NY State Senate Bill 2021-S6687

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education 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

Please enter your contact information

First Name

Last Name

Email Address

A valid email address is required.

Home address is used to determine the senate district in which you reside. Your support or opposition to this bill is then shared immediately with the senator who represents you.

Optional services from the NY State Senate:

Create an account. An account allows you to officially support or oppose key legislation, sign petitions with a single click, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.

Include a custom message for your Senator? (Optional)

Enter a message to your senator. Many New Yorkers use this to share the reasoning behind their support or opposition to the bill. Others might share a personal anecdote about how the bill would affect them or people they care about.

Actions

View Actions

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 05, 2022	referred to education
May 12, 2021	referred to education

2021-S6687 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A6204
Current Committee:: Senate Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Amd Ed L, generally
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2023-2024: S4308, A4012
2025-2026: A1049

2021-S6687 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires school districts to have diversity officers to develop methods to diversify the personnel of the school district and to recommend changes to district policies and practices to reduce racial disparities in hiring school district employees, particularly teachers; requires boards of education to annually report information regarding such policies and practices to the department of education; requires the department of education to annually report such information to the legislature.

2021-S6687 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S6687

SPONSOR: SEPULVEDA
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to school district diver-
sity officers

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

This bill would require every school district to have a diversity offi-
cer to develop methods to diversify the personnel of their school
district.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section one: amends the education law to require school districts to
have a diversity officer.

Section two: delineates the qualifications of officers

Section three: sets restrictions on who is eligible to hold the position
of diversity officer.

Section four: states an administrative employee of the school district
shall be appointed as the school district diversity officer.

Section five: adds "diversity officer" to the heading of part 2 of arti-
cle 43 of the education law

Section six: outlines the duties of diversity officer, which include
developing methods to diversity the personnel of the school district,
with an emphasis on diversifying teaching staff; annually reviewing
racial and ethic disparities within the school district and encouraging
and assisting in the recruitment and retention of a more racially and
technically diverse staff. The diversity officer also would review poli-
cies and practices to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in hiring
school district employees, particularly teachers. The diversity officer
would be in charge of publishing an annual report on the school
districts plans, processes and progress in hiring and retaining educa-
tors of color which would be presented to the local board of education
and available to the public.

Section seven-ten: calls for a report to be prepared and submitted to
the department of education in response to the annual report presented
to the board of education on the district's plans for hiring and retain-
ing educators of color.

Section eleven: calls on the commissioner of education to prepare an
annual report based on the reports submitted to the department of educa-
tion by local boards of education on school district's plans, processes
and progress in hiring and retaining educators of color and such report
is to be submitted to the legislature annually.

Section twelve: Sets the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:


A 2019 State Education Department Educator Diversity Report found New
York's education workforce does not reflect the diversity of our commu-
nities and student population. The report noted that the state's student
population has grown increasingly diverse, but the teacher workforce has
remained 80% white. 56% of the enrolled student population in New York
State were students of color, while teachers of color made up only 19%
of the workers.

Furthermore, in a study conducted by the National Center for Suburban
Studies at Hofstra University, state Education Department student and
faculty records for all of Nassau and Suffolk counties' 642 public
school buildings over ten years ending with the 2016-17 academic year
were reviewed and found that 45% of public school enrollment on Long
Island were non-white, but minority teachers made up less than half of
the state and national averages at only 8%.

According to a study by The Education Trust - New York, one third of all
New York schools had no Black or Latino teachers in the 2015-16 school
year. That finding equates to over 115,000 enrolled Black and Latino
students without a single full-time same race or ethnicity teacher and
almost half the state's White students without a Black or Latino teach-
er.

Research has shown the important educational benefits for all students
that stems from educator diversity. For students of color, the impact of
having a teacher of the same race or ethnicity can have such positive
impacts as higher test scores and less disciplinary issues.  Even more
profound is the influence of students seeing members of their own race
or ethnicity as role models in high level positions and positions of
power. Exposure to diversity brings exposure to different viewpoints,
diverse ideas, and greater understanding of cultures resulting in a
richer teaching and learning environment for all students.

New York is in need of diversifying its teacher workforce for the good
of our student population and for the greater good of our society.  This
legislation would seek to address the lack of diversity in our school
districts across the state by requiring a diversity officer who will be
entrusted with developing ways to diversify the workforce of the school
district with an emphasis on diversifying teaching staff and helping
recruit and retain a more racially diverse workforce.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

Undetermined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2021-S6687 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6687
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               May 12, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sen. SEPULVEDA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Education
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to school district diver-
   sity officers
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 2101  of  the  education  law,  as
 amended  by  chapter  107  of  the  laws  of 1976, is amended to read as
 follows:
   1. Each common school district shall have one or three trustees as the
 district determines, a collector except in first class towns and  except
 as  may  be  otherwise  provided by law, A DIVERSITY OFFICER, and if the
 district so decides a treasurer.
   § 2. Section 2102 of the education law, as amended by chapter  737  of
 the laws of 1992, is amended to read as follows:
   § 2102. Qualifications  of  officers.    Every school district officer
 must be able to read and write and must be  a  qualified  voter  of  the
 district; and each member of a board of education of a union free school
 district, common school district or a central school district shall have
 been a resident of the school district, or in the case of a person qual-
 ified  by  subdivision  three  of  section twenty hundred twelve of this
 chapter to vote in a district election, a resident of  the  district  or
 reservation,  for at least one year prior to the election. Notwithstand-
 ing the provisions of any other general or special law to the  contrary,
 a  school district treasurer, collector, DIVERSITY OFFICER or clerk need
 not be a resident of the school district to hold  such  office  in  such
 district.
   §  3. Subdivision 1 of section 2103 of the education law is amended to
 read as follows:
   1. No district superintendent or supervisor is eligible to the  office
 of  trustee  or member of a board of education, and no trustee or member
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD09161-03-1

 S. 6687                             2
 
 of a board of education can hold the office of district  clerk,  collec-
 tor,  DIVERSITY  OFFICER,  treasurer  or  librarian, except as otherwise
 provided by section twenty-one hundred thirty.
   §  4.  Section  2103  of  the education law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 5 to read as follows:
   5.  AN  ADMINISTRATIVE  EMPLOYEE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  DISTRICT  SHALL  BE
 APPOINTED AS THE SCHOOL DISTRICT DIVERSITY OFFICER.
   § 5.  The part heading of part 2 of article 43 of the education law is
 amended to read as follows:
           DISTRICT CLERK; TREASURER; DIVERSITY OFFICER; COLLECTOR
   §  6.    The  education law is amended by adding a new section 2131 to
 read as follows:
   § 2131. DUTIES OF DIVERSITY OFFICER.   IT SHALL BE  THE  DUTY  OF  THE
 DIVERSITY OFFICER OF EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT TO DEVELOP METHODS TO DIVERSI-
 FY  THE PERSONNEL OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON DIVERSIFY-
 ING TEACHING STAFF.  THE DIVERSITY OFFICER SHALL ANNUALLY REVIEW  RACIAL
 AND  ETHNIC  DISPARITIES  WITHIN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND SHALL ENCOURAGE
 AND ASSIST IN THE RECRUITMENT AND  RETENTION  OF  A  MORE  RACIALLY  AND
 ETHNICALLY  DIVERSE  STAFF.    THE  DIVERSITY  OFFICER SHALL ALSO REVIEW
 SCHOOL DISTRICT POLICIES AND PRACTICES AND  RECOMMEND  CHANGES  TO  SUCH
 POLICIES AND PRACTICES TO REDUCE RACIAL AND ETHNIC DISPARITIES IN HIRING
 SCHOOL DISTRICT EMPLOYEES, PARTICULARLY TEACHERS.  THE DIVERSITY OFFICER
 SHALL PUBLISH AN ANNUAL REPORT ON THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S PLANS, PROCESSES
 AND  PROGRESS  IN  HIRING  AND RETAINING EDUCATORS OF COLOR. SUCH REPORT
 SHALL BE PRESENTED TO THE LOCAL BOARD OF EDUCATION AND SHALL  BE  AVAIL-
 ABLE TO THE PUBLIC
   §  7.  Section  1709  of  the education law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 44 to read as follows:
   44.  TO PREPARE A REPORT IN RESPONSE TO THE ANNUAL REPORT PRESENTED TO
 THE BOARD OF EDUCATION BY THE  DIVERSITY  OFFICER  PURSUANT  TO  SECTION
 TWENTY-ONE  HUNDRED  THIRTY-ONE  OF  THIS  TITLE  RELATING TO THE SCHOOL
 DISTRICT'S PLANS, PROCESSES AND PROGRESS IN HIRING AND RETAINING  EDUCA-
 TORS OF COLOR AND TO SUBMIT SUCH REPORT TO THE DEPARTMENT.
   §  8.  Section  1804  of  the education law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 13 to read as follows:
   13. THE BOARD SHALL PREPARE A REPORT IN RESPONSE TO THE ANNUAL  REPORT
 PRESENTED TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION BY THE DIVERSITY OFFICER PURSUANT TO
 SECTION  TWENTY-ONE  HUNDRED  THIRTY-ONE  OF  THIS TITLE RELATING TO THE
 SCHOOL DISTRICT'S PLANS, PROCESSES AND PROGRESS IN HIRING AND  RETAINING
 EDUCATORS OF COLOR AND TO SUBMIT SUCH REPORT TO THE DEPARTMENT.
   §  9.  Section  2503  of  the education law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 22 to read as follows:
   22. SHALL PREPARE A REPORT IN RESPONSE TO THE ANNUAL REPORT  PRESENTED
 TO  THE  BOARD OF EDUCATION BY THE DIVERSITY OFFICER PURSUANT TO SECTION
 TWENTY-ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-ONE OF  THIS  TITLE  RELATING  TO  THE  SCHOOL
 DISTRICT'S  PLANS, PROCESSES AND PROGRESS IN HIRING AND RETAINING EDUCA-
 TORS OF COLOR AND TO SUBMIT SUCH REPORT TO THE DEPARTMENT.
   § 10. Section 2554 of the education law is amended  by  adding  a  new
 subdivision 29 to read as follows:
   29.  TO PREPARE A REPORT IN RESPONSE TO THE ANNUAL REPORT PRESENTED TO
 THE BOARD OF EDUCATION BY THE  DIVERSITY  OFFICER  PURSUANT  TO  SECTION
 TWENTY-ONE  HUNDRED  THIRTY-ONE  OF  THIS  TITLE  RELATING TO THE SCHOOL
 DISTRICT'S PLANS, PROCESSES AND PROGRESS IN HIRING AND RETAINING  EDUCA-
 TORS OF COLOR AND TO SUBMIT SUCH REPORT TO THE DEPARTMENT.
   §  11.  Section  305  of  the education law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 59 to read as follows:

 S. 6687                             3
 
   59. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL PREPARE  AN  ANNUAL  REPORT  BASED  ON  THE
 REPORTS  SUBMITTED  TO  THE  DEPARTMENT  BY LOCAL BOARDS OF EDUCATION ON
 SCHOOL DISTRICTS' PLANS, PROCESSES AND PROGRESS IN HIRING AND  RETAINING
 EDUCATORS OF COLOR AND SHALL SUBMIT SUCH REPORT TO THE LEGISLATURE ANNU-
 ALLY.
   § 12. This act shall take effect immediately.

Comments

Open Legislation is a forum for New York State legislation. All comments are subject to review and community moderation is encouraged.

Comments deemed off-topic, commercial, campaign-related, self-promotional; or that contain profanity, hate or toxic speech; or that link to sites outside of the nysenate.gov domain are not permitted, and will not be published. Attempts to intimidate and silence contributors or deliberately deceive the public, including excessive or extraneous posting/posts, or coordinated activity, are prohibited and may result in the temporary or permanent banning of the user. Comment moderation is generally performed Monday through Friday. By contributing or voting you agree to the Terms of Participation and verify you are over 13.

Create an account. An account allows you to sign petitions with a single click, officially support or oppose key legislation, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.

Senate Bill S6687

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education Committee

2021-S6687 (ACTIVE) - Details

2021-S6687 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2021-S6687 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2021-S6687 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

Senate Bill S6687

Share this bill

Sponsored By

Luis R. Sepúlveda

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education Committee

2021-S6687 (ACTIVE) - Details

2021-S6687 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2021-S6687 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2021-S6687 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments