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Focusing on Florida's purge of gay and lesbian teachers from 1956 to 1965, this study explores how the Florida Legislative Investigation Committee, commonly known as the Johns Committee, investigated and discharged dozens of teachers on the basis of sexuality. Karen L. Graves details how teachers were targeted, interrogated, and stripped of their professional credentials, and she examines the extent to which these teachers resisted the invasion of their personal lives. She contrasts the experience of three groups - civil rights activists, gay and lesbian teachers, and University of South Florida personnel - called before the committee and looks at the range of response and resistance to the investigations. Based on archival research conducted on a recently opened series of Investigation Committee records in the State Archives of Florida, this work highlights the importance of sexuality in American and education history and argues that Florida's attempt to govern sexuality in schools implies that educators are distinctly positioned to transform dominant ideology in American society. ... Read more

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Another Aspect of the Witch Hunt
When we think of the American witch hunts of the 1950s, we are right to remember Joe McCarthy and the un-American pursuit of citizens who didn't have the right political ideas.There were other sides to the persecutions, however, less famous but still historically significant.In _And They Were Wonderful Teachers: Florida's Purge of Gay and Lesbian Teachers_ (University of Illinois Press), Karen L. Graves, who teaches about education, gives a history of the now nearly-forgotten "Johns Committee" which between 1956 and 1965 took on a series of patriotic purges, finally focusing on homosexual teachers because unlike its previous targets, civil rights activists and communists, the teachers had little social support and before Stonewall had little cohesion among themselves to fight the unfairness.Graves has given a detailed history of the efforts of the committee, putting it into the context of the times and helpfully placing the episode within the history of decreasing prejudicial actions against homosexuals.

The Johns Committee, officially known as the Florida Legislative Investigation Committee, got its name from being headed by Florida Senator Charley Johns, but most of the grilling of witnesses reported here comes from Remus J. Strickland, the committee's chief investigator.The committee was formed by the state legislature originally with the intent that it would impede desegregation efforts after the 1956 _Brown v. Board of Education_ Supreme Court decision.When the witnesses from the well organized NAACP refused to cooperate on constitutional grounds, the committee in 1959 took as a new rationale for the continuation of its owe existence the target of homosexual teachers.It did most of its investigations as interviews behind closed doors.The committee did not want the exposure of public hearings, nor for the accused to be accorded the rights such hearings would make mandatory.Given the fears of the times, the committee could get extra information from witnesses by threatening to make the hearings public.Teachers were pulled out of classrooms and interrogated.Local law enforcement and school officials were often present, but legal counsel was not.The witnesses were not told why they were being investigated, what evidence was held against them, or who had accused them.Strickland seems to have taken a particular liking to getting details of witnesses' sex lives ("In other words, you played the fem.Have you ever played the butch part?") and their particular use of anatomical parts.Witnesses were pressured to identify their friends, some from long ago.It is important to remember that these teachers were not accused of involving students in sexual activities.The committee asserted that people were not homosexual by nature but that "Homosexuals are made by training," and that teachers were in a position to train students into homosexuality, although no charges of such training were made.Observations like "he always had flowers on his desk" were grounds for the committee to interrogate a teacher.Teachers who were questioned resigned or were fired.The committee strove too long and hard, and eventually took a wrong step in issuing _Homosexuality and Citizenship in Florida_ (more commonly known as "The Purple Pamphlet").The report had "crude photographs, a glossary of sexual terms defined in raw language, and an unsophisticated analysis of `the homosexual problem," all of which offended taxpayers and caused the state attorney to threaten legal action against such "obscene and pornographic" material.

Graves says that the Johns Committee is unique in educational history for its single-mindedness, intensity of purpose, and the number of teachers it investigated and ruined.That it came to an embarrassing and effete end does not mean that its ideas ceased being powerful.In Florida in 1977, a law to include sexual orientation under antidiscrimination ordinances drew the ire of the Christian right, especially orange juice pitchwoman Anita Bryant.The committee would have approved of her idea that "homosexual teachers could encourage more homosexuality by inducing pupils into looking upon it as an acceptable life-style."(There was a similar argument made against Proposition 8 in California last November.)Although Bryant successfully tapped into anti-gay feeling at the time, the antidiscrimination statute was reauthorized in 1998.Still, even after the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated laws banning "unnatural or lascivious acts" in 2003, public schools in Florida can still use vague rules about immorality to put at risk the careers for anyone of the wrong sexuality.Graves's penetrating book demonstrates the worst aspects of a government bent on using secrecy and intimidation to solidify its authority, and although the worst unfairness may be over, fairness has yet to become the universal rule.
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On November 9, 1999, the Governor of Florida issued Executive Order 99-281 to establish the 'One Florida Initiative', which abolished the use of race as a factor in university admissions. In February 2001, the South African government issued its 'National Plan for Higher Education', which outlined a framework to redress inequities in the country's higher education system perpetuated by the former government's apartheid ideology. In Access to Higher Education, author Marty Khan explores the challenges and conflicts the senior university leaders in Florida and South Africa faced while implementing these policies. ... Read more

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A true story of corruption, politics and for-profit private prisonsThis must read book into prison privatization is the firsthand account of the uncovering of corruption leading to the largest civil penalty at that time by the Florida Commission on, the discrediting of the academic "guru" and Wall Street darling of prison privatization, the resignation of the executive director of the state agency that oversees the private prisons, and the authors thrust into the position as a leader in the fight against the private prison industry.Ken Kopczynski describes in detail, backed up with copious documentation, how he unraveled the financial dealings of Dr. Charles Thomas and his relationship with the private prison industry. Follow Kopczynski as he pieces clues together exposing how the private prison industry came into being and how they used Thomas and C. Mark Hodges, Executive Director of the Florida Correctional Privatization Commission, to promote the industry. "If this book were only about individuals whose greed led them to run afoul of ethics rules and who were hoisted on their own petard, it would be interesting but not nearly as important as it is. What makes this cautionary tale that deserves to be better known is the way Kopczynski reveals patterns in the way that for-profit prison vendors do business." Correctional Law Reporter, April/May 2004. ... Read more

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Hurricane Andrew struck South Florida early on Monday morning, August 24, 1992. Widely described as the worst natural disaster in modern U.S. history, the storm left 38 people dead in South Florida, 80,000 homes destroyed, and damage estimates of at least billion. The area devastated by the hurricane was approximately three times the size of Manhattan. Almost 250,000 people were left homeless by Andrew--roughly the population of the entire city of Las Vegas, Nevada. Garbage generated by the storm in a single night was equal to the projected landfill for Dade County for the next thirty years.

Hurricane Andrew, the Public Schools and the Rebuilding of Community addresses the experience of the Dade County Public Schools--its teachers and students, administrators and staff--during the first school year following the storm. In particular, it examines the role of the schools in helping people cope with a disaster of the magnitude of Hurricane Andrew, and more specifically, with their role in rebuilding community. ... Read more

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Especially recommended for professional and academic Music Studies reference collections
Ever wonder how and on what basis the determination of music education assessment is decided -- and by whom? In "Assessment in Music Education, Integrating Curriculum, Theory and Practice", editor Timothy S. Brophy (Chair of the Florida Music Assessment Task Force) has compiled and organized twenty-seven papers whose focus examines the symposium's four key questions: 1. What is the purpose and role of assessment in music education in a increasingly politicized, data-driven, accountability-focused educational environment. 2. In what way can effective assessment practice in k-12 music education be facilitated?, 3. In what ways can assessment data be most effectively used to improve music teaching and learning?, and 4. What are the current research priorities for assessment in music education. In this easy to follow format readers can review the findings, thoughts and research on music assessment. Presented from the first of its kind proceedings of the 2007 Symposium on assessment in Music Education is a scholarly resource which is especially recommended for professional and academic Music Studies reference collections.
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"The ninety-first annual meeting and the Thirty-second Representative Assembly of the National Education Association met at Miami Beach, Florida June 28- July 3, 1953. The business of the Association was transacted by 3914 delegates from local and state associations---the largest assembly in the Association's history. The theme of the convention was "We pledge allegiance to the welfare of the nation's children; to the ideals of human brotherhood; and to the highest ideals of our profession." This was the first meeting held under the executive secretaryship of William G. Carr, who gegan his service as executive secretary on August 1, 1952. Thru open meetings of committees and commissions and a wide variety of discussion groups, the Association continued its policy of promoting the widest possible participation in its affairs. Miami Beach Highlights, as given in the NEA Journal for September 1953, page 330 are: The spiritual leadership of President Sarah C. Caldwell thruout the convention. The first official report of Executive Secretary William G. Carr to the Representative Assembly. The enthusiastic response to the projected new NEA center in the nation's capital. The wide participation by members in the many discussion groups. The Classroom Teachers night and its dramatic presentation entitled, "Florida Under Five Flags." The conference and the report on the Centennial Action Program. The conference sponsored by the National Commission on Teacher Education and Professional Standards. The participation of outstanding Future Teachers of America leaders in the convention. The outstanding addresses by Reverend Walter F. Tunks, Herbert Brownell, and Norman Cousins. The splendid work done by the Dade County teachers in preparing for and entertaining the convention. The careful planning and cooperation of Convention Bureau Manager, Tom Smith. The fine care and hospitality extended to all NEA members, regardless of race...." [from the foreword by November 25, 1953] ... Read more

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This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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Inspirational
an inspirational story of the courage of the teachers of Florida who in 1968 put their careers on the line for public education and staged the only statewide teacher walkout in the history of the United States ... Read more

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The unique information in this 80-page booklet will guide potential teachers through the process of becoming a teacher in Florida. The authors (Dennis Holt, Louis Larson, and Joy Mosher) have addressed significant changes that have been made in Florida's Sunshine State Standards for Education, and requirements and policies regarding certification with the goal of improving the educational experiences of children. This all-in-one resource provides students with vital information including college coursework, Florida initial and professional certification requirements, internships, mentoring, establishing a credentialing file, the Florida Teacher Certification Exam, alternative certification, and the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. Each chapter begins with "Focus Questions" and concludes with "Frequently Asked Questions." Can be packaged with this text at a substantial discount- contact your Wadsworth Cengage Learning representative for ordering information. ... Read more

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Sheila Greco Associates' Individual Business Lists are 100% staff verified and details the company’s roster of key professionals and key decision makers.In addition to the executive contacts, this report contains: Global HQ Location, US Address (Street, City, State & Zip), US HQ Phone Number & Company Website Address, Ticker Symbol, Most Recent Revenues Reported, Number of Employees and Industry. SGA Business Lists do not include direct-dial phone numbers for all executives listed.When available, we will provide the direct phone number.We provide the HQ phone number and the accurate executive name and title. ... Read more

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Gator History
A thoughtful narrative and over 350 black & white and color photographs - some never before published - trace the history of the University as it evolved from a handful of small regional schools into the large and prestigious institution it is today. ... Read more