SENATE, No. 3684

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

219th LEGISLATURE

 

INTRODUCED APRIL 26, 2021

 


 

Sponsored by:

Senator  M. TERESA RUIZ

District 29 (Essex)

Senator  SHIRLEY K. TURNER

District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Requires DOE to establish central registry of individuals and organizations interested in providing supplemental tutoring support to students.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As introduced.

  


An Act concerning student learning support and supplementing chapter 36 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.  The Department of Education shall establish and maintain a central, searchable registry of individuals and organizations interested in offering free tutoring services to students throughout the State.  The registry shall contain information provided by each registrant including, but not limited to, the registrant’s name, contact information, subject matter expertise, and a tutoring availability schedule.  The department shall make the registry publicly available on its Internet website.

     b.    The following individuals and organizations may apply to the department for inclusion on the registry established pursuant to subsection a. of this section:

     (1)   A teacher who holds a New Jersey provisional or standard instructional certificate;

     (2)   A retired New Jersey teacher who was in good standing at the time of retirement;

     (3)   A student enrolled in a two- or four-year institution of higher education in the State;

     (4)   An industry professional with relevant subject matter expertise;

     (5)   An organization with relevant subject matter expertise; and

     (6)   Any other person or organization the department deems appropriate.

     c.     No registrant shall charge or receive any fee for services provided in connection with the central registry established pursuant to subsection a. of this section.

     d.    The department shall include on the registry a disclaimer stating that the information regarding individuals and organizations on the registry has not been independently verified and is not meant to be an endorsement or recommendation by the department as to the quality of the tutoring services offered.

 

     2.    This act shall take effect immediately.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

     This bill directs the Department of Education (DOE) to establish and maintain a central, searchable registry of individuals and organizations interested in offering free tutoring services to students throughout the State.  The registry will contain the name, contact information, subject matter expertise, and a tutoring availability schedule of each registrant.  The DOE will make the registry publicly available to all New Jersey residents on its Internet website.

     Under the bill, the following individuals and organizations may apply to the DOE for inclusion on the central registry: (1) a teacher who holds a New Jersey provisional or standard instructional certificate; (2) a retired New Jersey teacher who was in good standing at the time of retirement; (3) a student enrolled in a two- or four-year institution of higher education in the State; (4) an industry professional with relevant subject matter expertise; (5) an organization with relevant subject matter expertise; and (6) any other person or organization the department deems appropriate.  Registrants may not charge or receive any fee for services provided in connection with the registry.  The DOE is required to inform users of the registry that the information provided on individuals and organizations listed on the registry has not been independently verified and is not meant to be an endorsement or recommendation by the department as to the quality of the tutoring services offered.

     The purpose of the bill is to address some of the difficulties students and families experience when utilizing remote instruction, including limited opportunities for one on one engagement, interference in an educator’s ability to identify and address individual student needs, and additional instructional responsibilities for parents who may be unable to navigate children’s coursework.