What's happening
This bill authorizes an annual award for school staff who excel in developing farm-to-school programs or school gardens, including tuition credits.
Why it matters
Elevates the role of school staff in connecting students to agriculture. by recognizing those who excel at integrating local farm products and gardening into education, potentially boosting the visibility and value of hands-on learning programs.
Encourages collaboration and innovation in schools. , as award criteria emphasize teamwork, leadership, and creating inclusive, impactful programs that benefit students of all backgrounds and abilities.
Offers tangible educational incentives for professional growth. , since awardees receive tuition credits for SUNY or CUNY courses, helping them further their own education and potentially improving retention and morale among school staff.
Uses the New York State Fair as a public platform to celebrate achievements. , increasing community awareness of successful farm-to-school and gardening initiatives and possibly inspiring other schools to adopt similar programs.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Reward School Farm Leaders
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to education
- Print number 1463a
- Amend (t) and recommit to education
- 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.
Reward School Garden Leaders
In Assembly Committee · Education · Sponsor Carrie Woerner
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1463--A
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 9, 2017
Introduced by Sen. RITCHIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Education -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to authorize the commissioner of agriculture and markets to create an annual award to recognize school staff involved in a farmto-school program or school garden
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The commissioner of agriculture and markets is hereby authorized and directed to create an award to be presented every year hereafter in recognition of school staff that collectively developed an exceptional farm-to-school program or school garden at their place of employment. The commissioner of agriculture and markets shall be authorized to provide funds for this award only to the extent that an appropriation is available for this act's specific purpose.
§ 2. (a) Candidates can be nominated by their school's principal, their peers, or community members. The commissioner of agriculture and markets is instructed to seek candidates with at least the qualities prescribed in this section, though additional criteria not prescribed here may be used when evaluating candidates. With respect to their school's farm-to-school program or school garden candidates should:
(i) demonstrate excellence in the field, guiding students of all backgrounds and abilities to achieve excellence;
(ii) consistently demonstrate a positive impact on student achievement;
(iii) collaborate with colleagues, students, and families to create a school culture of respect and success;
(iv) demonstrate leadership and innovation in and outside of the classroom walls that embodies lifelong learning; and
(v) express themselves in an engaging and articulate way.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07035-06-7
S. 1463--A 2
(b) For each quality listed in subdivision (a) of this section, specific examples and data shall be provided on behalf of each group of candidates. However, primarily quantitative responses should not be favored where quantitative data obscures qualitative information concerning student experiences. Special consideration should be given to those candidates that integrate local or regional agricultural products of any kind in to the classroom, cafeteria, and curriculum, or that have founded school gardens or mini-farms.
§ 3. Awards shall consist of a credit covering any tuition and fees incurred subsequent to an awardee's enrollment in any part of SUNY or CUNY, if such enrollment occurs. This credit will be capped at the tuition and fees associated with a maximum of six credit hours.
§ 4. Awards shall be given each year at the New York state fair in consultation with the state fair's agriculture department, the director of the state fair and the commissioner of education. The first such award will be granted in the year following the year of enactment.
§ 5. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to authorize the commissioner of agriculture and markets to create an annual award to recognize school staff involved in a farm-to-school program or school garden
Purpose
Farm-to-school programs are, when fully integrated in to cafeteria and curriculum, complex and labor intensive. The award would create an opportunity for the public recognition of school staff and administrators that collectively developed an exceptional farm-to-school program or school garden at their facility.
Summary of provisions
The Commissioner of the State Department of Agriculture would be authorized to create a yearly award recognizing school staff that collectively developed an exceptional farm-to-school program or school garden at their place of employment. Funds for the award would be only as much as was appropriated for the purposes of the award, which would be presented in the form of a credit covering a maximum of six credits at SUNY or CUNY. The award would be given yearly at the New York State Fair.
Justification
From learning the importance of eating healthy to building strong bonds with peers, young people gain a wide variety of important skills and habits throughout their involvement in farm-to-school programs and school gardens. Educators and school staff should be recognized for their hard work, innovation, and dedication to creating unique learning opportunities for students in the form of a farm-to-school program or school garden. An added benefit of the award program would be that it would encourage schools to share their methods and approach publicly. This could contribute to the development of a best-practices model for other schools to follow if they wanted to start their own farm-to-school program or school garden.
Legislative history
New bill.
Fiscal implications
Minimal.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.