S944-2013 Actions

• Jan 9, 2013: REFERRED TO EDUCATION

S944-2013 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S944

TITLE OF BILL:
An act
to amend the education law, in relation to requiring all school districts
to have a certified physical education teacher

PURPOSE:
To require that all school districts
regularly employing
twenty or more teachers shall employ, within every school, a
certified physical education teacher.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Subdivision 2 of section 803 of the education
law is amended:

-adds "within every school" so that every school in all school
districts within the board of education's jurisdiction shall employ
qualified and duly licensed teachers under the regulations of the
board to give physical education instruction.

-adds "physical education" to specify the course being taught.

JUSTIFICATION:
Only certified physical education teachers should be
given the responsibility of teaching the skills and providing the
motivation our young people need to adopt and maintain a physically
active lifestyle. New York State allows classroom teachers, without
any required training in physical education, to teach some physical
education courses. Studies have found that, compared with classroom
teachers, physical education specialists teach longer and higher
quality classes in which students spend more time being physically
active. Qualified and appropriately trained physical education
teachers are the most essential ingredient of a quality physical
education program.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
None.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.

EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

S944-2013 Text

 S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 
 
                                          944
 2013-2014 Regular Sessions
 I N  SENATE
 (PREFILED)
 January 9, 2013
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  RIVERA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
 printed to be committed to the Committee on Education
 

AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to requiring  all  school
 districts to have a certified physical education teacher
 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

 

Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section  803  of  the  education  law,  as
 amended  by  chapter  118  of  the  laws  of 1957, is amended to read as
 follows:

 2. The board of education or trustees of every school  district  regu
 larly  employing  twenty  or  more  teachers  shall employ, WITHIN EVERY
 SCHOOL, a teacher or teachers qualified  and  duly  licensed  under  the
 regulations  of  the  regents to give [such] PHYSICAL EDUCATION instruc
 tion[; in every other district of the state,  they  shall  require  such
 instruction to be given by the teacher or teachers regularly employed to
 give instruction in other subjects or by a teacher or teachers qualified
 and duly licensed under the regulations of the regents].
 

S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD01327-01-3

*By contributing or voting you agree to the Terms of Participation and Privacy Policy and verify you are over 13.

Discuss!