SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1319        FILED ON: 2/16/2021

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 285

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Harriette L. Chandler

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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 addressing racial and cultural bias training in educator professional development.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1319        FILED ON: 2/16/2021

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 285

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Second General Court
(2021-2022)

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An Act addressing racial and cultural bias training in educator professional development.

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

Chapter 71 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2018 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out section 38Q and inserting in place thereof the following section:-

Section 38Q. Every school district in the commonwealth shall adopt and implement a professional development plan for all principals, teachers, other professional staff, paraprofessionals and teacher assistants employed by the district, to include the professional support teams established pursuant to section thirty-eight G, and annually shall update such plans and set forth a budget for professional development within the confines of the foundation budget. Said plan shall include training in the teaching of new curriculum frameworks and other related pedagogical skills required for the effective implementation of this act, including creating equitable, inclusive school and classroom climates, using participatory decision making, delivering framework content to students in racially, linguistically, and culturally responsive ways, and seeking parent and community involvement.  The plan shall also include training in: (1) analyzing and integrating diverse learning styles of all students in order to achieve an objective of inclusion in the regular classroom of students with diverse individual and cultural learning styles; and (2) methods of collaboration among teachers, paraprofessionals and teacher assistants to integrate such styles. The plan may also include training in the provision of pre-referral services within regular education. Said plan shall also include training for members of school councils, pursuant to section fifty-nine C. Said plan shall include teacher training which addresses the effects of gender and racial and cultural bias toward Black, Indigenous, and People of Color in the classroom, as well as training on implicit bias. In any school district with English learners as defined in chapter 71A, the plan shall provide training for teachers in second language acquisition techniques for the re-certification of teachers and administrators. All professional development plans required by this section shall be filed annually  with the commissioner of education.

The commissioner of education for the commonwealth shall prepare each year a plan for providing statewide assistance in the preparation and implementation of professional development plans. The plan shall include data that demonstrates, statewide and by school district, the types of professional development provided for educators who work with English learners as defined in chapter 71A. The commissioner shall consult with the board of higher education in developing said plan. This plan shall evaluate the feasibility of obtaining assistance from institutions of higher education and private service providers. The plan shall be submitted to the board of education for approval. A copy of said plan shall be submitted to the joint committee on education, arts, and humanities of the general court.