience with community members acting as judges.
Teachers at the high school level may conduct a noncompetitive hearing, but are encouraged to participate in the nationwide competitive program. High school competition begins at the congressional district level with teams from each school vying for the district championship. District winners go on to compete at a statewide hearing, and state champions travel to Washington, D.C., in the Spring to represent their state in the We the People national finals.

More than 1200 high school students and their teachers participate annually in the We the People national finals. While in Washington, students also have an opportunity to visit historic sites and meet with members of Congress and other dignitaries.
“The competition has enormous potential as a model foe the evaluation of history/social studies and government classes. It is the most imaginative and well-organized social studies assessment I know of…”
Ruth Mitchell, Testing for Learning, 1991

Forms: Click on a link below for application and other information. Acrobat Reader is required to access these links.

State Registration Form
District Registration Form
Tips
High School Rules
Hearing Schedules
State Hearing Questions Unit 1-6
State Hearing Questions Score Sheets Unit 1-6
Stipend Request
Scoring Guide
Class Score Summary
Hearing Schedules
Volunteer Judge Form
Volunteer Time Keeper Form
Judging Guidelines
Judging Instructions

Upcoming Training     return to top

1.) Florida We the People: the Citizen and the Constitution: Summer Institute. The goal of this professional development institute is to prepare high school teachers to effectively implement the We the People…the Citizen and the Constitution curriculum. The We the People…program is the leading constitutional studies curriculum in the nation. The primary goal of the program is to promote civic competence and responsibility among the nation’s students. The design of the instructional program, including its innovative culminating activity, makes the program successful with both teachers and students. The institute offers training for participants in constitutional content, teaching methodologies, and performance assessment.

Date: July 12-17, 2009
Location: Tallahassee Community College (TCC)
Participating States: Florida
Brochure: PDF file
Application: PDF file

Cover Letter
Application

2.) Classroom visits: If you are teaching the We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution curriculum in your classroom and would like to request a classroom visit or would like assistance in arranging a tour of the Capitol or the Florida Supreme Court while visiting Tallahassee, please forward request to Annette Boyd Pitts, Executive Director at ABPflreaED@aol.com.

Contact Us return to top
Tiana McGlockton, Program Director
The Florida Law Related Education Association, Inc.
Office: 850-386-8223
Fax: 850-286-8293
Email: TMcGlockton@flrea.org