Education (Edu) Policy Committee

Back to 2018 Ratified Policy Resolutions
Resolution EDU-18-03

A RESOLUTION REQUESTING ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR EDUCATION FROM THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

WHEREAS, we are now competing and living in a global community, and this new reality can increasingly be a benefit;

WHEREAS, our public school students no longer compete only with peers in their state or even our country;

WHEREAS, our nation’s students are now also competing against students in countries all over the world;

WHEREAS, as changes make our world much smaller, we must do everything we can to prepare our students for this new reality;

WHEREAS, with collective effort and support, our students can achieve any goal placed before them, including being abundantly prepared to compete in the global economy;

WHEREAS, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was a bipartisan legislative effort signed into law in December 2015, replacing the No Child Left Behind Act;

WHEREAS, the Every Student Succeeds Act provides the states an opportunity to further shape school systems in a way that will best prepare our public school students for the future;

WHEREAS, in order for successful change to transpire, additional assistance in funding may be required from the federal government;

WHEREAS, in the recent past, we have seen that by states leading policy discussions around public education and the federal government providing needed funding, positive results in increasing student learning outcomes and preparedness can be achieved;

WHEREAS, a suitable school system is effective and fair in how it prepares students within the constructs of that particular system;

WHEREAS, effectiveness in how well a particular system prepares students and the fairness with which the resources are allocated to educate students, may require additional funding beyond the normal level of current federal funding;

WHEREAS, an increase in these two variables will lead to better overall preparedness of all our public school students;

WHEREAS, for the purpose of the preceding two clauses, fairness is defined by how equitably funding resources are allocated per pupil based on need;

WHEREAS, an effective school system can be defined in different ways;

WHEREAS, the National Conference of State Legislatures convened a bipartisan working group of twenty- eight veteran education-policy legislators from around the country which recently issued a report called, “No Time to Lose: How to Build a World-Class Education System State by State;”

WHEREAS, the report released findings on effective school systems around the world and, after an 18-month period of labor, the group concluded that there were some recurring components and several repeated overarching factors in these effective systems;

WHEREAS, according to the report, the elements of an effective public education system are:

  1. “Children come to school ready to learn, and extra support is given to struggling students so that all have the opportunity to achieve high standards”;
  2. “A world-class teaching profession supports a world-class instructional system, where every student has access to highly effective teachers and is expected to succeed”;
  3. “A highly effective, intellectually rigorous system of career and technical education is available to those preferring an applied education”;
  4. “Individual reforms are connected and aligned as parts of a clearly planned and carefully designed comprehensive system”;

WHEREAS, for the purpose of the preceding clause:

  1. An “effective school system” is defined as a public school system that sets high student learning outcomes, including academic standards, and then implements changes to achieve those high standards within the system;
  2. “High standards” are defined as standards that are internationally competitive;
  3. “Internationally competitive” can be defined as a public school system globally ranked amongst the top ten with respect to the Program for International Student Assessment.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that in accordance with the spirit of the Every Student Succeeds Act, which encourages states to implement adjustments to their public school systems and to help achieve higher levels of effectiveness and fairness within our school systems  through voluntary partnership, the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) requests that the United States Department of Education offer competitive sources of additional federal funding to the states through their respective eligible entities in supplemental rounds of federal funding;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that through voluntary partnership, the United States Department of Education is requested to provide additional funding to those states currently under the average national funding amount per public school student;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that because certain states are currently internationally competitive, or are approaching international competitiveness, as a first round of new, additional federal funding assistance, through voluntary partnership, the United States Department of Education is requested to immediately award federal funding to the states with the highest National Assessment of Educational Progress assessment scores; provided that the cumulative score in reading and math is above 473 in fourth grade, 563 in eighth grade, and 450 in twelfth grade; provided further that these states are willing to share information on the specifics of their public school systems’ educational reforms and current practices with the United States Department of Education and other states’ eligible entities;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that although these types of adjustments require collective effort, teachers are the largest contributing factor to student success and preparedness; thus, through voluntary partnership, the United States Department of Education is requested to pay to each full-time national board certified public school teacher an annual bonus payment, provided that certain criteria are met;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that if the states and the federal government work together, the states, which have a significant responsibility in preparing public school students for the future success of self, state, and country, can better ensure that these students are internationally competitive and truly prepared for the future; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the NBCSL send a copy of this resolution to the President of the United States, the Vice President of the United States, members of Congress, and other federal and state government officials as appropriate.

  • SPONSOR(s): Representative Justin Woodson (HI), Representative Gilda Cobb-Hunter (SC), Senator Anastasia Pittman (OK), and Delegate Angela Angel (MD)
  • Committee of Jurisdiction: Education Policy Committee
  • Certified by Committee Chair(s): Assemblywoman Shirley Weber (CA) and Representative Harold Love (TN)
  • Ratified in Plenary Session: Ratification Date is December 2, 2017
  • Ratification is certified by: Representative Gregory W. Porter (IN), President
Download Resolution
Resolution EDU-18-12

A RESOLUTION ON MINORITY MALE TEACHER RECRUITMENT

WHEREAS, the glaring cultural incongruence between our boys and their teachers has contributed to African American boys nationally being overrepresented in suspensions, chronic absenteeism, and disciplinary referrals;

WHEREAS, black males are graduating from college at a higher rate than ever, yet nationally African American males represent just two percent of the teaching force;

WHEREAS, data has shown teachers of color improve the academic performance of students of all races, and cultural reflection between students and staff matters;

WHEREAS, black male teachers should be entering the teaching profession, and while retention is cited as a greater challenge than recruitment, there is a lack of proper support for retention of male talent;

WHEREAS, state education authorities, credentialing programs, and school districts create pre-teaching pathways for Black males to experience the school system before entering the profession;

WHEREAS, state education authorities offer support such as professional enculturation, pedagogical preparation, assistance in school and position placement, housing assistance, and potentially aligning with partners such as the My Brother’s Keeper Initiative, and “Call Me MISTER®” program, state universities, city governments, or foundations;

WHEREAS, research and evidence-based practices in achieving equitable academic outcomes, have shown greater academic gains when black students are paired with a black teacher; and

WHEREAS, racial and economic equity will be achieved by enhancing the network of teachers that are racially and culturally reflective of the communities in which they work, thereby increasing culturally competent lesson plans and reducing implicit bias in classrooms, which decreases suspension rates and disrupts the school-to-prison pipeline.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) encourages local education authorities and schools to implement recruitment strategies to place men of color into their schools and state-run teacher credentialing programs.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NBCSL encourages improving the educational environment for students by recruiting teachers that reflect and understand the demographics of the communities and students they serve; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the NBCSL send a copy of this resolution to the President of the United States, the Vice President of the United States, members of Congress, and other federal and state government officials as appropriate.

  • SPONSOR(s): Senator Steven Bradford (CA), Representative Gilda Cobb-Hunter (SC), Senator Anastasia Pittman (OK), and Delegate Angela Angel (MD)
  • Committee of Jurisdiction: Education Policy Committee
  • Certified by Committee Chair(s): Assemblywoman Shirley Weber (CA) and Representative Harold Love (TN)
  • Ratified in Plenary Session: Ratification Date is December 2, 2017
  • Ratification is certified by: Representative Gregory W. Porter (IN), President
Download Resolution
Resolution EDU-18-41

A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF ENDING EXCLUSIONARY DISCIPLINE AND IMPLEMENTING RESTORATIVE JUSTICE DISCIPLINE IN PRE-K THROUGH 12TH GRADE

WHEREAS, the introduction of exclusionary discipline should be used only as a method of last resort;

WHEREAS, that for purposes of this resolution, “exclusionary discipline” means any type of school disciplinary action that removes or excludes a student from the student’s traditional educational setting;

WHEREAS, non-violent offenses carried out by students in pre-kindergarten through 12th Grade often result in suspension or expulsion from traditional school settings;

WHEREAS, the offenses that lead to such discipline often stem from a child’s emotional, social or family-related issues;

WHEREAS, exclusionary discipline often leads to negative student outcomes, such as low academic performance, higher rates of drop-outs, failures to graduate on time and even continued disciplinary problems;

WHEREAS, statistics show African American and Hispanic youth are more often suspended or expelled when a progression of disciplinary steps do not have a positive effect on the issue;

WHEREAS, from the study released by Georgetown Law’s Center on Poverty and Inequality, in its new report “Girlhood Interrupted: The Erasure of Black Girls’ childhood,” authors reported that adults view black girls as “…less innocent and more adult-like than their white peers, especially in the age range of 5 – 14;”

WHEREAS, the study also says, “This new evidence of what we call the ‘adultification’ of black girls may help explain why black girls in America are disciplined much more often and more severely than white girls – across our schools and in our juvenile justice system;”

WHEREAS, it continues saying, “Black girls are five times more likely to be suspended as white girls, and twice as likely to be suspended as white boys;”

WHEREAS, lawmakers, educators, counselors, youth councils, lawyers and judges have insight into the problems facing youth today; and

WHEREAS, a review of current practices as well as proposed ideas and policies are in order to change exclusionary practices to a restorative justice model for child discipline.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) recognizes the practice of exclusionary discipline among pre-kindergarten to 12th grade students occurs at a rate above and beyond that which is necessary;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that states look to their Departments of Education, juvenile court officials, and other legal legislative and court staff to review current laws and policies related to exclusionary discipline practices in public schools for students in pre-kindergarten through kindergarten who have committed non-violent offenses;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the review shall: l) examine the number of exclusionary discipline actions issues by a Local Education Agency (school district) and the length of each respective action; 2) detail the type of offenses committed by the student(s) that led to the disciplinary action; 3) review the impact the discipline had on the student(s); 4) examine restorative recommendations that may be used as opposed to exclusionary practices; 5) identify resources to support teachers, parents and school personnel as they work to address the child’s social, emotional and behavioral health; and 6) encourage schools to adopt restorative justice and disciplinary practices;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NBCSL supports this resolution, and any provision within it, that will implement restorative discipline practices among our student population; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the NBCSL send a copy of this resolution to the President of the United States, the Vice President of the United States, members of Congress, and other federal and state government officials as appropriate.

  • SPONSOR(s): Representative Raumesh Akbari (TN), Representative Gilda Cobb-Hunter (SC), Senator Anastasia Pittman (OK), Delegate Angela Angel (MD), and Representative Patricia Smith (LA)
  • Committee of Jurisdiction: Education Policy Committee
  • Certified by Committee Chair(s): Assemblywoman Shirley Weber (CA) and Representative Harold Love (TN)
  • Ratified in Plenary Session: Ratification Date is December 2, 2017
  • Ratification is certified by: Representative Gregory W. Porter (IN), President
Download Resolution
Resolution EDU-18-43

A RESOLUTION URGING STATES TO MATCH FEDERAL FUNDING FOR THEIR 1890 LAND GRANT INSTITUTIONS

WHEREAS, The Morrill Act of 1862 provided a grant of public land to each state and U.S. territory to fund a perpetual endowment for at least one institution to teach agriculture and the mechanical arts, but these institutions were predominantly White and barred Black people from attending at their inception;

WHEREAS, The Second Morrill Act, passed in 1890, provided for annual appropriations to States to support their land grant institutions, forbade racial discrimination in admission policies for institutions receiving these Federal funds, and granted States the right to establish separate colleges for Black and White students if federal funds were divided in a “just but not necessarily equal” manner;

WHEREAS, the Second Morrill Act led to the establishment of eighteen land-grant colleges predominantly in the southeast region of the United States, which were known as “Negro Land-Grant Institutions” and now more commonly as the “1890 land-grant institutions;”

WHEREAS, the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 requires matching funds from non-Federal sources for formula funds authorized under sections 1444 and 1445 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 for research and extension activities at the 1890 land-grant institutions and Tuskegee University;

WHEREAS, the resident state of the land-grant institution is required to match a percentage of formula based federal funding received on a dollar-to-dollar basis, which is known as “one-to-one matching;”

WHEREAS, a report published by the Assoc. of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU), titled, “Land-Grant but Unequal: State One-to-One Match Funding for 1890 Land-Grant Universities,” details how ten of the eighteen 1890 land-grant institutions in seventeen states did not receive over $56 million due to them in state matching funds from 2010 – 2012;

WHEREAS, the APLU report also shows that from 2010 – 2012 1890 land-grant institutions received nearly $245 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for research and cooperative extension activities yet their respective states matched only $188 million; in contrast, all states either fully matched or exceeded the appropriations funding for the predominantly White 1862 Land Grant land institutions during the same time period;

WHEREAS, the USDA has a critical role in the administration of federal grants and funds to land-grant universities that require states to match a percentage of the federal funding it receives;

WHEREAS, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), including 1890 land-grant institutions, have been a foundation for the educational and economic advancement of African-Americans for more than a century;

WHEREAS, according to a study published by the United Negro College Fund, HBCUs are responsible for producing approximately 70 percent of all Black doctors and dentists, 50 percent of Black engineers and public school teachers, and 35 percent of Black lawyers;

WHEREAS, it should be a public policy goal of the federal government to enact laws aimed at eliminating the existing funding inequity between 1890 and 1862 land-grant institutions; and

WHEREAS, by increasing funding to 1890 land grant institutions, the federal government would provide vital support to institutions that have supplied a high quality education to people of all ethnicities for over a century.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) urges state legislators, governors and institutional governing boards to ensure that the percent of formula funds the state will match is the same for 1862 and 1890 land-grant universities;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NBCSL urges state legislators, governors and institutional governing boards to ensure that 1890 land-grant institutions receive the one-to-one matching of funds from the state in a separate line-item budget;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NBCSL urges state legislators, governors and institutional governing boards to ensure that the process to request and receive matching funds is the same for 1862 and 1890 land-grant institutions;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NBCSL urges federal legislators to provide oversight to ensure that states meet their obligation for providing the one-to-one matching requirement and should incentive states to provide the same percentage of formula match funding to both 1862 and 1890 land-grant universities within their state; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, the Vice- President of the United States, members of the U.S. Congress, and other federal and state officials as appropriate

  • SPONSOR(s): Representative Gilda Cobb-Hunter (SC) and Senator Hillman Frazier (MS)
  • Committee of Jurisdiction: Education Policy Committee
  • Certified by Committee Chair(s): Assemblywoman Shirley Weber (CA) and Representative Harold Love (TN)
  • Ratified in Plenary Session: Ratification Date is December 2, 2017
  • Ratification is certified by: Representative Gregory W. Porter (IN), President
Download Resolution