http://ideas.virginia.gov/

Commonwealth of Virginia

2009-10-02

The Virginia Ideas Forum offers a place for residents and citizens of Virginia to voice their suggestions and concerns to state officials. Other residents and citizens may comment and vote on these ideas. In addition, state officials offer responses on the forum. This website is an excellent place for individuals to become involved in government.

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Liz Moore

George Mason University

http://manyeyes.alphaworks.ibm.com/manyeyes/

IBM

2009-10-02

Many Eyes is a collaborative, innovative resource for graphs, maps, charts, and other interactive resources. Users may browse data ranging from the status of smoking in Virginia restaurants (by county) to food safety or sports statistics. The website offers detailed information about different types of data visualizations (pie charts, histograms, maps, etc.) and ways to create such visualizations. Users may then input their own data into the website, complete with charts or maps. Many Eyes is an excellent tool for learning how to create and interpret many types of data sets.

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Liz Moore

George Mason University

www.swivel.com

Swivel.com

2009-10-02

Swivel is an interactive website which allows user to explore, share, and upload "tasty data goodies." Data sets include such diverse information as the Life Expectancy in Virginia, Interest rate data from the Federal Reserve Board, and the number of people who read newspapers online. As with any source, users should evaluate the source of each data set for accuracy. Some are contributed by anonymous individuals, others come from sources such as the National Weather Service. Swivel is an excellent tool for locating and analyzing data sets for accuracy, relevance, and content.

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Liz Moore

George Mason University

http://ourdocuments.gov

National Archives and Records Administration, National History Day, US Freedom Corps

2009-09-11

This website highlights 100 primary source documents that shaped United States history. Documents include the Declaration of Independence, the Virginia Plan, the Civil Rights Act, and the Executive Order establishing the Peace Corps. Each source has detailed information about the document, an image of the original document, a document transcript, and high-resolution pdfs. The website also contains Tools for Educators, with guides on integrating these important documents into the classroom. Want to know what James Madison’s handwriting looks like, and why what he wrote was important? This is the place for you.

ourdocs.gov

Liz Moore

George Mason University

Constitution of Virginia

Article V Section 15. Attorney General.

An Attorney General shall be elected by the qualified voters of the Commonwealth at the same time and for the same term as the Governor; and the fact of his election shall be ascertained in the same manner. No person shall be eligible for election or appointment to the office of Attorney General unless he is a citizen of the United States, has attained the age of thirty years, and has the qualifications required for a judge of a court of record. He shall perform such duties and receive such compensation as may be prescribed by law, which compensation shall neither be increased nor diminished during the period for which he shall have been elected. There shall be no limit on the terms of the Attorney General.

1 day (90—minute class)

SOL Skills
GOVT.1a
GOVT.1c
GOVT.1d
GOVT.1g

SOL Content
GOVT8.e
GOVT.9c
GOVT.9e
GOVT.11e

The students will:

• Examine primary sources and distinguish between relevant and irrelevant facts.
• Compare and contrast the reaction of members of a community to desegregation.
• Explain how individuals, interests groups, and the media influence public policy.

Activities

Activity 1

To provide students with historical background about the events leading up to the Floyd County struggle over desegregation and to put the remaining activities in context, have students review the U.S. National Archives website. The website provides information regarding a 1947 NAACP lawsuit in Pulaski County called Mahatma Corbin v. County School Board of Pulaski County.

While students are reviewing the website, have them complete Handout #1: School Desegregation in Pulaski County, Virginia. If time constraints exist, reviewing the website and completing the handout can be assigned the class period before as homework.

As a class, discuss student responses to Handout #1.  During the class discussion, the teacher should emphasize the following:

1. The central complaint of the appellant was the lack of equal facilities and the distance African American students in Southwest Virginia were required to travel to attend Christiansburg Institute.
2. The Corbin case was one of the last “equalization” lawsuits. Following the Corbin case, the NAACP focused on desegregation itself as the only way to guarantee complete protection of 14th Amendment rights to full citizenship.
3. The significance of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision requiring the desegregation of public schools across the country and Virginia’s Massive Resistance program.

To help teachers prepare to facilitate the class discussion, the Virginia Center for Digital History website Television News and the Civil Rights Era 1950–1970 is an excellent resource of glossary terms and the historical background on this period of time in Virginia.

Activity 2

After introducing the topic of school desegregation, teachers should distribute Handout #2: What Were the Newspapers Saying? Along with the handout, give students two different color highlighters. Working in pairs, students will highlight important facts and participants, and write two unanswered questions for each article.

Group Discussion

To organize and conduct a group discussion, complete the following steps:

1. Write three columns on the board labeled facts, participants, and questions.
2. Ask students what they believe are the five most important facts presented in the first article and record their responses on the board.
3. Ask the class to decide which five facts are the most important. Asking students to negotiate a shorter list from the longer one generated in discussion will allow a second, more critical, examination of the article.
4. Next, ask students to identify participants in the article and record their responses on the board.
5. As part of the discussion, ask students about the role of each participant in the events described in the article.
6. Finally, ask students what questions they had about each article and record the questions on the board for discussion.

Repeat the above steps for the remaining two articles.

Handout #3: Group Discussion Sample Responses provides sample charts for the teacher that identifies possible responses from students and results from the group discussion.

Background

Present this historical information to enhance group knowledge and discussion.

Southwest Virginia did not have the same racial composition as the eastern part of the state. The region was known as the “white belt” with only a 10-percent African American population. On May 19, 1954, two days after the Brown decision, a Roanoke Times article noted that Buchanan County was the “only county in Virginia unaffected by the Supreme Court” because it had “no Negroes among its 36,000 residents.” In the same article, the staff writer boasted that Buchanan’s school superintendent was “in an enviable position when compared to the problems other school administrators face in the future.” Believing the region was an exception to other parts of the state, a 1954 Southwest Times editorial reported, “In Pulaski, with excellent race relations and with our citizens of all nationalities and creeds working and living together in harmony we see no major problem.” The idea that Floyd County was “vulnerable” to an NAACP petition to desegregate its schools illustrates the region’s continued perception of itself as exceptional in its race relations.

Southwest Virginia was home to one of the premier African American schools in the country, the Christiansburg Institute. Located in Montgomery County, Christiansburg Institute was established in 1866 after the Civil War by Friends’ Freedmen’s Association to help educate newly freed slaves.  In 1895, Booker T. Washington became the school’s superintendent and modeled Christiansburg Institute after his own industrial trade school, Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute now known as Tuskegee University. After the 1947 lawsuit, Corbin v. County School Board of Pulaski County, cited inequalities in the education of black and white students in the region, Christiansburg Institute received funding from the surrounding counties that opted to support the African American school in their region rather than desegregate or build their own separate school. In 1959, a Roanoke Times article noted that “the usual academic and vocational courses found in any high school are taught at the institute. There are also courses in cosmetology and barbering, rarities in other Southwest Virginia high schools.” Southwest Virginians believed they were upholding their obligation to black students by providing a fine education at Christiansburg Institute.

The goals and course that Massive Resistance in Virginia hoped to pursue depended on the ability of the media to successfully present its arguments to a diverse audience across the state, and outside its borders. This challenge of reaching a wide audience should not have posed a significant problem because the state’s Democratic political machine was dominated by its senior senator, Harry Byrd, and he controlled the media. Southwest Virginia, however, presented a challenge because it was less culturally or politically loyal to the Byrd machine. The newspapers in Southwest Virginia did not uniformly support Byrd and were independent in criticizing policies handed down from the state capital in Richmond. The Floyd County articles again illustrate the independence of reporting in what was considered by many strictly a “local issue.”

Conclusion

Following analysis of the three articles and group discussion, students should conclude that the issue of desegregation in Floyd County in 1959 is a case study in the challenge of civil rights in a democracy. While the question of desegregation involved only 14 African American students, those students were guaranteed the right to a free and public education by law. Christiansburg Institute was a good school, but it did not provide an equal opportunity for African American children in Southwest Virginia and the distance the school was located from many homes made it a burden to students.

The question of public education hits at the heart of what democratic institutions rely on to ensure an educated electorate. Public schools rely on state funding and therefore must to some degree abide by state policies, but they are also important to local administrations such as the Board of Supervisors, School Board, and PTA. The media also play an important role in reporting matters of local and state concern to their audiences. In the second article, students will learn that reporters took great journalistic pride in digging deeper into the issues for more information about the source of the petitions.

In total, the three articles reveal that in the matter of public school policy there are many participants. It intersects state and local administrations, involves parent and students, and even relies on the media to present views and comments from public and private citizens.

Differentiation

To adapt this lesson for both advanced and remedial students, teachers should use the link to the Virginia Center for Digital History website Television News and the Civil Rights Era 1950-1970.  Click on Films and Summaries, then click on 1959, and play the following three movie clips from Roanoke based WDBJ 7 television:

• Clip 1: NAACP Attorney Lawson Comments on Plans to Integrate SW VA Counties
• Clip 2: Delegate Joseph Poff Comments on Segregation Suit
• Clip 3: Teacher and student Floyd County comments on integration

Remedial students should be asked to comment on what they hear and see in the video clips and use the group chart to organize their discussion about the role of both state and local officials in deciding the question of desegregation in Floyd County.

Advanced students should use their knowledge from the newspaper articles to compare to what they see and hear in the television interviews. Teachers should challenge students to ask which form of journalism is more democratic, print or television? To supplement a discussion of the role of the media in the Civil Rights Movement, have advanced students read an online article, Television News and the Civil Rights Struggle, by William G. Thomas III. This article is linked from the Television News and the Civil Rights Era website under Essays and Interpretations.

Sarah Taylor

Salem City Schools

Senator John Warner's comments on the No Child Left Behind Act
Conference Report, December 18, 2001

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1, the No Child Left Behind Act, which will reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, ESEA.
   Last year, presidential candidate George W. Bush appropriately indicated that education reform was a top priority. This year, President Bush has worked to make this top priority a reality. The Senate will soon pass H.R. 1, legislation which is based on President Bush's education blueprint, entitled, ``No Child Left Behind .'' I share the President's goal; our educational system must leave no child behind .
   I commend President Bush, Secretary of Education Paige, and my colleagues who served with me on the Education Conference Committee. We have worked in bipartisan fashion to forge this legislation that will substantively reform elementary and secondary education in this country.
   Education is the key to a better quality of life for all Americans. From early childhood through adult life, educational resources must be provided and supported through partnerships with individuals, parents, communities, and local government. The Federal Government has a limited but important role in assisting states and local authorities with the ever-increasing burdens of education.
   Originally passed in 1965, the ESEA provides authority for most federal programs for elementary and secondary education. ESEA programs currently receive about $18 billion in federal funding, which amounts to an estimated 7 cents out of every dollar that is spent on education.
   Nearly half of ESEA funds are used on behalf of children from low-income families under title I. Since 1965, the federal government has spent more than $120 billion on Title I.
   Despite the conscientious efforts of federal, state, and local entities over many years, our education system continues to lag behind other comparable nations. Nearly 70 percent of inner city fourth graders are unable to read at a basic level on national reading tests. Fourth grade math students in high poverty schools remain two grade levels behind their peers in other schools. Our high school seniors score lower than students in most industrialized nations on international math tests. And, approximately one-third of college freshman must take a remedial course before they are able to even begin college level courses.
   The underlying issue is--do we just pour more taxpayer dollars to perpetuate these mediocre results or do we take some bold new initiatives?
   The No Child Left Behind Act takes some bold new initiatives by increasing federal education funding, increasing state and local flexibility in their use of Federal funds, and increasing accountability--each are steps in the right direction.
   First, in regard to funding, the No Child Left Behind Act authorizes $26.5 billion for elementary and secondary education. This includes a substantial increase for Title I programs--which are education programs directed toward disadvantaged children. The bill also provides substantial funding for programs aimed at having all children read by the 3rd grade, teacher quality programs, and programs aimed at making our schools safe and drug free.
   Next, in regard to flexibility, the bill significantly increases State and local flexibility in the use of their Federal education dollars.
   Under the ESEA law that exists today, most ESEA programs have a specified purpose and a target population. Our states and localities are given little, if any flexibility in the use of the federal dollars they receive.
   Our schools do not need a targeted one size fits all Washington, D.C. approach to education. While schools in some parts of the country may need to use federal education dollars to hire additional teachers to reduce classroom size, schools in other parts of the country may wish to use federal dollars for a more pressing need, like new text books. Federally targeted programs for a specified purpose do not recognize that different states and localities have different needs.
   Who is in a better position to recognize these local needs, Senators and Representatives in Washington, D.C. or Governors, localities, and parents? Those Virginians serving in state and local government and serving on local school boards throughout the Commonwealth are certainly in a better position than members of Congress from other states to determine how best to spend education dollars in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
   The No Child Left Behind Act increases flexibility and local control. For example, the bill allows every local school district in America to make spending decisions with up to 50 percent of the non-title I funds they receive from the federal government. Thus, with regard to non-title I funds, every local school district will have the freedom to choose alternative uses for these funds within certain broad guidelines.
   Moreover, the bill provides even more flexibility in the use of federal
[Page: S13375]  GPO's PDF
education dollars for up to 7 states and 150 school districts. These states and local school districts will be given the opportunity to consolidate a number of federal education programs, providing the participating states and localities the ability to focus federal dollars where they are needed most.
   Finally, accountability, in certain areas, is needed. Our education policy is locking out many students and not providing them the key to a better life. It's time to move forward in education to ensure that all of our children are given the opportunity to receive a higher quality of education.
   President Bush's proposal to test students annually in grades 3-8 in reading and math, which is part of the No Child Left Behind Act, is a strong proposal that promotes accountability.
   These tests will result in parents and teachers receiving the information they need to know to determine how well their children and students are doing in school and to determine how well the school is educating its students. Testing also provides educators the information they need to help them better learn what works, improve their skills, and increase teacher effectiveness.
   While some have expressed concern that this legislation calls for too much testing, I have a different view. A yearly standard test in reading and math will allow our educators to catch any problems in reading and math at the earliest possible moment. Tests are becoming a vital part of life, no matter how onerous. If America is to survive in the rapidly emerging global economy, tests are a key part.
   I note that Virginia has already recognized the importance of testing, having installed an accountability system called the Standards of Learning (SOLs). In Virginia, we already test our students in math and science in grades 3, 5, and 8. The No Child Left Behind Act will build upon Virginia's experience.
   Increased funding, increased flexibility, and enhanced accountability, are all steps in the right direction that we take with the No Child Left Behind Act. However, I must remind my colleagues that we have more work to accomplish.
   President Bush's ``No Child Left Behind'' blueprint calls for tax relief for America's teachers when they dip into their own pocket to purchase supplies for students. Senator Collins and I have worked together since early this year to pass legislation to provide teachers with this type of tax relief. Unfortunately, the bill before us today does not contain these provisions.
   In my view, as we leave no child behind , we must not forget our nations' teachers.
   The important role that our nations' teachers play in educating today's youth and tomorrow's leaders cannot be overstated. Quality, caring teachers along with quality, caring parents, play the predominant roles in ensuring that no child is left behind .
   Nevertheless, in part because of their low salaries and the numerous out-of-pocket expenses they incur as part of their profession, we are in the midst of a national teaching shortage. Teacher tax relief legislation is one way the federal government can help.
   So, while I look forward to voting in support of the No Child Left Behind Act and look forward to President Bush signing this important education reform legislation into law, I also look forward to working with the President and my colleagues in Congress to ensure that our teachers receive the tax relief they deserve.

http://www.votesmart.org/

Project Vote Smart

2009-04-22

Project Vote Smart aims to provide voters with information about key election issues, biographical information about candidates, and voting records. One of its best properties is the level of detail given to state and local elections. Visitors can search by zip code to find information about candidates in their area, go directly to Virginia’s profile page, or even find links to local election offices. Find out who your representatives are, how their votes are affecting your life, and how you can vote in your area.

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Liz Moore

George Mason University

http://www.cagle.com/teacher/

Daryl Cagle and ClassBrain

2009-04-22

This website offers five lesson plans and associated political cartoons every day. Such frequent updates ensure that each lesson plan covers the latest issues. By necessity, each lesson plan is fairly brief. It offers a brief overview of background on the political cartoon, a list of discussion questions, the state where the cartoon was published, and links to articles about the issue. The main page also offers a comprehensive index of political cartoonists, which includes the Richmond Times-Dispatch and the Fredericksburg Freelance-Star, that visitors may want to use for research purposes or simply a quick laugh.

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Liz Moore

George Mason University