(a) There is established the Task Force to Diversity the Educator Workforce to study and develop strategies to increase and improve the recruitment, preparation and retention of minority teachers, as defined in section 10-155l, in public schools in the state. Such study shall include, but need not be limited to, (1) an analysis of the causes of minority teacher shortages in the state, (2) an examination of current state-wide and school district demographics, and (3) a review of best practices.
(b) The task force shall consist of the following members:
(1) One appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives;
(2) One appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate;
(3) One appointed by the majority leader of the House of Representatives, who is a member of the Black and Puerto Rican Caucus of the General Assembly;
(4) One appointed by the majority leader of the Senate;
(5) One appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives;
(6) One appointed by the minority leader of the Senate;
(7) The Commissioner of Education, or the commissioner's designee;
(8) The president of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities, or the president's designee;
(9) The executive director of the Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity, or the executive director's designee;
(10) Three appointed by the executive director of the Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity, one of whom has expertise in African American affairs, one of whom has expertise in Latino and Puerto Rican affairs, and one of whom has expertise in Asian Pacific American affairs; and
(11) On and after July 1, 2018, one appointed by the chairpersons of the task force.
(c) Any member of the task force appointed under subdivision (1), (2), (3), (4), (5) or (6) of subsection (b) of this section may be a member of the General Assembly.
(d) All appointments to the task force shall be made not later than thirty days after June 22, 2015, except the member appointed pursuant to subdivision (11) of subsection (b) of this section shall be appointed not later than thirty days after July 1, 2018. Any vacancy shall be filled by the appointing authority.
(e) (1) The speaker of the House of Representatives and the president pro tempore of the Senate shall select the chairpersons of the task force from among the members of the task force. Such chairpersons shall schedule the first meeting of the task force, which shall be held not later than sixty days after June 22, 2015.
(2) On and after the appointment of the member described in subdivision (11) of subsection (b) of this section, such member shall serve as an additional chairperson of the task force with the same authority and responsibilities as the chairpersons selected pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection.
(f) The administrative staff of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education shall serve as administrative staff of the task force.
(g) Not later than June 30, 2017, the task force shall submit a report on its findings and recommendations to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a.
(h) The task force shall terminate on January 1, 2026.
(P.A. 15-108, S. 5; P.A. 16-41, S. 1; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 16-3, S. 131; P.A. 17-56, S. 6; P.A. 18-34, S. 5; P.A. 19-117, S. 117; P.A. 22-80, S. 17.)
History: P.A. 15-108 effective June 22, 2015; P.A. 16-41 amended Subsec. (a) by designating existing provision re examination of demographics as Subdiv. (2) and existing provision re review of best practices as Subdiv. (3) and adding Subdiv. (1) re analysis of causes of minority teacher shortages, amended Subsec. (b) by adding Subdiv. (12) re executive director of Asian Pacific American Affairs Commission or designee, amended Subsec. (g) by replacing “February 1, 2016” with “June 30, 2017” and deleting provision re task force to terminate on date it submits report or February 1, 2016, and added Subsec. (h) re task force to terminate on January 1, 2026, effective May 27, 2016; pursuant to May Sp. Sess. P.A. 16-3, “Latino and Puerto Rican Affairs Commission”, “African-American Affairs Commission” and “Asian Pacific American Affairs Commission” were changed editorially by the Revisors to “Commission on Equity and Opportunity”, “Commission on Children” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Commission on Women, Children and Seniors” and technical changes were made by the Revisors in Subsec. (b), effective June 2, 2016; P.A. 17-56 amended Subsec. (b)(8) 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. 18-34 amended Subsec. (b) by making a technical change in Subdiv. (3), replacing provision re executive director of Commission on Equity and Opportunity as member of task force with provision re three members with particular expertise appointed by executive director of Commission on Equity and Opportunity in Subdiv. (10) and adding Subdiv. (11) re one member appointed by chairpersons of task force, amended Subsec. (d) by adding exception re member appointed pursuant to Subsec. (b)(11) by July 1, 2018, and amended Subsec. (e) by designating existing provisions re selection of chairpersons and first meeting of task force as Subdiv. (1) and adding Subdiv. (2) re additional chairperson, effective July 1, 2018; P.A. 19-117 amended Subsec. (b) by replacing “Commission on Women, Children and Seniors” with “Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity” in Subdiv. (9) and replacing “Commission on Equity and Opportunity” with “Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity” in Subdiv. (10), effective July 1, 2019; P.A. 22-80 replaced “a task force” with “the Task Force to Diversify the Educator Workforce”, effective May 24, 2022.
Structure Connecticut General Statutes
Title 10 - Education and Culture
Chapter 166 - Teachers and Superintendents
Section 10-144o. - Definitions.
Section 10-145a. (Formerly Sec. 10-146). - Specific components of teacher preparation programs.
Section 10-145b. - Teaching certificates.
Section 10-145c. - Election of persons certified provisionally before July 1, 1974.
Section 10-145e. - Certification for occupational subjects.
Section 10-145f. - Testing for prospective teachers.
Section 10-145g. - Regulations.
Section 10-145h. - Requirements for certification as a bilingual education teacher.
Section 10-145j. - Employment of national corps of teachers' training program graduates.
Section 10-145k. - Issuance of international teacher permit.
Section 10-145l. - Waiver from subject area major requirements for certain teachers.
Section 10-145m. - Resident teacher certificate.
Section 10-145n. - Issuance of adjunct instructor permit.
Section 10-145q. - Issuance of charter school educator permit.
Section 10-145r. - Survey on reading instruction.
Section 10-145s. - Distinguished educator designation.
Section 10-145y. - Issuance of career and technical pathways instructor permit.
Section 10-146a. - Advisory board on state certification of teachers.
Section 10-146f. - Waiver of certification requirements for bilingual teachers.
Section 10-146g. - Teachers of specialized courses.
Section 10-146h. - Report re quality of teacher preparation programs.
Section 10-146i. - Military spouse teacher permit.
Section 10-147 and 10-148. - Kindergarten certificates. Teacher to have certificate.
Section 10-148a. - Professional development for certified employees.
Section 10-148d. - Professional development for paraeducators.
Section 10-149. - Qualifications for athletic coaches of intramural and interscholastic athletics.
Section 10-149d. - Athletic directors. Definitions. Qualifications and hiring. Duties.
Section 10-149f. - Sudden cardiac arrest awareness education program. Consent form.
Section 10-149h. - Exertional heat illness awareness education program.
Section 10-150 and 10-150a. - School registers.
Section 10-151a. - Access of teacher to supervisory records and reports in personnel file.
Section 10-151c. - Nondisclosure of records of teacher performance and evaluation. Exceptions.
Section 10-151d. - Performance Evaluation Advisory Council. Responsibilities.
Section 10-151f. - Teacher evaluation and support pilot program.
Section 10-151g. - Neag School of Education study of teacher evaluation and support pilot program.
Section 10-151i. - Audits of teacher evaluation and support programs.
Section 10-152. - Discrimination in salaries of teachers.
Section 10-153b. - Selection of teachers' representatives.
Section 10-153c. - Disputes as to elections.
Section 10-153f. - Mediation and arbitration of disagreements.
Section 10-153h. - Appropriation.
Section 10-153i. - Designation of statutory agent for service of process.
Section 10-153j. - The making of service of process, notice or demand.
Section 10-153o. - Review of performance of arbitration panel members.
Section 10-153t. - Turnaround plan referees.
Section 10-154. - Homes and transportation for teachers.
Section 10-155. - Emergency teacher training program.
Section 10-155cc. - Definitions.
Section 10-155f. - Residency requirement prohibited.
Section 10-155g. - Educational Excellence Trust Fund.
Section 10-155i. - Pilot program to assist paraprofessionals.
Section 10-155j. - Development of paraprofessionals.
Section 10-155k. - School Paraeducator Advisory Council.
Section 10-155l. - Minority teacher recruitment.
Section 10-155m. - Promotion of teaching profession as career option to high school students.
Section 10-156a. - Duty-free lunch period.
Section 10-156aa. - Task Force to Diversify the Educator Workforce.
Section 10-156bb. - Minority Teacher Recruitment Policy Oversight Council.
Section 10-156c. - Military leave.
Section 10-156cc. - Report re effectiveness of minority teacher recruitment programs.
Section 10-156d. - Reemployment after military leave.
Section 10-156dd. - Student survey re minority teacher recruitment programs.
Section 10-156ee. - Duties re minority teacher recruitment.
Section 10-156gg. - Minority candidate certification, retention or residency year program.
Section 10-156ii. - Minority teacher candidate scholarship program.
Section 10-157a. - Superintendent for more than one town.
Section 10-158. - Superintendent for more than one town. Supervision districts.