S3921

An Act establishing a task force to examine professional development requirements for teachers and school leaders.

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

1. a. There is created a task force for the purpose of examining, evaluating, and making recommendations regarding the current professional development requirements for public school teachers and school leaders as established pursuant to State statutes and State Board of Education regulations.

b. The task force shall consist of the following nine members:

(1) the Commissioner of Education, or a designee;

(2) five members appointed by the Governor, who shall include: one member upon the recommendation of the American Federation of Teachers New Jersey; one member upon the recommendation of the New Jersey School Boards Association; one member upon the recommendation of the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association; one member upon the recommendation of the New Jersey Association of School Administrators; and one member upon the recommendation of the New Jersey Parent Teacher Association; and

(3) three members of the public, each of whom has specialized knowledge or expertise in issues related to the work of the task force. One of the public members shall be appointed by the Governor, one shall be appointed by the Senate President, and one shall be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly.

Members appointed pursuant to this subsection, where applicable, shall be individuals who are subject to the State professional development requirements for public school teachers or school leaders.

c. Appointments to the task force shall be made within 30 days of the effective date of this act. Vacancies in the membership of the task force shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments were made.

d. Members of the task force shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for necessary expenditures incurred in the performance of their duties as members of the task force within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the task force for its purposes.

2. a. The task force shall organize as soon as practicable, but no later than 30 days following the appointment of its members. The task force shall choose a chairperson from among its members and shall appoint a secretary who need not be a member of the task force.

b. The Department of Education shall provide such stenographic, clerical, and other administrative assistants, and such professional staff as the task force requires to carry out its work. The task force also shall be entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of the employees of any State, county, or municipal department, board, bureau, commission, or agency as it may require and as may be available for its purposes.

3. It shall be the duty of the task force to study, evaluate, and make recommendations regarding the State-mandated professional development requirements for public school teachers and school leaders in New Jersey. The task force shall:

a. study the current professional development requirements for public school teachers and school leaders established pursuant to State statutes and State Board of Education regulations;

b. evaluate the scope of the current professional development requirements including, but not limited to, an assessment of the particular topics covered, the overall number of requirements, and the hours and frequency of the requirements; and

c. make recommendations concerning professional development for public school teachers and school leaders including, but not limited to, recommendations regarding the necessity and relevance of the trainings currently required, whether the requirements may be overly burdensome in number or frequency, whether more or less time should be devoted to particular subject matters, and topics not covered that may be advisable to include in the requirements.

4. The task force shall issue a final report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), no later than 12 months after the task force organizes.

5. This act shall take effect immediately, and the task force shall expire 30 days after the issuance of its report.

STATEMENT

This bill establishes a nine-member task force to examine, evaluate, and make recommendations regarding the current professional development requirements for public school teachers and school leaders in New Jersey. The task force will consist of the Commissioner of Education or a designee; five members appointed by the Governor, who will include one member upon the recommendation of the American Federation of Teachers New Jersey, one member upon the recommendation of the New Jersey School Boards Association, one member upon the recommendation of the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association, one member upon the recommendation of the New Jersey Association of School Administrators, and one member upon the recommendation of the New Jersey Parent Teacher Association; and three members of the public who have specialized knowledge or expertise in issues related to the work of the task force. The Governor, the Senate President, and the Speaker of the General Assembly will each appoint one of the public members. Appointed members of the task force, where applicable, will be individuals who are subject to the State professional development requirements for public school teachers or school leaders.

Under the bill, the task force is charged with studying, evaluating, and making recommendations regarding the State-mandated professional development requirements for public school teachers and school leaders in New Jersey. The task force will:

· study the current professional development requirements for public school teachers and school leaders established pursuant to State statutes and State Board of Education regulations;

· evaluate the scope of the current professional development requirements including, but not limited to, an assessment of the particular topics covered, the overall number of requirements, and the hours and frequency of the requirements; and

· make recommendations concerning professional development for public school teachers and school leaders including, but not limited to, recommendations regarding the necessity and relevance of the trainings currently required, whether the requirements may be overly burdensome in number or frequency, whether more or less time should be devoted to particular subject matters, and topics not covered that may be advisable to include in the requirements.

The task force is required to issue a final report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature within 12 months of its organization.