General Assembly |
File No. 259 |
January Session, 2015 |
Senate, March 26, 2015
The Committee on Labor and Public Employees reported through SEN. GOMES of the 23rd Dist., Chairperson of the Committee on the part of the Senate, that the bill ought to pass.
AN ACT CONCERNING THE INCLUSION OF THE HISTORY OF THE WORKER IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL CURRICULUM.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 10-16b of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2015):
(a) In the public schools the program of instruction offered shall include at least the following subject matter, as taught by legally qualified teachers, the arts; career education; consumer education; health and safety, including, but not limited to, human growth and development, nutrition, first aid, disease prevention, community and consumer health, physical, mental and emotional health, including youth suicide prevention, substance abuse prevention, safety, which may include the dangers of gang membership, and accident prevention; language arts, including reading, writing, grammar, speaking and spelling; mathematics; physical education; science; social studies, including, but not limited to, citizenship, economics, geography, government and history; and in addition, on at least the secondary level, one or more world languages and vocational education. For purposes of this subsection, world languages shall include American Sign Language, provided such subject matter is taught by a qualified instructor under the supervision of a teacher who holds a certificate issued by the State Board of Education. For purposes of this subsection, the "arts" means any form of visual or performing arts, which may include, but not be limited to, dance, music, art and theatre.
(b) If a local or regional board of education requires its pupils to take a course in a world language, the parent or guardian of a pupil identified as deaf or hearing impaired may request in writing that such pupil be exempted from such requirement and, if such a request is made, such pupil shall be exempt from such requirement.
(c) Each local and regional board of education shall on September 1, 1982, and annually thereafter at such time and in such manner as the Commissioner of Education shall request, attest to the State Board of Education that such local or regional board of education offers at least the program of instruction required pursuant to this section, and that such program of instruction is planned, ongoing and systematic.
(d) The State Board of Education shall make available curriculum materials and such other materials as may assist local and regional boards of education in developing instructional programs pursuant to this section. The State Board of Education, within available appropriations and utilizing available resource materials, shall assist and encourage local and regional boards of education to include: (1) Holocaust and genocide education and awareness; (2) the historical events surrounding the Great Famine in Ireland; (3) African-American history; (4) Puerto Rican history; (5) Native American history; (6) personal financial management; (7) training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of automatic external defibrillators; (8) worker history and law, including organized labor, the collective bargaining process and existing legal protections in the workplace; and [(8)] (9) topics approved by the state board upon the request of local or regional boards of education as part of the program of instruction offered pursuant to subsection (a) of this section.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections: | ||
Section 1 |
July 1, 2015 |
10-16b |
LAB |
Joint Favorable |
The following Fiscal Impact Statement and Bill Analysis are prepared for the benefit of the members of the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and explanation and do not represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber thereof for any purpose. In general, fiscal impacts are based upon a variety of informational sources, including the analyst's professional knowledge. Whenever applicable, agency data is consulted as part of the analysis, however final products do not necessarily reflect an assessment from any specific department.
OFA Fiscal Note
Explanation
The bill, which requires the State Board of Education (SBE), within available appropriations and using available resource materials, to assist and encourage local and regional boards of education to include in their curricula worker history and law, including organized labor, the collective bargaining process, and existing legal protections in the workplace, is not anticipated to result in a fiscal impact. As of February, 2015, SBE has modified the social studies curriculum to include such topics.
The Out Years
OLR Bill Analysis
AN ACT CONCERNING THE INCLUSION OF THE HISTORY OF THE WORKER IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL CURRICULUM.
This bill requires the State Board of Education (SBE), within available appropriations and using available resource materials, to assist and encourage local and regional boards of education to include in their curricula worker history and law, including organized labor, the collective bargaining process, and existing legal protections in the workplace.
By law, unchanged by the bill, SBE must similarly assist and encourage boards of education to include in their curricula topics such as the Holocaust, the Great Famine in Ireland, and African-American History.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2015
BACKGROUND
Related Bill
The Education Committee favorably reported out a bill (SB 963) that adds labor history to the same statute, but also adds the history and economics of free-market capitalism.
COMMITTEE ACTION
Labor and Public Employees Committee
Joint Favorable
Yea |
6 |
Nay |
5 |
(03/12/2015) |