A 30-year-old program that encourages elementary school students to memorize and recite documents from U.S. history and teaches them to be able to locate all 50 states on a map, is undergoing changes this year “to better support the diverse needs of all students,” according to Harford County Public School documents.

The updated “Patriot Program,” which was offered to all fifth graders this year, will be discussed at Monday evening’s Board of Education meeting. The item is under “new business,” and will be discussed at approximately 7:30 p.m., according to the school board agenda.

Mary Boni, of Bel Air, created the Patriot Program in 1981 at Prospect Mill Elementary School. It required students to recite sections of 10 important U.S. documents, including the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, from memory, and also identify the locations of every U.S. state on a blank map. Students who complete the program are commonly recognized as “patriots” during an assembly.

Boni went on to teach in the Harford school system for 41 years, retiring in 2000. Before she died in 2005 at age 65, she was recognized by the school system for starting the Patriot Program, which at the time had spread to 20 other county schools, “several school systems in the state, and at many schools in other parts of the country.”

One issue with the program is that it was adopted differently from school to school when it first spread from Prospect Mill.

“Without coordination or standardization across the system, there is no cohesive Patriot Program spanning all schools and about one-third of HCPS elementary schools do not offer the program at all,” supporting documents say.

HCPS reported that the Patriot Program ran “in some form” in 22 of the 35 county elementary schools last year, with participation from only 30% of students at those 22 schools.

Elementary school staff completed surveys after the program’s conclusion last year. HCPS found “large disparities or inconsistencies” in areas including requirements for completion, supports for students with learning accommodations, verification of program completion, how students were celebrated, and which grade levels were allowed to participate.

After gathering feedback, the Office of Social Sciences and the Office of Elementary Educational Services held focus groups with teachers and principals to determine what requirements were needed for a universal Patriot Program that would have the same procedures at every school. The result was a program with nine different subtopics, or “strands,” with some having an effect on coursework.

The “strands” are civics, geography, economics, history, art, music, library and media, physical education and community service.

“Elements from the original Patriot Program, such as memorization activities, are not part of the updated curriculum but may still be pursued through after-school clubs or at home to complement in-school learning,” the information report for Monday’s presentation said.

“In this way, students will no longer be left out of learning about patriotism, citizenship, and the ways that they have access to participate as active, responsible citizens in our democracy.”

The updated program, while offered this year to fifth graders, is also being developed for lower grades, including pre-kindergarten. Those versions are expected to be implemented next school year.

On Dec. 19, Sen. Jason Gallion, a Republican who represents Cecil and Howard counties in the General Assembly, shared a letter on social media addressed to the Board of Education, expressing his disapproval of the changes:

“I certainly welcome an increased focus on American History and Civic Patriotism in our students’ daily curriculum. However, removing the added memorization, knowledge, and parental involvement of the Patriot Program undermines the intent of the program and denies our students an opportunity to feel personally involved with the history of their country and community,” he said.

Gallion and his wife addressed the Board of Education about the changes at a meeting last month.

The school board meeting begins at 6 p.m., Monday, at the A.A. Roberty Building, 102 S. Hickory Ave., Bel Air. Those who wish to give public comment may request to do so by sending an email to publiccomment@hcps.org or by calling 410-588-5347 by noon Monday. More information can be found at https://www.hcps.org/boe.

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