BILL NUMBER: S1344
SPONSOR: PARKER
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act establishing the New York state environmental sustainability
education act
 
PURPOSE:
This bill establishes the New York state environmental sustainability
education act which instructs the Department of Education, in conjunc-
tion with the Department of Environmental Conservation, to establish a
model program to guide the development, implementation and evaluation of
a comprehensive environmental sustainability education program to be
made available to public schools.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one states that this act shall be known as the "New York State
Environmental Sustainability Education Act."
Section two lists the findings of the legislature regarding the critical
importance of, and need for, comprehensive sustainability instruction in
New York State's classrooms.
Section three defines the key terms of the bill, namely 'sustainability
and 'environmental education.' Sustainability is portrayed as a method
of development and social progress that meets the needs of the present
without compromising the vital environmental resources future gener-
ations would need to achieve similar progress and growth.
Section four outlines various legislative directives which collectively
establish the appropriate framework for the successful instruction of
environmental sustainability. The interdependence of social, political
and economic systems in determining the degree to which a society devel-
ops and prospers in an environmentally friendly way is emphasized. More-
over, adopting a global perspective in the instruction of environmental
sustainability and assuring that New York's students understand that a
global commitment is needed to reverse negative environmental trends is
reinforced. A recurring theme outlined in this section is the vital
necessity for the curriculum to be designed around, and incorporate
broader notions of sustainability, which encompass not just environ-
mental science and protection, but cultural preservation and diversity,
social justice, local and regional heritage and the overall quality of
life.
The latter subdivisions of section four delineate the specific features
that must be included in the sustainability curriculum ultimately
endorsed by the state Department of Education. Clearly specified is the
need for DOE and DEC officials to tailor the instruction of these prin-
ciples to each grade interval so as to ensure the accessibility and
comprehensibility of disseminated knowledge and information. This
section also directs the instruction of the program to be carried out
within the existing curriculum framework which will encourage education
professionals to fuse the principles of sustainability with existing
lessons in math, science, English, history, physical education and
studies of society and technology. This section also encourages creative
teaching techniques and endorses the use of visiting experts, special
projects and class excursions to reinforce the values and knowledge of
sustainable living. Finally, the designed program must establish effec-
tive assessment strategies to gauge the curriculum's success and rele-
vance.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Developing positive strategies for the future involves thoughtful and
effective planning today. As school districts embrace the principles of
sustainability education, a growing need for guidance in effective plan-
ning has emerged. Therefore, to assist schools in their efforts to maxi-
mize sustainable education in their curriculum and in the everyday lives
of their students, the state government should assume the responsibility
for developing a model curriculum to be made available to school
districts throughout the state. Because sustainable education ties
existing core curricula, subject areas and processes, together with the
common theme systems thinking; for schools to embrace, move forward, and
maximize sustainable education, they need the assistance and expert
guidance of the state's environmental and education professionals. This
need cannot be overstated.
In short, the best argument for implementing sustainability education in
our children's schools is that it will free them from the destructive
habit of pitting nature against people and of ignoring the ethical
precept that everyone has an equal right to a clean and safe environ-
ment. This proposed model curriculum for sustainability education takes
into account all the assets, or forms of wealth, that provide the means
for our livelihoods. It encompasses the many dimensions of well being
that matter to us, and embraces the full range of activities by which we
derive well-being from the assets at our disposal.
Sustainability education provides the only feasible solution to environ-
mental degradation and economic injustice. Not only will sustainability
instruction sharpen analytical and critical thinking skills, but will
foster an intergenerational ethic among students, one that combines a
sense of gratitude towards those who preceded us, with a sense of
responsibility to those that will follow. This ethic entrenches a deep
commitment by our children to the well-being of present and future
generations by embracing the goal of protecting the environment because
of that fundamental recognition that the fates of humans and the natural
world are inextricably woven together.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023/24: S730-Referred to Environmental Conservation
2021/22: S3299 -Referred to Environmental Conservation
2019/20: 5.3586 - REFERRED TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION
2017/18: 5.3258 - Referred to Environmental Conservation
2015-16: S.1437/A.5845 - Referred to Environmental Conservation
2013-14:S.1351/A.264 - Referred to Environmental Conservation
2011-12: S.1571/A.5581- Died in Environmental Conservation
2009-10: S.4561/A.9384 - Referred to Environmental Conservation
2007-08: S.5997A.8429A - Referred to Environmental Conservation
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
Minimal costs to State Department of Education and State Department of
Environmental Conservation.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.