917 Society Celebrates Constitution, Still Giving Out Free Pocket Copies to Eighth-Graders

Members of the 917 Society traveled around Tennessee last week giving away free pocket Constitutions to eighth-graders to mark Constitution Week. The Nashville area nonprofit has reached 10,000 students so far with the launch of its Constitution Project, which is for public, private and homeschooled students. In Tennessee, eighth-grade is an important year for civics education, including an emphasis on the Constitution. The group is continuing to fulfill requests for copies of the pocket Constitutions. The group also makes available other resources for teachers, including a short documentary on the Constitution narrated by Kentucky journalist Nick Clooney, father of actor George Clooney and brother of the late singer Rosemary Clooney. Other films and resources will be developed for future years. Joni Bryan, executive director of the 917 Society, told The Tennessee Star that one challenge her group faces is that recognition of Constitution Week in Tennessee schools is uneven from school to school. “The biggest problem is there is no consistent program or promotion at the state level,” Bryan said. School districts generally leave decisions on recognizing Constitution Week up to individual schools and teachers. Bryan said the teachers who gravitated toward the 917 Society’s resources for Constitution Week were grateful…

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Metro Nashville Public Schools Ignores the Constitution During Constitution Week

Metro Nashville Public Schools has not promoted Constitution Day or Constitution Week at the district level. District spokeswoman Michelle Machaud told The Tennessee Star that “we are not as a district” promoting Constitution Week but that “it may be possible social studies teachers are observing this.” The Star contacted several Metro Nashville schools but messages were not returned. Metro Nashville Public Schools does have an interest in promoting other topics for inclusion in the curriculum used by middle and high school social studies teachers. In August, for instance, the president of the Islamic Center of Nashville spoke at an in-service for Metro Nashville middle and high school social studies teachers. He posted on Facebook about how he ended the presentation with the question, “Is Islam compatible with the West?” The district did not respond to pointed questions by The Star about the presentation. Constitution Week celebrates the 230th anniversary of the signing of the Constitution by the delegates attending the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia on September 17, 1787. Constitution Day was Monday, September 18, and Constitution Week runs through Sunday, September 24. President Trump issued a proclamation last Friday to observe the occasion. (When Constitution Day falls on a Saturday or Sunday, it is…

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Recognition of Constitution Week Spotty in Middle Tennessee Public Schools Outside of Nashville

Signing the Constitution painting

Constitution Week will soon be over and Tennesseans who want to see the annual tradition promoted are worried it has gone by unnoticed by too many public schools. While some educators and outside groups have thrown themselves into promoting the week, there has been a lack of coordination at a higher level for school programs. However, The Tennessee Star is committed to promoting the U.S. Constitution and is holding a Constitution Bee on Saturday. Several Middle Tennessee school districts contacted by The Star reported they do not have district-led initiatives to celebrate Constitution Week, but rather leave it up to individual schools and teachers. Rutherford County Schools spokesman James Evans said, “Those types of events are typically handled by social studies teachers at the school level as it relates to the curriculum and academic standards.” A spokeswoman for Wilson County Schools said she was not aware of any activities. At the district level, Williamson County Schools seems to be doing more than some. “We’ve provided a number of resources and information to teachers to support their own ideas of how to incorporate Constitution Day into their lessons,” said spokeswoman Carol Birdsong. “At the elementary level, the Daughters of the American Revolution…

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Constitution Week Kicks Off with Nationwide ‘Preamble Challenge’ and Constitution Bee in Tennessee

The country began its week-long celebration of the 230th anniversary of the signing of the Constitution by delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia on September 17, 1787 with a nationwide “Preamble Challenge” issued to secondary and elementary school students by the Civics Renewal Network on Monday. At least two schools in Tennessee are participating in the Preamble Challenge. “We plan to read ‘Shh! We’re Writing the Constitution’ and complete a Preamble Scramble and a Constitution Scavenger Hunt to learn what the Constitution says, what it means, and its importance. On Constitution Day, we will gather around our flag pole for a dramatic reading of the Constitution,” a participating teacher at Copper Basin Elementary School in Copperhill, Tennessee says. Camp Creek Elementary school in Greeneville, Tennessee is also participating. Constitution Week wraps up on Saturday in Pleasant View, Tennessee, when secondary school students from around the state gather at Sycamore High School to participate in what appears to be the first-ever Constitution Bee in the country. The winner of The Polk Foundation’s Tennessee Star Constitution Bee will receive a round trip flight to Washington, D.C. along with a parent. Among other scheduled events in the nation’s Capitol, the winner and a…

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State Rep. Byrd’s ‘Celebrate Freedom Week’ Bill Signed Into Law; Tennessee Schoolchildren to Learn More About America’s Founding

  Tennessee students will get more lessons on the history of American’s founding, thanks to a bill passed by the state legislature and signed into law by Gov. Haslam last week. The week of Sept. 17 will be designated as Celebrate Freedom Week in K-12 public schools. The law goes into effect in 2018. Sept. 17 is already known nationally as Constitution Day, and Sept. 17-23 is Constitution Week, in recognition of the signing of the U.S. Constitution on Sept. 17, 1787. State Rep. David Byrd (R-Waynesboro), who sponsored the legislation in the House, told The Tennessee Star he’s not sure schools statewide are uniformly emphasizing Constitution Week and that’s one reason he wanted to introduce Celebrate Freedom Week, which already is recognized in several other states. It also will give educators already familiar with Constitution Week some extra resources, Byrd said. The bill was sponsored in the Senate by Joey Hensley (R-Hohenwald). Celebrate Freedom Week is primarily designed to give attention to the purpose and meaning of the original texts of our founding documents, including the Declaration of Independence. But other events in American history that relate to founding principles may also be discussed. It gives Byrd the chills to…

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