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- Referred to education
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Requires elementary and secondary schools to teach courses on the role of labor unions in American society
In Assembly Committee · Education · Sponsor Mark J.F. Schroeder
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the education law, in relation to courses of instruction in labor studies
Purpose
This bill would require elementary and secondary schools to teach courses on the role of labor unions in American society.
Justification
Recently, the State of Illinois adopted into its curriculum the teaching of labor history in all of its schools. This had been established by a concerted effort of unions led by the Illinois State AFL-CIO. In New York State this venture is being fully supported by the New York State United Auto Workers, Region 9.
Fundamentally, the glorious history of labor is the story of the American people and the great forces which have swept the American people into action have been the very forces that have also molded labor. For labor has never lived in isolation or progressed without allies. Always it has been in the mainstream of American life, always at the crux of American history. Organized labor has been integral in shaping the history of New York State through its interaction in the political and economic systems.
It is very important that at all grades, students learn of the various aspects of labor studies. These studies should be incorporated, integrated, or infused into the curriculum at every level and into every subject "as appropriate." For instance, it is important not to limit the teachers of labor history to American history but recognize that English teachers can incorporate worker literature, poems, plays, etc. and can assign papers, essays, seminar topics and so on that deal with workers and unions. Music teachers can use labor songs to teach the American tradition of protest music and science teachers can incorporate safety and health issues.
This curriculum is severely limited in the schools of New York and this omission by the State Education Department needs to be corrected. This legislation will do just that.
Legislative history
2001-02: S.1336/A.268 No action. 2003-04: S.1292/A.1459 No action. 2005-06: S.1681/A.937 No action. 2007-08: S.2753/A.6113 No action.
Fiscal implication
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the first of September in the second year next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.