BILL NUMBER: S6355
SPONSOR: LIU
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to the qualifications to
serve as a member of the citywide council on English language learners
and of the citywide council on high schools
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To allow for greater participation of English language learner families
in the governance of NYC schools.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends the education law to include parents of students who
have, at any time in the past, enrolled in a bilingual or English as a
second language program conducted in a public school as eligible to
serve on the city-wide council on English language learners and to allow
them to continue serving their term following the conclusion of their
child's enrollment in a bilingual or English as a second language
program.
Section 2 amends the education law to include parents of students who
have, at any time in the past, enrolled in a bilingual or English as a
second language program conducted in a public school as eligible to
serve on the city-wide council on high schools and to allow them to
continue serving their term following the conclusion of their child's
enrollment in a bilingual or English as a second language program.
Section 3 provides the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Current law only allows parents of students currently in bilingual or
English Language Learner (ELL) programs to serve on the Citywide Council
on English Language Learners (CCELL). This prevents parents of students
who have experienced and completed such courses from utilizing their
experience and knowledge for the benefit of the NYC school system and
other ELL families. This also greatly constrains the pool of eligible
parents.
This bill would expand the eligibility criteria for CCELL and ELL
members of the Citywide Council on High Schools (CCHS) to allow members
to serve or continue serving after their child has graduated from ELL
programs. This would bring the eligibility criteria in line with the
requirements for the ELL members of the Community District Education
Councils (CECs). This would allow for CCELL positions to be filled more
easily with experienced members knowledgeable of successful ELL program-
ming, reducing the need for special elections and improving the ability
of CCELL to achieve quorum and conduct business.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
This is a new bill.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None to the State.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

Statutes affected:
S6355: 2590-b education law, 2590-b(5) education law, 2590-b(6) education law