SENATE, No. 858

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

218th LEGISLATURE

 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2018 SESSION

 


 

Sponsored by:

Senator  SHIRLEY K. TURNER

District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)

Senator  PATRICK J. DIEGNAN, JR.

District 18 (Middlesex)

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Requires teachers of health and physical education in grades kindergarten through six in public schools to possess appropriate endorsement to instructional certificate.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.

  


An Act concerning teacher certification in health and physical education and supplementing chapter 26 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.

 

     Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

     1.    a.   In addition to any other eligibility requirements prescribed by the State Board of Education, in order to be appointed by a board of education to teach health and physical education in grades kindergarten through six, a person shall possess a health and physical education endorsement to the instructional certificate.

     b.    In addition to any other eligibility requirements prescribed by the State Board of Education, in order to be appointed by a board of education to teach physical education in grades kindergarten through six, a person shall possess a physical education endorsement to the instructional certificate.

     c.     In addition to any other eligibility requirements prescribed by the State Board of Education, in order to be appointed by a board of education to teach health in grades kindergarten through six, a person shall possess a health endorsement to the instructional certificate.

     d.    The provisions of subsections a., b., and c. of this section shall not be applicable to a person who teaches SDA district kindergarten students pursuant to a contract between the SDA district and a licensed child care center or other provider.

     As used in this subsection, “SDA district” means an SDA district as defined in section 3 of P.L.2000, c.72 (C.18A:7G-3).

     e.     Notwithstanding the provisions of this section to the contrary, a person who holds an elementary school endorsement to the instructional certificate prior to the effective date of this act, may be appointed by a board of education to teach health and physical education, physical education, or health in grades kindergarten through six, in accordance with any other requirements established by the State board.

 

     2.    This act shall take effect in the 2017-2018 school year.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

     Under State Board of Education regulations, in order to teach health and physical education, physical education, or health in grades kindergarten through six in a public school, a teacher is not required to have these specific endorsements to the instructional certificate.  A teacher with an elementary school endorsement, pursuant to certain regulations, would be permitted to teach these courses.

     This bill requires that teachers appointed to teach health, health and physical education, or physical education in grades kindergarten through six possess the appropriate endorsement to their instructional certificate.  However, the bill exempts from the bill’s endorsement requirements persons who teach former Abbott district kindergarten students under a contract between the former Abbott district and a licensed child care center or other provider.  The bill also includes a “grandfather” provision that will allow teachers who received an elementary school endorsement prior to the bill’s effective date, to continue to be permitted to teach health and physical education, physical education, or health at these grade levels.