November 8, 2016

Dear Governor Scott,

I hereby formally request a full, earnest, impartial and immediate inquiry and investigation into the Florida
Department of Education‘s Bureau of Curriculum and Instruction into a situation which has transpired
during my recent and prolonged attempts to qualify new courses of study into the Florida educational
curriculum. It shall become clear to you that the Bureau of Curriculum and Instruction has become
unwieldy, bureaucratic, disingenuous, and self-serving, rather than attending to the needs of the students
and taxpayers of Florida.

Furthermore, I strongly urge that any person(s) involved in or responsible for the problems I have
encountered during my prolonged ordeal in gaining approval of my new courses recuse themselves from
this inquiry to ensure impartiality.

As a teacher and a taxpayer, I feel that you have the responsibility to address this pressing matter with
utmost seriousness and diligence. In order for you to understand the situation more thoroughly, I shall
give you a brief background of the events leading to my writing this letter.

I teach three different philosophy honors courses in Broward County, Florida. Prompted by student
demand, I created two courses de novo. They are Philosophy Honors II, which took a year to obtain
approval, and Philosophy Honors Ethics, which took an incredible three and a half year odyssey to obtain
approval, with many students graduating extremely disappointed, waiting for approval. I am currently
working on a third de novo course which was approved at the District and was sent back as a denial from
the State for no valid reason, and without any explanation. Hence this correspondence.
My course, along with nine others submitted simultaneously by Dr. Louise Ball (Curriculum Specialist, 6-
12 Social Studies, Broward District), were summarily declined, with virtually no explanation whatsoever,
as has been typical of this entire process. There was virtually no cooperation or suggestion whatsoever
from the State on how to modify the courses to the State’s satisfaction for approval.

Upon insisting on an explanation, it was communicated by Ann Whitney (Director, Office of Humanities,
Bureau of Curriculum and Instruction) at the State that unnamed “higher ups” said the courses were not
rigorous enough. This is blatantly untrue, and Dr. Ball pointed out that all current requirements and
language for rigor were indeed being met, including research and capstone project. We were completely
ignored.

How can this be? Who are these “higher ups”, operating in anonymity, who reject courses that meet all
current requirements? On what rational and legal basis can they do this? Is this even lawful? Are they
violating the public trust? This inquiry and investigation should include the retrieval and examination of
all email correspondences among the “higher ups”.

When Dr. Ball asked what new additional language and/or requirements (not on the books, mind you) the
State would like inserted to their satisfaction, none were given, the only response being that it would be
addressed at some later point. In other words, we were dismissed by the anonymous “higher ups” at the
State without any professional courtesy or cooperation whatsoever.

In summary, the anonymous “higher ups” rejected courses meeting all current standards because said
courses do not meet yet to be created, nonexistent standards! Furthermore, the “higher ups” would not
disclose said nonexistent, yet to be created standards so that they can be inserted and the courses
approved to their satisfaction. This “rationale” makes no sense to me or my superiors.

Please inform me, by what Code of Ethics, what standards of professional acumen, and what statutes or
laws can the “higher ups” justify their behavior? Why didn’t the “higher ups” extend the professional
courtesy of informing all involved they would be wasting their time in even submitting requests for new
courses, before we all undertook the process for approval? How many hours were wasted collectively in
researching and writing the courses by the authors? How many hours were wasted collectively by all the
administrators and personnel in the various departments at the various stages of the approval process at
the District before being forwarded to the State?
Apparently, the Bureau of Curriculum and Instruction thinks it can halt progress, decline without valid
reason courses that meet all criteria, refuse to professionally cooperate and communicate to resolve
differences, ignore the best interest of the students and taxpayers, and refuse to be identified and give
an accounting of themselves. I have been through this before. In the three and a half years it took to
obtain approval of the Philosophy Honors Ethics course, I had to enlist the help of Representative Marty
Kiar and Senator Nan Rich. Both had read all of my email correspondence with the Bureau of Curriculum
and Instruction and took issue with the Bureau’s actions. Both intervened on my behalf directly with the
Bureau hierarchy, and ultimately allowed me to gain approval for the course. They gladly helped overcome
the senseless bureaucratic stonewalling, and allowed the students to pursue the courses we feel they
deserve.

Now the students, educators, and I need your help in trying to determine how this process went so terribly
wrong, and how we can all work together to achieve the common goal of providing the best educational
curriculum to which our students are entitled.

Thank you!

Sincerely yours,

Ralph T. Cannizzaro

Cell 954-494-0809
ralph.cannizzaro@browardschools.com

1001 Colony Point Circle #404

Pembroke Pines, Fl. 33026

Cc. Pam Biondi