NY State Senate Bill 2015-S1437

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Environmental Conservation Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 06, 2016	referred to environmental conservation
Jan 12, 2015	referred to environmental conservation

2015-S1437 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A5845
Current Committee:: Senate Environmental Conservation
Law Section:: Environmental Conservation
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2009-2010: S4561, A9384, A3726
2011-2012: S1571, A5581
2013-2014: S1351, A264
2017-2018: S3258, A5945
2019-2020: S3586
2021-2022: S3299
2023-2024: S730

2015-S1437 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires the department of education to establish an education for environmental sustainability program to teach children the importance of conserving and protecting our environment.

2015-S1437 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                BILL NUMBER:S1437

TITLE OF BILL:  An act establishing the New York state environmental
sustainability education act

PURPOSE:

This bill establishes the New York state environmental sustainability
education act which instructs the Department of Education, in
conjunction with the Department of Environmental Conservation, to
establish a model program to guide the development, implementation and
evaluation of a comprehensive environmental sustainability education
program to be made available to public schools.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section one states that this act shall be known as the "New York State
Environmental Sustainability Education Act."

Section two lists the findings of the legislature regarding the
critical importance of, and need for, comprehensive sustainability
instruction in New York State's classrooms.

Section three defines the key terms of the bill, namely
'sustainability' and 'environmental education.' Sustainability is
portrayed as a method of development and social progress that meets

the needs of the present without compromising the vital environmental
resources future generations would need to achieve similar progress
and growth.

Section four outlines various legislative directives which
collectively establish the appropriate framework for the successful
instruction of environmental sustainability. The interdependence of
social, political and economic systems in determining the degree to
which a society develops and prospers in an environmentally friendly
way is emphasized. Moreover, adopting a global perspective in the
instruction of environmental sustainability and assuring that New
York's students understand that a global commitment is needed to
reverse negative environmental trends is reinforced. A recurring theme
outlined in this section is the vital necessity for the curriculum to
be designed around, and incorporate broader notions of sustainability,
which encompass not just environmental science and protection, but
cultural preservation and diversity, social justice, local and
regional heritage and the overall quality of life.

The latter subdivisions of section four delineate the specific
features that must be included in the sustainability curriculum
ultimately endorsed by the state Department of Education. Clearly
specified is the need for DOE and DEC officials to tailor the
instruction of these principles to each grade interval so as to ensure
the accessibility and comprehensibility of disseminated knowledge and
information. This section also directs the instruction of the program
to be carried out within the existing curriculum framework which will
encourage education professionals to fuse the principles of
sustainability with existing lessons in math, science, English,
history, physical education and studies of society and technology.
This section also encourages creative teaching techniques and endorses


the use of visiting experts, special projects and class excursions to
reinforce the values and knowledge of sustainable living. Finally, the
designed program must establish effective assessment strategies to
gauge the curriculum's success and relevance.

JUSTIFICATION:

Developing positive strategies for the future involves thoughtful and
effective planning today. As school districts embrace the principles
of sustainability education, a growing need for guidance in effective
planning has emerged. Therefore, to assist schools in their efforts to
maximize sustainable education in their curriculum and in the everyday
lives of their students, state government should assume the
responsibility for developing a model curriculum to be made available
to school districts throughout the state. Because sustainable
education ties existing core curricula, subject areas and processes,
together with the common. theme of systems thinking; for schools to
embrace, move forward, and maximize sustainable education, they need
the assistance and expert guidance of the state's environmental and
education professionals. This need cannot be overstated.

In short, the best argument for implementing sustainability education
in our children's schools is that it will free them from the
destructive habit of pitting nature against people and of ignoring the
ethical precept that everyone has an equal right to a clean and safe
environment. This proposed model curriculum for sustainability
education takes into account all the assets, or forms of wealth, that
provide the means for our livelihoods. It encompasses the many
dimensions of well-being that matter to us, and embraces the full
range of activities by which we derive well-being from the assets at
our disposal.

Sustainability education provides the only feasible solution to
environmental degradation and economic injustice. Not only will
sustainability instruction sharpen analytical and critical thinking
skills, but will foster an intergenerational ethic among students, one
that combines a sense of gratitude towards those who preceded us, with
a sense of responsibility to those that will follow. This ethic
entrenches a deep commitment by our children to the well-being of
present and future generations by embracing the goal of protecting the
environment because of that fundamental recognition that the fates of
humans and the natural world are inextricably woven together.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2013-2014: S.1351 - Referred to Environmental Conservation
2011-2012: S.1571/A.5581 - Died in Environmental Conservation
A.9384/S.4561 of 2009-2010:
A.8429A/S.5997 of 2007-08

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

Minimal costs to State Department of Education and State Department of
Environmental Conservation.

EFFECTIVE DATE:


This act shall take effect immediately.

2015-S1437 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  1437

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                            January 12, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen.  PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed to be committed to the Committee on Environmental Conservation

AN ACT establishing the  New  York  state  environmental  sustainability
  education act

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the  "New  York
State Environmental Sustainability Education Act".
  S 2. Legislative findings. The legislature finds and declares that:
  1.  In  recognition  of  the  United  Nations  Decade of Education for
Sustainable Development (2005-2014), as  declared  at  the  Johannesburg
Summit of 2002, New York state deems it imperative to develop and imple-
ment  an  educational  program  geared towards improving the capacity of
people to address environmental issues in the 21st century.
  2. Our ability to fulfill our responsibility to equip New York's citi-
zens with the required knowledge, skills, attitudes and values needed to
create a sustainable future and enhance our quality of life  have  never
been more critical.
  3.  More  than  any  other time in recent history, New York's citizens
have the capacity to dramatically affect their natural environment,  and
mitigate  and  possibly  reverse  our  society's  negative impact on our
natural surroundings.
  4. New technologies and research have  availed  unparalleled  opportu-
nities  for us to develop and protect resources in a manner that enables
people to meet current needs, while also providing  that  future  gener-
ations can meet future needs.
  5. To successfully confront these environmental concerns and sensitiv-
ities,  we  must  put  forth a vision of education that seeks to empower
people of all ages to assume responsibility for creating  a  sustainable
future.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD04887-02-5

S. 1437                             2

  S  3.  Definitions.  For the purposes of this act, the following words
shall have the following meanings:
  1. "Sustainability" shall mean development that meets the needs of the
present  without  compromising the ability of future generations to meet
their own needs. Development that occurs  in  such  a  way  ensures  the
capacity of the natural environment to meet present and future needs.
  2.    "Education  for sustainability" (EFS) means to promote an under-
standing of the interconnectedness of environment, economy and  society.
EFS  links  this  understanding with inquiry and action to help students
build a healthy future for their communities and  for  the  planet.  EFS
fosters  the  ability to integrate scientific, economic and social know-
ledge and makes education more pertinent to the changing world by moving
beyond institutional boundaries of the  disciplines  and  their  content
bias.  EFS  helps  students identify their role in local communities and
suggests ways to get involved. EFS shall consist of  educational  activ-
ities   and  training  activities  involving  elementary  and  secondary
students (K-12), as such terms are defined in the education law  and  by
environmental education personnel.
  S  4. Legislative directives and programs. 1. The department of educa-
tion is hereby required to establish a model program to guide the devel-
opment, implementation and evaluation of a  comprehensive  environmental
sustainability education program to be made available to public schools,
and assist them in developing curricula and training staff to adequately
prepare  students  to  participate  as  active  and involved citizens in
building a sustainable future.
  2. The program shall be developed by the department of  education,  in
conjunction  with  the  department  of  environmental  conservation, and
modeled to promote and enhance  an  understanding  of  the  concepts  of
sustainability  and improve understanding of the natural and built envi-
ronment, and the  relationships  between  humans  and  the  environment,
including local and global aspects of environmental problems.
  3.  The  education  for sustainability program shall be constructed in
line with the following principles:
  a. A program that fosters clear awareness of, and concern for, econom-
ic, social, political and ecological interdependence in all  regions  of
New York, the United States and the world.
  b.  One  that endorses an approach to teaching and learning that inte-
grates the goals and benefits of conservation, social justice, renewable
energy, cultural diversity and sustainable development into a vision for
social improvement.
  c. One that ensures that students appreciate and respect the intrinsic
value of the whole environment, and develop an ethic of personal respon-
sibility and stewardship towards all aspects of the environment.
  d. One that encourages students to participate as active and  involved
citizens in building a sustainable future.
  e.  One  that fosters appropriate applications of technology that help
solve, not create, problems.
  4. The sustainability education program  shall  include,  but  not  be
limited to, the following specific features:
  a.  The  program  shall be designed and tailored appropriately to suit
all age groups covered by the K-12 state curriculum and  the  department
shall design lesson plans and teaching strategies that are age appropri-
ate.   The department of education shall reserve the right to include or
omit certain specified program requirements (listed below in this subdi-
vision) when tailoring the principles of sustainability to be taught  at

S. 1437                             3

each  grade level, depending on the suitability of the lesson's instruc-
tion at each grade interval.
  b.  The program shall specifically enumerate the key topic/issue areas
to be studied, and shall integrate environmental education for sustaina-
bility issues and  topics  into  specific  key  learning  areas/subjects
located  within  the broader curriculum framework such as creative arts,
English, health  and  physical  education,  languages,  mathematics  and
economics,  science and geography, history and studies of society, envi-
ronment and  technology.  The  principles  of  sustainability  shall  be
presented and integrated wherever appropriate.
  c.  The  program  shall  promote education for sustainable development
'perspectives' across learning areas to include cross-curricular  units,
complementary   teaching  across  several  subjects,  special  projects,
performances, excursions, and visiting experts.  The  program  may  also
provide  for  collaborative  projects  with  other  schools (locally and
globally) to promote equity, inclusivity, and respect for all people.
  d. The program shall raise awareness of the  nature  and  function  of
ecological,  social,  economic  and  political  systems and how they are
interrelated in addressing environmental and sustainability issues.
  e. The program shall underscore  the  impact  that  people,  business,
industry  and  government  have  on environments and how the environment
shapes  human  activities,  with  particular  reference  to  unique  and
distinctive  New York heritage traditions and settings, connecting past,
present, and future perspectives and/or impacts.
  f. The program shall emphasize the role of cultural, socioeconomic and
political systems in environmental decision-making.
  g. The program shall reinforce the value  of  innovative  technologies
with  the  aim  to  produce  places, products and services in a way that
reduces use of non-renewable resources, minimizes environmental  impact,
relates  people with the natural environment, and conveys the importance
of creating and maintaining a sustainable lifestyle.
  h. The program shall  include  assessment  strategies  that  emphasize
problem-solving,  teamwork, decision-making, holistic thinking, clarify-
ing and analyzing values and opportunities for action, in order to gauge
and improve the effectiveness and relevance of the program.
  S 5. This act shall take effect immediately.

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Senate Bill S1437

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Environmental Conservation Committee

2015-S1437 (ACTIVE) - Details

2015-S1437 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2015-S1437 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2015-S1437 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

Senate Bill S1437

Share this bill

Sponsored By

Kevin S. Parker

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Environmental Conservation Committee

2015-S1437 (ACTIVE) - Details

2015-S1437 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2015-S1437 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2015-S1437 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments