2023 Connecticut General Statutes › Title 10 - Education and Culture › Chapter 166 - Teachers and Superintendents › Section 10-156aa. - Task Force to Diversify the Educator Workforce.

(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.