Sponsored by:
Senator STEPHEN M. SWEENEY
District 3 (Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem)
Senator RONALD L. RICE
District 28 (Essex)
Senator M. TERESA RUIZ
District 29 (Essex)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senators T.Kean and Turner
SYNOPSIS
Establishes Amistad Curriculum Award Program for teachers who perform exemplary service providing instruction on slavery and African-American history; appropriates $5,000.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act establishing the Amistad Curriculum Award Program, supplementing chapter 35 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes, and making an appropriation.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The Commissioner of Education shall establish the “Amistad Curriculum Award Program.” The purpose of the program is to identify outstanding educators for special recognition who have shown a commitment to furthering student knowledge on the African slave trade, slavery in America, the vestiges of slavery in this country, and the contributions of African-Americans to our society.
b. The commissioner shall invite school districts, charter schools, and renaissance school projects to submit nominations, on an application to be developed by the commissioner, by February 1 of each year of an exemplary teacher who deserves recognition for efforts to:
(1) ensure that all New Jersey students acquire a broad and deep knowledge of all people who contributed to the founding and development of New Jersey and the United States;
(2) promote the self-esteem, confidence, and identity of students who previously may not have learned about past and living examples of people of their own cultural identity who have had positive impacts upon the American story; and
(3) provide exemplary lessons, units of study, or courses of study that demonstrate effective instruction of students in alignment with the Amistad curriculum and which lessons, units, or courses of study may be replicated by other educators.
c. Recipients of the Amistad Curriculum Award shall be named annually by the Amistad Curriculum Award Committee. The committee shall be an ad hoc committee, the members of which shall be appointed annually. The committee shall be comprised of the following members:
(1) one member appointed by the Governor;
(2) one member of the Senate appointed by the President of the Senate;
(3) one member of the General Assembly appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly;
(4) one member appointed by the New Jersey Education Association; and
(5) one member appointed by the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association.
d. The award committee shall annually select two teachers to receive the Amistad Curriculum Award: one teacher from a school that provides instruction in any of the grades kindergarten through eight; and one teacher from a school that provides instruction in any of the grades nine through 12. Recipients of this award shall each receive $2,500 in recognition of their extraordinary contributions.
2. There is appropriated from the General Fund the sum of $5,000 to the Department of Education to implement the provisions of this act.
3. This act shall take effect in the first full school year following the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes the “Amistad Curriculum Award Program.” The purpose of the program is to identify outstanding educators for special recognition who have shown a commitment to furthering student knowledge on the African slave trade, slavery in America, the vestiges of slavery in this country, and the contributions of African-Americans to our society.
Under the bill, school districts, charter schools, and renaissance school projects will submit nominations, on an application to be developed by the commissioner, by February 1 of each year of an exemplary teacher who deserves recognition for efforts to:
(1) ensure that all New Jersey students acquire a broad and deep knowledge of all people who contributed to the founding and development of New Jersey and the United States;
(2) promote the self-esteem, confidence, and identity of students who previously may not have learned about past and living examples of people of their own cultural identity who have had positive impacts upon the American story; and
(3) provide exemplary lessons, units of study, or courses of study that demonstrate effective instruction of students in alignment with the Amistad curriculum and which lessons, units, or courses of study may be replicated by other educators.
Recipients of the Amistad Curriculum Award will be named annually by the Amistad Curriculum Award Committee. The committee will be an ad hoc committee, the members of which will be appointed annually. The committee will consist of:
(1) one member appointed by the Governor;
(2) one member of the Senate appointed by the President of the Senate;
(3) one member of the General Assembly appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly;
(4) one member appointed by the New Jersey Education Association; and
(5) one member appointed by the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association.
Under the bill, the award committee will annually select two teachers to receive the Amistad Curriculum Award: one teacher from a school that provides instruction in any of the grades kindergarten through eight; and one teacher from a school that provides instruction in any of the grades nine through 12. Recipients of this award will each receive $2,500 in recognition of their extraordinary contributions.
The bill appropriates from the General Fund the sum of $5,000 to the Department of Education to implement the provisions of this bill.