HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1121        FILED ON: 1/18/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2853

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Solomon Goldstein-Rose

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to promoting diversity and inclusion in education.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1121        FILED ON: 1/18/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2853

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninetieth General Court
(2017-2018)

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An Act relative to promoting diversity and inclusion in education.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Chapter 69 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:-

Section 37. The department shall employ an educational inclusion advisor, hereinafter referred to as advisor. The advisor shall provide resources, documents, websites, and other tools for schools to learn about issues related to diversity, social justice, and inclusion in elementary and secondary education. The advisor shall help each school committee, regional school district, charter school or vocational school district create a plan for all employees of  the public school, regional school district, charter school or vocational school district to receive comprehensive diversity and inclusion training. The advisor shall regularly communicate with every school and provide compassionate, constructive suggestions for improving inclusion in the curriculum, hiring practices, disciplinary practices, teacher evaluation systems, student testing and evaluation systems, and any other appropriate areas.

The advisor shall review packaged curricula which may be purchased by a school, and shall provide compassionate, constructive suggestions directly to companies that produce such materials on ways to improve inclusion and representation of people of all backgrounds in such materials.

SECTION 2. Chapter 71 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:-

Section 98. (a) As used in this section, the following words shall, unless context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings:-

“Educator”, a teacher, principal, school administrator, district central office administrator, paraprofessional, substitute teacher, bus driver, cafeteria worker, and any other public school employee who has regular contact with students.

“Comprehensive diversity and inclusion training”, a training led by a current or retired master educator, or education expert, who has direct and long-term experience with issues of diversity, social justice, racial justice, inclusion of students of all abilities, genders, sexualities, and romantic orientations, and consciousness regarding economic backgrounds.

(b) Subject to appropriation, every educator employed in a public school shall receive comprehensive diversity and inclusion training. The training shall provide an educator with information regarding: (i) institutional, historical, and accidental discrimination; (ii) systems of violence and oppression; (iii) tools, techniques, and ideas for ensuring inclusion of students and educators from all backgrounds; and (iv) resources for support inside and outside the school. The training shall include information and suggestions related to the unique needs of students in that district or school.

(c) The training shall occur prior to the first day of the first full school year of employment for each educator at each school.

(d) Each school shall annually certify to the department of elementary and secondary education that each educator employed by the school has received comprehensive diversity and inclusion training.

SECTION 3. Training pursuant to section 2 for educators employed on the effective date of this act shall occur within 1 year of the effective date of this act.