ASSEMBLY, No. 418

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 1996 SESSION

By Assemblymen KELLY and DiGAETANO

An Act establishing a commission to develop guidelines for public school instruction in American and New Jersey labor history and making an appropriation therefor.

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

    1. The Legislature finds and declares that:

    a. American labor history, in general, and New Jersey labor history, in particular, provide an understanding of the essential contribution of workers to the economic development of our nation and this State;

    b. Instruction in labor history, with a special emphasis on the changing nature of work and its contingent skills and required education levels, is important in increasing the awareness of educators and students concerning the changes that have taken place in the nature of work and the skills and education required to participate successfully in today's work force;

    c. Instruction focusing on American labor history and the labor history of New Jersey takes place today in the State's public schools only on a random basis; and

    d. It is important, therefore, that a commission be established to systematically review current instruction in American and New Jersey labor history in the State's public schools and provide curriculum guidelines for the development of a program or programs of instruction in American and New Jersey labor history for use in New Jersey public schools.

    2. a. There is hereby established a commission for the purpose of developing curriculum guidelines for a program or programs of instruction in American and New Jersey labor history which shall be available for use in all public schools in this State. For the purposes of complying with the provisions of Article V, Section IV, paragraph 1 of the New Jersey Constitution, the commission is allocated within the State Department of Education, but notwithstanding this allocation, the commission shall be independent of any supervision or control by the department or any board or officer thereof. The State Department of Education shall supply the staff necessary to accomplish the commission's objectives.

    b. The commission shall consist of 16 members: two from the Senate to be appointed by the President of the Senate, no more than one of whom shall be of the same political party; two from the General Assembly to be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, no more than one of whom shall be of the same political party; the Commissioner of Education, the Commissioner of Labor, the Executive Director of the New Jersey Historical Commission, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Botto House American Labor Museum and the Director of the Institute of Management and Labor Relations, Rutgers, the State University, ex-officio, or their designees; and seven persons to be appointed by the Governor, one of whom shall be from the New Jersey State AFL-CIO, one from the New Jersey State Industrial Union Council, one from the New Jersey Education Association, one from the New Jersey State Federation of Teachers, one from the New Jersey Business and Industry Association, one from the New Jersey Library Association and one from the New Jersey State Chamber of Commerce. Members of the commission appointed from the Senate and the General Assembly shall serve during their terms of office. Members appointed by the Governor shall serve for three years. A vacancy occurring shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment. Members shall serve without compensation.

    c. The Commissioner of Education shall convene the commission within 30 days of notification by the Governor that the Governor, President of the Senate and Speaker of the General Assembly have made their appointments to the commission. At its first meeting the commission shall elect a chairperson and such other officers as it considers appropriate. The commission shall meet upon the call of the chairperson or of a majority of the commission members. The presence of a majority of the authorized membership of the commission shall be required for the conduct of official business.

    d. The commission shall report to the Commissioner of Education and the appropriate committees of the Legislature on an annual basis. The report shall include, but not be limited to, information on:

    (1) The commission's progress on the development of guidelines for American and New Jersey labor history curriculum; and

    (2) The extent to which local school districts are providing instruction in American and New Jersey labor history based on the commission's guidelines.

    3. a. The commission, in developing its curriculum guidelines, shall conduct an investigation which shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

    (1) A survey of school districts in the State to determine the content of and the extent to which labor history instruction is currently offered in elementary and secondary schools;

    (2) A survey of other states, as selected by the commission, to determine the content of and the extent to which labor history instruction is currently offered in the public schools of those states; and

    (3) A survey of information concerning labor history in New Jersey giving special attention to the changing nature of work and the associated required skills and education levels necessary for successful participation in the State's work force.

    b. The commission shall develop the means by which curricula developed from its guidelines can be implemented in local school districts in this State.

    c. The development of the guidelines for curriculum and the means of implementing curricula developed from those guidelines pursuant to subsections a. and b. of this section, shall not constitute a mandate requiring local school boards to include instruction in American or New Jersey labor history in their course offerings.

    4. a. The commission is authorized to call upon any department, office, division or agency of the State, or of any county, municipality or school district of the State, to supply such data, program reports and other information, personnel and assistance as it deems necessary to discharge its responsibilities under this act.

    b. These departments, offices, divisions and agencies shall, to the extent possible and not inconsistent with any other law of this State, cooperate with the commission and shall furnish it with such information, personnel and assistance as may be necessary or helpful to accomplish the purposes of this act.

    5. There is appropriated $35,000 from the General Fund to the Department of Education to effectuate the purposes of this act.

    6. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire three years following the effective date.

STATEMENT

    This bill establishes a commission to investigate and develop guidelines for a program or programs of instruction on American and New Jersey labor history which are to be available for use in all public schools in this State. The bill requires the commission to include in the guidelines a special emphasis on labor history in New Jersey and on the changing nature of work. The emphasis on the changing nature of work is intended to highlight the shift to the more sophisticated educational requirements necessary for successful participation in the work force of a high tech society.

    The establishment of these guidelines does not mandate local school boards to include instruction in American or New Jersey labor history.

    The commission would be in, but not of, the State Department of Education. The department is required to supply the staff necessary to accomplish the commission objectives. The commission is to consist of 16 members: two Senators appointed by the President; two Assemblypersons appointed by the Speaker; the Commissioner of Education, the Commissioner of Labor, the Executive Director of the New Jersey Historical Commission, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Botto House American Labor Museum and the Director of the Institute of Management and Labor Relations, or their designees; and seven members appointed by the Governor consisting of a member of the New Jersey State AFL-CIO, a member of the New Jersey Industrial Union Council, a member of the New Jersey Education Association, a member of the New Jersey State Federation of Teachers, a member of the New Jersey Business and Industry Association, a member of the New Jersey State Chamber of Commerce and a member of the New Jersey Library Association. Members would serve without compensation.

    The commission is required to report to the Commissioner of Education and the appropriate committees of the Legislature on an annual basis on the commission's progress on the development of guidelines for an American and New Jersey labor history curriculum and the extent to which local school districts are providing instruction in American and New Jersey labor history based on those guidelines.

    The bill also provides for an appropriation of $35,000 and that the provisions of the bill would expire in three years.

Establishes a commission to develop guidelines for public school instruction in American and New Jersey labor history; appropriates $35,000.