§ 10-156bb — Increasing Educator Diversity Policy Oversight Council.

There is established an Increasing Educator Diversity Policy Oversight Council within the Department of Education. The council shall consist of (1) the Commissioner of Education, or the commissioner's designee, (2) two representatives from the Task Force to Diversify the Educator Workforce, established pursuant to section 10-156aa, (3) one representative from each of the exclusive bargaining units for certified employees, chosen pursuant to section 10-153b, (4) the chancellor of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities, or the chancellor's designee, and (5) a representative from an alternate route to certification program, appointed by the Commissioner of Education. The council shall hold quarterly meetings and advise, at least quarterly, the Commissioner of Education, or the commissioner's designee, on ways to (A) encourage diverse students in middle and secondary school to attend institutions of higher education and enter teacher preparation programs, (B) recruit diverse students attending institutions of higher education to enroll in teacher preparation programs and pursue teaching careers, (C) recruit and retain diverse educators in Connecticut schools, (D) recruit diverse educators from other states to teach in Connecticut schools, and (E) recruit diverse professionals in other fields to enter teaching. The council shall report, annually, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, on the recommendations given to the commissioner, or the commissioner's designee, pursuant to the provisions of this section, to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education. For purposes of this section, “diverse” means individuals whose race is defined as other than white, or whose ethnicity is defined as Hispanic or Latino by the federal Office of Management and Budget for use by the Bureau of Census of the United States Department of Commerce.

Legislative History

(P.A. 16-41, S. 2; P.A. 17-56, S. 2; P.A. 22-80, S. 19; P.A. 23-167, S. 12; P.A. 24-22, S. 21.) History: P.A. 16-41 effective July 1, 2016; P.A. 17-56 amended Subdiv. (4) by replacing “president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education” with “president of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities”, effective June 20, 2017; P.A. 22-80 amended Subdiv. (2) by replacing “minority teacher recruitment task force” with “Task Force to Diversify the Educator Workforce”, effective May 24, 2022; P.A. 23-167 replaced “a Minority Teacher Recruitment Policy Oversight Council” with “an Increasing Educator Diversity Policy Oversight Council”, replaced references to minority students and minority teachers with references to diverse students and diverse educators, and replaced definition of “minority” with “diverse”, effective July 1, 2023; P.A. 24-22 amended Subdiv. (4) by replacing “president of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities” with “chancellor of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities”, effective July 1, 2024.