Senator Luis Sepúlveda and the Senate Majority Advances Legislation that Continues to Fight for Education Diversity

(Albany, NY) Today, Senator Luis Sepúlveda and the Senate Democratic Majority have continued the fight for education diversity in our schools by passing legislation to encourage better representation across all demographics. This legislation will create a task force to study the impacts of these discrepancies and recommend solutions; develop recruitment programs to find and retain minority and bilingual educators, and establish statewide conventions for underrepresented educators to gather, network, and problem solve together.

"As we strive for a more equitable and inclusive educational system, it is imperative that our teaching staff reflects the rich diversity of our state. This suite of legislation is a critical step forward in ensuring that all students have role models who understand their cultural backgrounds and life experiences," said Senator Luis Sepúlveda.

The legislation passed by the Senate Democratic Majority includes:

• Task Force on Educator Diversity: This legislation, Senate Bill S3385A, sponsored by Senator Jabari Brisport, establishes a task force on educator diversity in New York state to conduct a study on the state of diversity among educators in New York, and devise strategies to promote better diversity going forward.
• The Underrepresented Teachers of Tomorrow Program: This legislation, Senate Bill S1192, sponsored by Senator Roxanne Persaud, establishes the underrepresented teachers of tomorrow teacher recruitment and retention program, which would provide awards designed to attract and retain educators from underrepresented demographics.
• The Bilingual Teachers of Tomorrow Program: This legislation, Senate Bill S3408, sponsored by Senator Kevin Parker, establishes the bilingual teachers of tomorrow teacher recruitment and retention program to attract and retain bilingual, certified teachers in areas of greatest need.
• Diversity and Empowerment Convention: This legislation, Senate Bill S1988, sponsored by Senator Robert Jackson, will direct the commissioner to convene statewide and regional conventions to bring together underrepresented educators annually to discuss experiences and best practices, as well as allow for networking, mentorship opportunities, and support.
• Strengthening the Amistad Commission: Senate Bill S1032, sponsored by Senator Robert Jackson, authorizes the Commissioner of Education to lead the Amistad Commission, instead of the secretary of state and expands the duties of such Commission. The Amistad Commission was established by the Legislature in 2005 to review state curriculum pertaining to the slave trade.