As the Kansas state coordinator for the We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution national program, I traveled back east for our annual coordinator conference. As state coordinator, I work with 4 district coordinators, one from each of the four state districts:
1st district – Dr. Brad Burnheide, KSU, Manhattan, KS
2nd district –Ms. Leslie Scoby, Sabetha, KS
3rd district – Mr. Ken Thomas, Olathe, KS
4th district – Mr. Chris Kemp, Wichita, KS
Mr. Bill Wilson from Greeley County serves as the state Project Citizen coordinator and was also in attendance.
As a group, we traveled to Capitol Hill on Monday, June 29th, and visited the offices of each of our U.S. Representatives and our two Senators, seeking their support for federal funding under the Department of Education’s national programs. All six of our representatives and senators have supported this program in the past and, I believe, will continue that support.
Free textbooks, resources, and professional development are available for schools and individual teachers that choose to use the programs. Through a student-centered, researched based model, civic literacy and responsibility are the goals of the program that emphasizes knowledge of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Many schools and educators in KS first district use these materials in the classroom. Hays High School has represented Kansas at the national level five times.
State competition for the We the People program will be held in Topeka on Feb. 1st 2010.
