CITIZEN ADVOCACY CENTER

 

OPEN MEETINGS ACT: DEMOCRACY & OPEN GOVERNMENT

 

LESSON PLAN AND ACTIVITY

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Grade Level:  9-12
 

Subjects: 

 

Duration: 1-2 sessions

 

Description:  An essential component to living in a democracy is citizen participation and open government. In this lesson students will learn about and use an essential tool to of democracy, the Illinois Open Meetings Act, and will be able to use it in a practical application.

 

Goals:

ISBE Standards:

1.      Social Science

·        14A:  Understand and explain basic principles of the United States government.

·        14B:  Understand the structures and functions of the political systems of Illinois, the United States and other nations.

·        14C:  Understand election processes and responsibilities of citizens.

·        14D:  Understand the roles and influences of individuals and interest groups in the political systems of Illinois, the United States and other nations.

·        16A:  Apply the skills of historical analysis and interpretation.

·        16B:  Understand the development of significant political events.

·        16D:  Understand Illinois, United States and world social history.

 

2. Language Arts

·        1B:  Apply reading strategies to improve understanding and fluency.

·        1C:  Comprehend a broad range of reading materials.

·        3A: Use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization and structure.

·        3B:  Compose well-organized and coherent writing for specific purposes and audiences.

·        3C:  Communicate ideas in writing to accomplish a variety of purposes.

·        4A:  Listen effectively in formal and informal situations.

·        4B:  Speak effectively using language appropriate to the situation and audience.

·        5A:  Locate, organize, and use information from various sources to answer questions, solve problems and communicate ideas.

 

 

 

Objectives:

1.                  Understand the language and practical uses for the Illinois Open Meetings Act.

2.                  Perform at least one public comment on a topic of the students’ choosing at a public meeting.

3.                  Actively engage in government life.

4.                  Establish a pattern and practice of engaging in government for students to follow into their adult lives.

 

Materials:

Dictionary and the Citizen Advocacy Center’s Guide to the Open Meetings Act, available at www.citizenadvocacycenter.org, under "Educational Brochures".

 

Goal:  For students to understand what the Open Meetings Act is and the importance to a democracy and participate in local government through using the Act. 

 

Starter Questions for the class:

1.      What is a meeting?  What kind of meetings have you heard of?  Why would the government have a lot of meetings?  What types of things does the government decide?

2.      Would it be fair if we could never know what happened in those government meetings?  What would be good about that?  What would be some bad effects of such a rule?

3.      Why might it be important for the public to be able to attend the meetings and be able to speak at them?  For example, if the school board were meeting to decide whether or not you had to wear uniforms, would you want to be heard at that meeting?  Why?

 

Background:

Note: for each of the definitions below, have the students volunteer what they think those words might mean first.

 

I.  The OMA requires public bodies to:

 

A.     Hold open meetings

1.      “Public Bodies” include legislative, executive, administrative, advisory arms of the state and local government (any group of public officials who collect or use public monies).  Examples:  School boards, city council, park district board, committees of any of these organizations are examples of public bodies.

 

2.      “Meetings” are gatherings of a majority of a quorum of a public body for the purpose of discussing affairs affecting the public.  A quorum is the number of public officials required to take a vote on an issue (usually a majority of the public body).  For example, if the county board has eighteen members, ten members would be required to be present for a vote to make a quorum.  If six members (a majority of that quorum) go out to dinner to discuss public business privately, that dinner would qualify as a “meeting” requiring proper notice under the Open Meetings Act. 

 

 

 

B.     Provide “adequate” notice of those meeting so that the public may attend.

·        Have students brainstorm (or look in the dictionary for) the definition of “adequate.”  Does it mean the same as “excellent,” “fabulous,” etc.?  Is it the maximum or the minimum?

·        What types of notice would effectively notify the public as to the plans of the public body? 

·        “Notice” means public bodies publish their schedule of regular dates, times, and places of meetings.

·        The public body must post a specific “agenda” for the meeting at least 48 hours before the meeting.  The agenda must be posted at the place of business of the public body, and can be posted on the Internet, newspaper, or another convenient place for public access.

 

C.     Keep records of public meetings: 

 

II. The Open Meetings Act requires that public bodies deliberate in public so that decisions that affect the public are not made in secret, and so that the public has a right to participate in the process. 

 

The exception:  Some parts of a meeting can be closed to the public if the public body plans to discuss personnel and employment matters, property sales, security issues, student records, imminent litigation, and others.

 

Although the OMA does not require that public bodies reserve time for public comment from citizens, most public bodies allow public comment at their meetings.  The one exception:  School Board meetings MUST have a public comment section.

 

Activities 

 

1.      Have students attend a school board meeting or a portion of a school board meeting (as some of these meetings get very long). Call 48 hours before the meeting to obtain an agenda. Have students take minutes of the meeting to report back to the class.  Student can then make a Freedom of Information Act request (see Freedom of Information Act lesson plan) to get the official meeting minutes and see how they match their own notes.

 

  1. Make a public comment!  Students who are willing can make their own public comments.  Share class projects with the School Board or make a comment about a school issue that is important to them.  Have the student contact the school board office in advance to see what rules govern public comment:  is it at the beginning or the end of the meeting?  Does the student have to sign up in advance?  How long is the student allowed to speak?  (FYI:  most public bodies allow individuals to make comments for 3 – 5 minutes each with a total of 30 minutes of the meeting dedicated for public comment.  However, each public body is different.)
  2. Have a school board member visit the class to explain what goes on at meeting.  Students should come up with 5 questions or so to ask the member.
  3.  
  4. Have the class create their own meeting agenda.  If they were the School Board, what issues would they want to discuss? Share the list with the School Board.

 

©Copyright 2005 Citizen Advocacy Center.  All rights reserved.  No part of this lesson plan may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior, written permission of the Citizen Advocacy Center. The Citizen Advocacy Center is a 501(c)(3) non-pofit, non-partisan community based legal organization. For information about the Center, or to make a tax deductible contribution, visit www.citizenadvocacycenter.org, call 630.833.4080. The Center is located at 238 N. York Rd., Elmhurst IL 60126