America's Legislators Back to School Program

Direct From the Media! (Archives)

View a partial list of news articles from across the country mentioning America's Legislators Back to School Program. The event is designed to teach young people--the nation's future voters and leaders--what it's like to serve as an elected official: the processes, the pressures, and the debate, negotiation and compromise that are the very fabric of representative democracy.  By entering the classroom and listening to students' perspectives, legislators are able to initiate a dialogue while letting American youth know that their ideas count.

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California
Betty Karnette gets back to teaching roots, Long Beach Press Telegram, September 20, 2005

Senator tells students school is important, The Californian, September 22, 2004

Senator at schools, Modesto Bee, September 13, 2003

Florida
Legislative process comes alive as Rep. Meadows visits local schools, The Westside Gazette, October 15, 2003

Saturday Students get government lesson from legislator, Florida Times-Union, September 20, 2003

Georgia
Education Notebook: Senatorial visits, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, October 21, 2004

Legislative process to come alive as Senator Johnson visits local school, Senator Eric Johnson Web site, September 17, 2002

Illinois
State Rep. Mike Smith  presents flag to Lincoln School students, The Daily Ledger, September 30, 2004

Indiana
State Rep. Cheney talks about salary, job with Central Elementary Students. The TIMES, October 3, 2003

Elkhart students gain insight on Neese, government class, South Bend Tribune, September 27, 2003

Iowa
Senate veteran Jack Kibbie visits KMS, Daily Times Herald, December 15, 2005

Legislators go back to the classrooms, Mitchell County Press News, September 25, 2003

Kentucky
Pendleton to visit local high schools next week, Kentucky New Era, September 20, 2004

Legislative learning, The Henderson Gleaner , September 25, 2003

Lawmakers head to the classroom, Union County Advocate, September 17, 2003

Louisiana
Legislators back in school, The Advocate, September 17, 2003,

Louisiana lawmakers visit classrooms for America's Legislators Back to School Week, New Orleans CityBusiness, September 8, 2003

As summer ends and students around the state settle in for another year of classes, Louisiana's state legislators are making plans to go back to the classroom as well. The News-Star, September 1, 2003

House members visit schools, The News-Star Online Edition, September 18, 2002

House Speaker DeWitt returns to alma mater for session with students, The Town Talk, September 17, 2002

Maryland
Delegate Adrienne Jones tells 8th graders "Your Ideas Count!", Woodlawn Villager, December 2004

Dels. Parrott and Glassman visit Darlington Elem., Harford Schools, November 2004

Officials visiting students to talk about government, Legislative Matters, September 21, 2004

Civics for a new generation. Stateline.org, September 22, 2003

Massachusetts
Lynn legislators give city youths civics lesson, The Daily Item, September 30, 2003

Students learn how to affect government, The Republican, September 19, 2003

Minnesota
Legislators head back to school, The Daily Tribune, September 24,  2004

Mississippi
Sen. White visits with Murrah students, Northwest Jackson Focus, October 14, 2004

Nebraska
Senator Cunningham visits PHS government class, Plainview News, October 7, 2004

Senator Stuthman visits with students, Humphrey Democrat, October 7, 2004

Cunningham speaks to classes, Crofton Journal, September 30, 2004

Local senator helps kids learn the ABCs of government, Dakota County Star, September 30, 2004

Sen. Cunningham visits PHS, Pierce Leader, September 30, 2004

Senator Douglas Cunningham visits Verdigre School, Verdigre Eagle, September 30, 2004

Sen. Doug Cunningham encourages youth to get involved in communities, Bloomfield Monitor, September 30, 2004

Sen. Cunningham talks to senior government class, Coleridge Blade, September 29, 2004

Sen. Cunningham visits Hartington Public for "Back to School Week", Cedar County News, September 29, 2004

Senator Cunningham visits OHS civics class, Osmond Republican, September 29, 2004

Senator visits here, Creighton News, September 29, 2004

Senator talks to Platte Center students during Back to School Week, Columbus Telegram, September 22, 2004

Sen. Pat Engel to visit school, Wakefield Republican, September 16, 2004

Engel to visit District 17 classrooms, Norfolk Daily News, September 14, 2004

Legislator takes job to area schools, The Columbus Telegram, September 5,  2003

New Hampshire
New Hampshire lawmakers are headed into classrooms around the state this week, The Associated Press, September 21, 2004

Back to school for NH state legislators, The Union Leader, September 20, 2004

Lawmakers to visit schools in annual program this week, Concord Monitor, September 20, 2004

New Jersey
Assemblyman addresses students about laws, life, Asbury Park Press, October 14, 2004

New Mexico
Beffort, Teens Discuss Lawmaking, Albuquerque Journal, September 25, 2003

New York
Legislators go back to school, The Post-Standard, October 14, 2004

Students meet their Lawmaker, The Post-Standard, September 30, 2004

Government 101: Students meet their representative, The Journal News, September 25, 2003

Your lawmakers, Poughkeepsie Journal, September 21, 2003 Sunday,

Legislators join Nanuet kids in class, The Journal News, September 20, 2003

Assemblyman to visit schools, Press & Sun-Bulletin, September 17, 2003

North Carolina
Area legislators tour schools, Rocky Mount Telegram, September 24, 2005

Senator Bob Atwater visits SAGE Academy, Chatham Journal Weekly, September 21, 2005

Class learns personal history, art, Star News, November 3, 2004

Pols go back to school, The News & Observer, October 10, 2003

Leadership study; As part of America’s Legislators Back to School Week, State Rep. Richard Glazier of Fayetteville will visit seven schools and tell students about what the life of a legislator is like. The Fayetteville Observer, September 15, 2003

Legislator to visit Unionville campus, Charlotte Observer, September 14, 2003

Getting Involved, The News & Observer, Durham Edition, September 10, 2003 

Ohio
Draud gives insider view, The Cincinnati Enquirer, September 16, 2005

Cates visits Hamilton elementary school, Hamilton Journal News, September 15, 2005

Oklahoma
Senator Jay Paul Gumm goes back to school, Bryan County Star, September 30, 2004

Pupils say lawmakers need a 'maybe' button, The Tulsa World, September 24, 2004

Riley visits schools, Bixby Bulletin, September 23, 2004

School's back in session for senator, Muskogee Daily Phoenix and Times-Democrat, September 23, 2004

Sen. David Myers visits schools in Noble County, Perry Daily Journal, September 23, 2004

State Senators go "Back to School" during America's Legislators Back to School Week, Kiowa County Democrat, September 23, 2004

Riley back in class, Sand Springs Leader, September 22, 2004

Senator to visit County schools, Perry Daily Journal, September 20, 2004

Legislator will visit 2 schools, The Duncan Banner, September 17, 2004

Legislator to tell students how to make their ideas count, The Tuttle Times, September 15, 2004

Legislators visit classrooms, World, September 21, 2003

Senators give students lesson about politics, Daily Oklahoman, September 17, 2003

State senators planning week of school visits, Daily Oklahoman, September 14, 2003

Oregon
Representative Whisnant to visit Sisters schools, Bend.com, April 22, 2005

Burley to visit local schools, Bend.com, April 21, 2005

Oregon political notebook: legislators visit classrooms, The Oregonian, April 21, 2005

Oregon legislators tell students, "Your ideas count!", Bend.com, April 20, 2005

Senator Ben Westlund goes back to school, Bend.com, April 20, 2005

Pennsylvania
Back to school, Northeast Philadelphia News Gleaver, September 21, 2005

True goes to school, Intelligencer Journal, September 19, 2003

60 lawmakers headed ‘back to school’, The News-Item.com, September 19, 2003

Rhode Island
It's Showtime at the State House as legislators take a turn before the cameras, The Providence Journal, September 20, 2004

Rep. McManus brings government lessons to Central students, The Valley Breeze, October 9, 2003

Rep. Savage visits two local schools, The East Providence Post, October 2, 2003

Legislators' learning experience, The Westerly Sun, September 26, 2003

Area legislators go 'back to school', The Westerly Sun, September 22, 2003

Legisladores regresaran a la escuela, Providence En Espanol, September 12, 2003

Legislators heading to schools this month, North East Independent, September 4, 2003

Legislators going back to school, Warwick Beacon, September 4, 2003

Lawmakers go to school, The Providence Journal, September 1, 2003

South Dakota
Legislators To Meet Kids In Classrooms, Yankton Daily Press, September 26, 2005

Senator to visit classrooms, Sioux City Journal, September 20, 2004

Lawmakers participate in back-to-school program, Associated Press via Aberdeen American News, January 3, 2004

Legislators visit classrooms, Aberdeen American News, September 21, 2003

Tennessee
Every School Every Day, The Tennessean, October 1, 2004

Every school every day, The Tennessean, September 23, 2003

State Rep. Glen Casada (R-Franklin) will be going 'back to school'…, The Tennessean, September 17, 2003

Texas
State senator explains taxes, touts education, Amarillo Globe-News, September 18, 2002

McClendon raises awareness about America's Legislators Back to School Week, Prime Time Newspapers, September 17, 2002

Legislative process to come alive as State Representative Ellis visits local school, i-dineout.com, July 18, 2002

Utah
Laying down 'the law' at Adelaide, Davis County Clipper, October 8, 2003

Fifth-graders appreciated legislator's visit, Standard-Examiner, October 7, 2003

Utah lawmakers give 15,000 students lesson, Deseret News, October 5, 2003,

A recipe for lawmaking, The Herald Journal, September 26, 2003

Legislators go back to school this week, Deseret Morning News, September 23, 2003,

House Speaker takes a school day, Standard-Examiner, September 23, 2003

State legislators don teachers cap, field questions in classroom visit, The Daily Herald, September 22, 2003

Lawmaker, students swap ideas, Deseret News, September 17, 2002

State legislators back in school to give lessons on government, The Salt Lake Tribune, September 16, 2002

Virginia
Lessons in citizenship, Richmond Times-Dispatch, January 4, 2006

Landes plans to visit schools, The Daily News Leader, September 21, 2004

Other
"Citizen Brain" Joins State Legislators in Classrooms for 2005 Back to School Program, NCSL News, September 19, 2005

Civic Education: Meeting the Challenge, The State Education STANDARD (The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education), October 2004

Out of Classroom Experiences, State Legislatures, September 2004

Legislators teach and learn: when legislators venture into classrooms, civics come alive. State Legislatures, January 1, 2004

Nation's Largest Bipartisan Legislative Event Takes State Lawmakers 'Back to School', U.S. Newswire, August 28, 2003

America's Legislators Back to School Week, State Legislatures, March 2003

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Contacts:

If you have a BTSP article that you would like to submit, please email BTSP@ncsl.org. Please include your contact information.

For further information about America's Legislators Back to School Program, contact Karl Kurtz, Jan Goehring, Joy Heiserman or Joyce Johnson at (303) 364-7700; or send an email to BTSP@ncsl.org.

Updated November 14, 2007
Posted November 14, 2007

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• Trust for Representative Democracy home page
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