STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman HERB CONAWAY, JR.
District 7 (Burlington)
Assemblywoman CAROL A. MURPHY
District 7 (Burlington)
Assemblyman BENJIE E. WIMBERLY
District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman Lampitt, Assemblyman Verrelli, Assemblywoman Swain and Assemblyman Venezia
SYNOPSIS
Requires school districts to include instruction on racial discrimination and social justice as part of implementation of New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Social Studies for middle school students.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning public school instruction on racial discrimination and social justice and supplementing chapter 35 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. A board of education shall include instruction on racial discrimination and social justice in an appropriate place in the curriculum of middle school students as part of the school district’s implementation of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Social Studies.
b. The Commissioner of Education, in consultation with the Amistad Commission, shall provide school districts with age-appropriate sample learning activities and resources designed to enhance students’ overall understanding of issues surrounding racial discrimination and social justice.
2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall first apply to the first full school year following the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill would require school districts to provide to middle school students instruction on racial discrimination and social justice in an appropriate place in the curriculum of middle school students as part of the districts’ implementation of the New Jersey Learning Standards in Social Studies. Under the bill, the Commissioner of Education, in consultation with the Amistad Commission, will provide school districts with age-appropriate sample learning activities and resources designed to enhance students’ overall understanding of issues surrounding racial discrimination and social justice.