What's happening
This bill eliminates the waiver allowing unqualified individuals to serve as school superintendents in New York City school districts.
Why it matters
Raises standards for NYC school superintendents. by ensuring only individuals who meet all educational and teaching requirements can serve, potentially increasing the professionalism and preparedness of district leadership in the nation's largest school system.
Removes flexibility for hiring “exceptionally qualified” but non-traditional candidates. (e.g., leaders from business, government, or other sectors without standard credentials) in New York City schools, which could limit innovative or diverse leadership backgrounds.
Aims to align NYC with other districts’ expectations. by closing a loophole that previously allowed waivers only in the city, thereby addressing concerns about equity and consistency in superintendent qualifications across New York State.
May impact succession planning and hiring speed. in NYC by reducing the pool of eligible candidates, possibly leading to longer searches or increased competition for certified educational leaders.
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Who cares
Headline styles
End Superintendent Waivers NYC
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to education
- Referred to education
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1875
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 11, 2017
Introduced by Sen. AVELLA -- 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 eliminating the waiver of qualification requirements for school superintendents in the school districts located in cities having a population of one million or more residents
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 3 of section 3003 of the education law, as amended by chapter 149 of the laws of 1974, is amended to read as follows:
3. [The] Except in school districts located in cities having a population of one million or more residents, the commissioner, at the request of a board of education or board of cooperative educational services, may provide for the issuance of a certificate as superintendent of schools to exceptionally qualified persons who do not meet all of the graduate course or teaching requirements of subdivision one of this section, but whose exceptional training and experience are the substantial equivalent of such requirements and qualify such persons for the duties of a superintendent of schools.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01215-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the education law, in relation to eliminating the waiver of qualification requirements for school superintendents in the school districts located in cities having a population of one million or more residents
Summary of provisions
Section 1 of the bill amends subdivision 3 of section 3003 of the education law, as amended by chapter 149 of the laws of 1974, by adding language that excepts school districts in cities of a million or more from this section which allows for issuance of a waiver of graduate or teaching requirements for superintendents.
Section 2 provides for an immediate effective date.
Justification
The Chancellor for the New York City Department of Education is responsible for well over a million students in 1800 schools throughout the city according the Department of Education's most recent statistics. Given this immense responsibility, it is imperative that the New York City Schools Chancellor be fully qualified for this position including all of the necessary graduate level course completion and teaching requirements as set forth in
Section 3003 the education law. Requiring that the Chancellor have a minimum of 60 semester hours in graduate courses and have completed a minimum of three years of teaching experience is a minimum requirement for such an important and pivotal position.
Prior legislative history
2015-16: S.5772
Fiscal implications for state and local governments
None known.
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.