Bill > A5065

Introduced Session

This bill requires each school district, beginning in the 2021-2022 school year, to incorporate age-appropriate anti-bias instruction into the curriculum for students in grades kindergarten through 12 as part of the district's implementation of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Comprehensive Health and Physical Education. Under the bill, the instruction will: · review various dimensions of personal and cultural identity; · highlight and promote diversity, equity, inclusion, tolerance and belonging on topics including: gender and sexual orientation; race and ethnicity; disabilities; and religious tolerance; · provide information on how people form implicit and unconscious biases; · provide opportunities for students to learn from and about one another and explore ways to address bias and prejudice; and · encourage safe, welcoming, and inclusive environments for all students regardless of race or ethnicity, sexual and gender identities, mental and physical disabilities, and religious beliefs. The bill requires the Commissioner of Education to provide school districts with sample learning activities and resources designed to promote anti-bias instruction. The bill also requires the superintendent in each school district to designate a school administrator or a school employee to serve as a chief equity officer for the district. Under the bill, the chief equity officer will be responsible for: · identifying disparities in access to school programs and services across student groups; · supervising and overseeing all school district policies and procedures designed to encourage safe, welcoming, and inclusive environments for all students regardless of race or ethnicity, sexual and gender identities, mental and physical disabilities, and religious beliefs; and · ensuring that the school district policies and procedures relating to equity and inclusion are in compliance with State law and regulations.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Daniel Benson (D)*,  Angela Mcknight (D)*,  Shanique Speight (D)*,  Carol Murphy (D), 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee (on 12/07/2020)