Sponsored by:
Senator VIN GOPAL
District 11 (Monmouth)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senators Diegnan, Singer and Zwicker
SYNOPSIS
Requires Commissioner of Education to distribute survey to school districts regarding instruction on Holocaust and genocides.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning instruction on the Holocaust and genocides in the public schools.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The Commissioner of Education shall, within 60 days of the effective date of this act, develop and distribute a survey regarding instruction on the Holocaust and genocides to the public schools of the State. The survey shall focus on how each school district is meeting the instruction requirements established pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1994, c.13 (C.18A:35-28). The survey shall include questions, for all grade levels, on: curriculum content; learning goals; instructional strategies and activities; texts and resources; and assessments.
b. The commissioner shall submit to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), within 180 days of the effective date of this act, a report of the survey findings. Findings shall include detailed results of the survey and, if needed, recommendations to strengthen the instructional requirement.
2. a. The superintendent of each school district, or a designee, shall:
(1) complete the survey distributed by the Commissioner of Education pursuant to section 1 of this act within 30 days of its receipt; and
(2) submit, with the survey response, an attestation affirming that the school district is meeting the instruction requirements established pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1994, c.13 (C.18A:35-28).
b. The Commissioner of Education may require the completion of a corrective action plan by:
(1) any school district identified from the survey as not meeting the instruction requirements established pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1994, c.13 (C.18A:35-28); or
(2) any school district that fails to submit an attestation pursuant to paragraph (2) of subsection a. of this section.
The corrective action plan shall be submitted for approval by the Commissioner of Education in such manner and form prescribed by the commissioner.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill directs the Commissioner of Education to develop and distribute, within 60 days of the bill’s effective date, a survey regarding instruction on the Holocaust and genocides to the public schools of the State. The survey will focus on how each school district is meeting the instruction requirements established pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1994, c.13 (C.18A:35-28), which requires every board of education to include instruction on the Holocaust and genocides in an appropriate place in the curriculum of all elementary and secondary school students. The survey will be required to include questions, for all grade levels, on: curriculum content; learning goals; instructional strategies and activities; texts and resources; and assessments.
The bill directs the commissioner to submit a report to the Governor and the Legislature within 180 days of the bill’s effective date. The report will include findings of the survey and, if needed, recommendations to strengthen the instructional requirement.
The bill also requires the superintendent of each school district, or a designee, to:
(1) complete the survey within 30 days of its receipt; and
(2) submit, with the survey response, an attestation affirming that the school district is meeting the instruction requirement on the Holocaust and genocides.
The bill further provides that the commissioner may require the completion of a corrective action plan by:
(1) any school district identified from the survey as not meeting the instruction requirement on the Holocaust and genocides; or
(2) any school district that fails to submit an attestation.
Under the bill, the corrective action plan will be submitted for approval by the commissioner in such manner and form prescribed by the commissioner.