#1 A RESOLUTION TO INSTITUTE MERIT PAY IN THE UNITED STATES PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM

Transcription

1 #1 A RESOLUTION TO INSTITUTE MERIT PAY IN THE UNITED STATES PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM 1 WHEREAS: the education of the youth in the U. S. is being surpassed by other 2 developed nations; and 3 WHEREAS: in order to compete in today's society our educational system must be 4 revamped; and 5 WHEREAS: according to the Programme for International Student Assessment by the 6 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development the U.S. Was 7 ranked 35 th out of 57 countries in mathematics and 29 th out of 57 8 countries in science; and 9 WHEREAS: U.S. spending per pupil has doubled in the past three decades while 10 student achievement measures such as high-school graduation rates have 11 not shown any appreciable rise; and 12 WHEREAS: in states in which merit pay has been instituted student grade percentiles 13 have been raised upwards of nine to 13 percent; 14. THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE STUDENT CONGRESS HERE 15 ASSEMBLED THAT: All public school systems within the United States adopt a merit 16 pay system in order to encourage an improvement in teacher competency. Respectfully submitted, Bethel Park High School

2 #2 A Bill Concerning Gun Regulation 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THIS STUDENT CONGRESS ASSEMBLED HERE THAT: 2. Section 1. The United States shall reinstate and extend a ban on the sale and production 3. of assault weapons that passed in 1994 and expired in Section 2. An assault weapon shall be defined as: 5. (1) any selective-fire firearm capable of fully automatic, semiautomatic, or burst fire at the 6. option of the user; or 7. (2) A semiautomatic rifle that has an ability to accept a detachable magazine and has at least two of the following: 8. (i) A folding or telescoping stock; 9. (ii) A pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon; 10. (iii) A flash suppressor or threaded barrel designed to accommodate a flash suppressor; or 11. (3) A semiautomatic pistol that has an ability to accept a detachable magazine and has at least two of the following: 12. (i) An ammunition magazine that attaches to the pistol outside of the pistol grip; 13. (ii) A threaded barrel capable of accepting a barrel extender, flash suppressor, forward handgrip or silencer; 14. (iii) A shroud that is attached to, or partially or completely encircles, the barrel and that permits the shooter to hold the firearm with the non-trigger hand without being burned; 15. (iv) A manufactured weight of fifty ounces or more when the pistol is unloaded; and 16. (v) A semiautomatic version of an automatic firearm; or 17. (4) A semiautomatic shotgun that has at least two of the following: 18. (i) A folding or telescoping stock; 19. (ii) A pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon. 20. Section 3. The Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATF) shall oversee and enforce this legislation beginning in Section 4. All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void.

3 #3 A RESOLUTION TO PROHIBIT ALL CELL PHONE USE WHILE DRIVING 1. WHEREAS: The National Safety Council estimates that 24% of all motor 2. vehicle accidents involve a cell phone. 3. WHEREAS: If cell phone use is prohibited while driving, then we can save 4. approximately 7,920 motor vehicle accidents every year, and approximately 3, lives every year. 6. WHEREAS: Over 1/3 of drivers (37%) have sent or received text messages 7. while driving and 18% said they do it regularly. 8. Whereas: Texting while driving causes a 400 percent increase in time spent with 9. eyes off the road, which is attributed to approximately 11% of all accidents every 10. year. 11. WHEREAS: According to Webmd.com, 97.5% of people drive less safely when 12. they are using a communication device than how safely they should be driving 13. with no distractions. 14. THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the Student Congress here assembled 15. that all cell phone use while driving in the United States should be prohibited. Respectfully Submitted, Moon Area High School

4 #4 A Resolution to Ban All Soft Drinks at Schools Whereas, soft drinks are a major contributor to childhood obesity; and Whereas, banning soft drinks will make students choose healthier options; and Whereas, soft drinks promotes causes an addiction to sugar; and Whereas, soft drinks are a distraction in classes; and Whereas, the excessive amounts of sugar in soft drinks causes sugar rushes in students which decreases their ability to learn; Whereas, routinely drinking soft drinks increases the chances of drinking alcohol and other dangerous drinks like energy drinks; Therefore be it resolved by the student congress assembled that the state ban all soft drinks in schools that are publicly funded. Respectfully submitted, North Allegheny

5 #5 A Resolution to Create a Four Day Work Week 1. Whereas: According to an online article written by Professor Goose, a four 2. day work week would save 162,133,333 gallons of gasoline annually; and 3. Whereas: This would significantly decrease the amount of greenhouse 4. gases released into the atmosphere; and 5. Whereas: Creating a four day work week will save a significant amount of 6. money; 7. Whereas: Creating a four day work week would decrease 10%-20% of oil 8. needed per week; and 9. THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the Student Congress here 10. assembled that: The United States work week will be reduced to four 11. days, each day extended by two hours per day Respectfully Submitted, North Catholic

6 # 6 A Resolution to Mandate the Measles Vaccine in the United States Whereas: The United States has the safest, most effective vaccine supply in history, according to the Center for Disease Control; Whereas: There were 212 recorded cases of measles in the United States in 2012; Whereas: Whereas: The highly contagious measles virus can quickly spread from person to person; The Carter Center International Task Force for Disease Eradication has declared measles and eradicable disease; Whereas: The United States successfully eradicated smallpox through widespread vaccination efforts, and could employ similar efforts to eradicate measles. Therefore: be it resolved by this Student Congress here assembled that each school-aged child within the United States be mandated to receive the measles vaccine. Respectfully submitted, Oakland Catholic High School

7 # 7 A resolution to require American Families to Own a Cow 1. WHEREAS cows produce milk, and milk has essential nutrients, and 2. WHEREAS cows produce fertilizer, a valuable resource for farming or gardening, and 3. WHEREAS families producing their own food and having access to milk would lower 4. dependency on government funded assistance for nutrition, 5. THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the Student Congress here assembled that: 6. Every family in America should be required to own a cow. Respectfully Submitted, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart High School

8 #8 A BILL TO BUILD A FENCE SEPARATING THE UNITED STATES AND MEXICO 1. WHEREAS, many illegal immigrants get fed up with the expensive, long process of legal 2. immigration and decide to cross the border illegally. 3. WHEREAS, approximately 2,000 illegal immigrants cross the border from Mexico each day. 4. WHEREAS, many of these illegal immigrants who cross the border also smuggle illicit drugs 5. like cocaine and heroin into the U.S. 6. WHEREAS, the process of building a fence would create thousands of jobs for American 7. construction workers. 8. WHEREAS, H.R. 6061, the Secure Fence Act, which would build a 700 mile double-layer 9. border fence along the most problematic regions of the 1,951 mile border, was passed in 2006, 10. but its construction is still not finished, even though it was supposed to be completed by late WHEREAS, the estimated cost of building this 700 mile fence was roughly $2 billion, which is 13. less than the amount we spent in one week in Iraq. 14. WHEREAS, the design of the border fence specified using at least two layers of reinforced 15. fencing, additional physical barriers such as barbed wire pyramids and vehicle ditches, patrol 16. roads, lighting, surveillance cameras and motion sensors. 17. THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE STUDENT CONGRESS HERE 18. ASSEMBLED: 19. SECTION 1. The two layered, reinforced fence design devised by the Secure Fence Act and 20. described in lines 14-16, will be extended along the entire 1,951 mile border that separates the 21. United States and Mexico in every area where mountainous or extremely dangerous terrain 22. would not prohibit its construction. 23. SECTION 2. There will be breaks in this fence every 150 miles, where heavily protected, 24. patrolled, and gated access points will allow some travel to occur between the two countries. 25. SECTION 3. Construction of this fence will be started immediately and it must be completed 26. by Respectfully submitted, Peters Township High School

9 # 9 A Resolution to Abolish the U. S. Federal Corporate Income Tax 1 Whereas, The U.S. corporate income tax is the highest of any nation in the world, and 2 Whereas, A high corporate income tax inhibits corporate growth, and 3 Whereas, Nations which have eliminated corporate income tax are enticing new businesses, and 4 Whereas, American job have been lost to those nations, therefore 5 BE IT RESOLVED by the PHSSL student congress here assembled that the federal income tax be abolished. Respectfully Submitted, Quigley Catholic High School

10 #10 A resolution to implement direct popular vote for the United States presidential election. Whereas, the Electoral College grants disproportionate voting power to citizens in different states, Whereas, the Electoral College discourages voters in blue states and red states from voting for the opposite party, Whereas, the Electoral College runs on a "winner-take-all" system that makes null and void any votes for the losing candidate in a state, Whereas, the Electoral College encourages presidential candidates to invest the majority of their resources and time into contentious swing states, and consequently ignore a large demographic of American voters, Whereas, the Electoral College does not accurately reflect the opinion of the American public, Noting, that four times in American history the presidential candidate with fewer popular votes (and thus without the support of the majority of the American voting bloc) has won the election, Whereas, a direct popular vote would empower the average voter by equalizing the voting power of each individual citizen, Whereas, a direct popular vote would remove the "winner-take-all" system and allow for every vote to be counted, Whereas, a direct popular vote would remove the swing state system, allowing voters outside of swing states to play a larger role in the election, Whereas, a direct popular vote would accurately represent the opinions of the American voting public, Therefore, a direct popular vote should be implemented in place of the Electoral College in United States presidential elections. Respectfully submitted, Shady Side Academy

11 #11 A Resolution to Require a Permit for Individuals to Own a Taser 1. Whereas: Taser international currently monopolizes the taser industry. 2. Whereas: Taser international seeks to market tasers for the public. 3. Whereas: Tasers are typically capable of firing with the use of CO2 as opposed to using gun powder. 4. Whereas: The use of CO2 as opposed to gun powder technically means that tasers do not require a permit to own. 5. Whereas: Studies have shown that tasers have been lethal in several instances. 6. Whereas: An individual will soon have the ability to legally purchase a taser with no background checks as a result of the weapon not being considered a firearm. 7. Whereas: One currently does not need a concealed weapon permit to carry a permit. 8. Whereas: States such as Texas, Connecticut, Florida and New Jersey have already made restrictions to civilians possessing a taser. 9. Whereas: Regulating permits will ultimately provide for a safer environment. 10. THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that tasers legally considered a firearm, and requires a permit for public use by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms. Respectfully Submitted, West Allegheny High School