Bill Text: NJ S445 | 2016-2017 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Mandates public school teachers complete professional development related to appropriate professional teacher-student relationships.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-01-12 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Education Committee [S445 Detail]

Download: New_Jersey-2016-S445-Introduced.html

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SENATE, No. 445

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

217th LEGISLATURE

 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2016 SESSION

 

 

Sponsored by:

Senator  DIANE B. ALLEN

District 7 (Burlington)

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Mandates public school teachers complete professional development related to appropriate professional teacher-student relationships.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.

  

An Act concerning professional development for teachers and supplementing chapter 6 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.

 

     Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

     1.    a.  The State Board of Education shall, as part of the professional development requirement established by the State board for public school teaching staff members, require each public school teacher to complete training on maintaining appropriate professional teacher-student relationships.  The training shall be in accordance with the Professional Standards for Teachers and shall include information on the legal and ethical responsibilities of teachers with respect to teacher-student relationships, best practices for maintaining appropriate relationships with students, and the role of social media in appropriate teacher-student relationships.

     A board of education may make the professional development opportunities available to other staff as the board deems appropriate.

     b.    The State Board of Education shall establish appropriate requirements for the training including, but not limited to, a minimum hour requirement.

 

     2.    This act shall take effect immediately and shall first be applicable to the first full school year beginning after the effective date of this act.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

     This bill requires each public school teacher to complete, as part of the teacher's professional development, training on maintaining appropriate professional teacher-student relationships.  The training will be in accordance with the Professional Standards for Teachers and will include information on the legal and ethical responsibilities of teachers with respect to teacher-student relationships, best practices for maintaining appropriate relationships with students, and the role of social media in appropriate teacher-student relationships.   The bill provides that a board of education may make the professional development opportunities available to other staff as the board deems appropriate.

     The State Board of Education will establish appropriate requirements for the training including a minimum hour requirement.