What's happening
This bill requires the development of "grow your own" initiatives to recruit and support underrepresented candidates into teaching careers in New York.
Why it matters
Targets persistent teacher shortages and lack of teacher diversity. by guiding districts and colleges to actively recruit and support candidates from underrepresented backgrounds, potentially making the teaching workforce more reflective of student populations.
Emphasizes local recruitment and early outreach. , including to current paraeducators, teaching assistants, and even students as early as middle and high school, aiming to build a sustainable pipeline of future teachers from within local communities.
Encourages partnerships. between school districts, community organizations, and higher education institutions, which could lead to more coordinated support systems, mentorship, and smoother pathways into teaching for underrepresented individuals.
Directs attention to funding sources. that can be used to attract and retain underrepresented candidates, signaling potential for new or expanded financial aid, scholarships, or stipends that may help lower barriers to entering the profession.
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Who cares
State education commissioner, Department of Labor and SUNY/CUNY chancellors
The bill would require the commissioner to develop grow-your-own teacher recruitment guidelines in consultation with the department and chancellors.
School districts, BOCES and higher education institutions
They would receive guidelines covering local recruitment, middle and high school pipelines, partnerships and available funding sources to attract and retain underrepresented teaching candidates.
Teaching assistants, paraeducators and students in qualifying programs
The guidelines would target recruitment of candidates who have participated in My Brother’s Keeper, Teacher Opportunity Corps, HEOP, EOP or similar programs.
Community-based organizations and educator preparation institutions
The guidelines would address partnerships involving these organizations to help underrepresented candidates enter and remain in teaching.
Headline styles
Recruit Local Teachers
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
3 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to education
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 57–0
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.379
- Referred to education
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
7635
IN SENATE
February 3, 2020
Introduced by Sen. LIU -- 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 developing grow your own initiatives at school districts, boards of cooperative educational services and higher education institutions
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 3039 to read as follows:
§ 3039. Grow your own initiative. 1. The commissioner, in consultation with the department of labor, chancellor of the state university of New York and chancellor of the city university of New York, shall develop guidelines for school districts, boards of cooperative educational services and institutions of higher education to use to develop grow your own initiatives aimed at attracting underrepresented candidates into the teaching profession. Such guidelines shall include but not be limited to:
(a) Efforts for local recruitment of underrepresented candidates, including those who are current teaching assistants, paraeducators, and current students;
(b) Initiatives aimed at creating an early recruitment pipeline beginning at the middle and high school level;
(c) Partnerships between school districts, community-based organizations, educator preparation institutions and institutions of higher education to encourage and support underrepresented candidates to enter and remain in the teaching profession; and
(d) Funding sources available to school districts and institutions of higher education to attract and retain underrepresented candidates into the teaching profession.
2. For purposes of this section "underrepresented candidate" means an individual that has participated in my brother's keeper, teacher opportunity corps program, higher education opportunity program, education opportunity program or other similar program.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14859-01-0
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 developing grow your own initiatives at school districts, boards of cooperative educational services and higher education institutions
Purpose
This bill requires guidelines on Grow Your Own initiatives to encourage school districts, BOCES, and institutions of higher education to develop partnerships to attract underrepresented candidates into the teaching profession.
Summary of provisions
Section one adds a new section 3039 to the Education Law. This section requires the Commissioner of Education, in consultation with the Commis- sioner of Labor, and the Chancellors of SUNY and CUNY, to develop guide- lines for districts, BOCES and higher education institutions to use when developing Grow Your Own initiatives. Such guidelines shall include models for local recruitment efforts; initiatives at early recruitment in middle and high school; and partnership models between districts, community-based organizations, teacher preparation institutions and higher education institutions to encourage and support candidates.
Section 2 is the effective date.
Justification
Recent reports have highlighted the lack of diversity in New York's teaching workforce. In addition, reports have also predicted a teaching shortage in New York State and nationwide. To address these issues, many states and schools have looked to 'Grow Your Own' teaching efforts to increase the number of diverse, community-based teachers within the district. Grow Your Own initiatives have been praised as a promising effort to expand the number of diverse teachers by looking to current students, as well as paraprofessionals and community members. Guidelines will provide interested districts with a blueprint to develop a success- ful Grow Your Own program.
Legislative history
New bill.
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after 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.