SECTION 1. (a) Whereas it has been determined that minority students face numerous obstacles particularly in gateway cities; and whereas there is increasing evidence that minority students benefit from having teachers from their same ethnic background and community; and whereas teachers of color make up only about ten percent of the Massachusetts’ teaching workforce while its K-12 student body is over forty percent students of color; and whereas certain educational, financial, and societal barriers disproportionately impact minority teaching candidates; and whereas the state legislature should understand the barriers to students of color entering the teaching profession and provide legislative support to create a cadre of teachers representing the diversity of the student body; and whereas a special commission on teacher diversification in Massachusetts should be established to identify barriers and make recommendations to increase access and offer more pathways for students of color to enter the teaching profession; therefore, said commission shall be established and entitled the Special Commission on Teacher Diversification in Massachusetts.

(b) The Special Commission on Teacher Diversification in Massachusetts shall study and make recommendations regarding the diversification of the teaching workforce in the commonwealth.

(c) The commission shall: (1) evaluate existing teacher recruitment programs in local school districts, the department of elementary and secondary education, and other states aimed at diversifying the teaching workforce; (2) compile the best practices associated with these programs; (3) make recommendations for sustainable teacher diversification programs; and (4) create a long-term comprehensive plan for developing a cadre of minority teachers. The study shall include a close examination of gateway cities, and the recommendations shall include specific information related to implementation strategies that benefit gateway cities in particular. Recommendations shall include, but not be limited to, strategies that address closing racial achievement gaps in K-12 education, enrolling and retaining minority high school graduates in higher education, enrolling minority candidates in teacher preparation programs, and implementing targeted recruitment programs for minority teaching candidates.

(d) The commission shall consist of 21 members as follows: the Secretary of Education who shall serve as the chairperson, the house chair of the joint committee on education, the senate chair of the joint committee on education, the house chair of the joint committee on higher education, the senate chair of the joint committee on higher education, the commissioner of early education and care, the commissioner of elementary and secondary education, the commissioner of higher education, and the Chief Academic Officer of the department of higher education, or their designee(s); and representatives from the following: one of whom shall be from the University of Massachusetts, one of whom shall be from the Council of Presidents of the Massachusetts State Universities, one of whom shall be from the Massachusetts Association of Community Colleges, one of whom shall be from the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts; one of whom shall be from the Massachusetts Teachers Association; one of whom shall be from the American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts; one of whom shall be from the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents; one of whom shall be from the Massachusetts Association of School Committees; one of whom shall be from the Massachusetts Association of School Personnel Administrators; one of whom shall be from the Massachusetts School Administrators Association; one of whom shall be from the Massachusetts Elementary School Principals Association; and one of whom shall be from the Massachusetts Secondary School Administrators Association .

(e) Members of the commission shall be named by the Secretary of Education and the commission shall commence its work within 60 days of the effective date of this act. The commission shall report to the general court and governor the results of its study, together with any draft legislation, regulations, or administrative procedure necessary to implement its recommendations by filing the same with the clerks of the house of representatives and the senate and the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on education and the joint committee on higher education, not more than 1 year after the establishment of said commission.