The inaugural committee for Gov. Tom Vilsack has proposed a statewide curriculum to encourage excitement and knowledge about the governorship, but not all teachers are welcoming the agenda with open arms.

The curriculum was sent to superintendents throughout Iowa last week and provides suggestions for teachers of kindergarten through 12th grade to get students involved with and informed on the state government, particularly the governor.

“The plan sounds like it has merits if it is used well and the right resources are available to the students and teachers,” said Joel Sullivan, world studies teacher at Ames High School.

However, many area teachers felt the curriculum was basic and lacking creativity.

“The proposal is nothing too earth-shattering,” said Steve Buhrow, principal of Colo-Nesco High School in Colo.

“The example doesn’t really have any new innovating programs, so it does put some doubt in my mind about his stand on education,” said Kirk Daddow, civics teacher at Ames High School.

Some educators also felt the curriculum was redundant and included subject matter that already should be taught to children.

“Practicing teachers who are familiar with the current curriculums should come up with a plan because then others would be more likely to participate,” Daddow said.

“Our students already go to the Statehouse their junior year for government class, and the sixth-grade has a required Iowa history class,” Buhrow said.

Activities described in the proposed curriculum for elementary students include coloring pictures of the state Capitol, alphabetizing Iowa’s 99 counties, creating murals of the Capitol and researching the role of governor in the state government.

Other educational plans Vilsack hopes to achieve include a poster contest for students in second- through fourth-grades, titled “Dreams of Iowa’s Future,” and a statewide collection of school supplies for needy children.

Middle and high school students are encouraged to create a timeline of all past Iowa governors, brainstorm about how the governor’s actions affect the citizens and write papers analyzing the inauguration’s media coverage.

A full list of the curriculum can be found on the Internet at www.inaugural.org.