| R 361 |
| 2019 -- H 5553 SUBSTITUTE A Enacted 06/11/2019 |
| H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N |
| CREATING A SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION TO STUDY AND PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ENCOURAGING MORE PERSONS OF COLOR TO ENTER THE FIELD OF EDUCATION |
| Introduced By: Representatives Alzate, McNamara, Casimiro, Kazarian, and Maldonado |
| Date Introduced: February 27, 2019 |
| WHEREAS, A report by the Learning Policy Institute showed that a diverse teacher |
| workforce is a very important strategy for improving learning and closing achievement gaps for |
| students of color; and |
| WHEREAS, Increasing the number of teachers of color in Rhode Island's schools is not |
| only important and beneficial for students of color; a diverse teacher workforce that represents the |
| state's overall demographics will also benefit students of all racial backgrounds; now, therefore be |
| it |
| RESOLVED, That a special legislative commission be and the same is hereby created |
| consisting of thirteen (13) members: three (3) of whom shall be members of the House of |
| Representatives, not more than two (2) from the same political party, to be appointed by the |
| Speaker of the House; one of whom shall be the Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary |
| Education, or designee; one of whom shall be the President of the Rhode Island Chapter of the |
| American Federation of Teachers, or designee; one of whom shall be the President of the Rhode |
| Island Chapter of the National Education Association, or designee; three (3) of whom shall be |
| members of student focused organizations, such as, but not limited to, Providence Student Union, |
| Young Voices, Alliance of Rhode Island Southeast Asians for Education, and Youth in Action, to |
| be appointed by the Speaker of the House; three (3) of whom shall be members of community |
| based organizations with vested interest in the issue of teachers of color, such as, but not limited |
| to, EduLeaders of Color, Rhode Island Coalition for Educators of Color, Breakthrough |
| Providence, and Teach for America, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House; and one of |
| whom shall be a member of the Educational Studies faculty at Rhode Island College, to be |
| appointed by the Speaker of the House. |
| In lieu of any appointment of a member of the legislature to a permanent advisory |
| commission, a legislative study commission, or any commission created by a General Assembly |
| resolution, the appointing authority may appoint a member of the general public to serve in lieu |
| of a legislator, provided that the majority leader or the minority leader of the political party which |
| is entitled to the appointment consents to the appointment of the member of the general public. |
| The purpose of said commission shall be to study and make recommendations for |
| encouraging students and persons of color to enter and continue to be involved in the field of |
| education. The work and recommendations should include, but not be limited to: |
| ( Develop an approach to inform students of color in the state on the importance and |
| benefits of entering the field of education; |
| ( Identify relevant research and successful practices to enhance minority teacher |
| recruitment and retention throughout the state; |
| ( Identify and establish public, private, and philanthropic partnerships to increase |
| minority (meaning individuals whose race is other than white, or whose ethnicity is Hispanic or |
| Latino as that term is used by the U.S. Census Bureau) teacher recruitment, including, but not |
| limited to teacher preparation programs; |
| ( Advise and support local and regional boards of education to prioritize minority |
| teacher recruitment and develop innovative strategies to attract and retain minority teachers |
| within their districts; |
| ( Review the requirements that prevent persons of color from choosing this profession |
| and remaining in it, including, but not limited to, teacher preparation programs, certification |
| requirements, and lack of diversity in union leadership; and |
| ( Identify a process or method to prepare, support, and encourage school leadership to |
| increase retention of teachers of color. |
| Forthwith upon passage of this resolution, the members of the commission shall meet at |
| the call of the Speaker of the House and organize and shall select, from among the legislators, a |
| chairperson. |
| Vacancies in said commission shall be filled in like manner as the original appointment. |
| The membership of said commission shall receive no compensation for their services. |
| All departments and agencies of the state shall furnish such advice and information, |
| documentary and otherwise, to said commission and its agents as is deemed necessary or |
| desirable by the commission to facilitate the purposes of this resolution. |
| The Speaker of the House is hereby authorized and directed to provide suitable quarters |
| for said commission; and be it further |
| RESOLVED, That the commission shall report its findings and recommendations to the |
| House of Representatives no later than April 17, 2020, and said commission shall expire on June |
| 17, 2020. |
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| LC001929/SUB A/2 |
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