Requires continuing teacher and leader education to include courses, programs and activities related to immigrant focused trauma-informed practices to support students who are dealing with adverse childhood or adolescent experiences as a result of immigration status.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
8034
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
April 22, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. ROMERO -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Higher Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to mandatory continuing
education for teachers relating to immigrant focused trauma-informed
practices
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 3006-a of the education law, as
2 added by section 2 of subpart C of part EE of chapter 56 of the laws of
3 2015, is amended to read as follows:
4 2. a. During each five-year registration period beginning on or after
5 July first, two thousand sixteen, an applicant for registration shall
6 successfully complete a minimum of one hundred hours of continuing
7 teacher and leader education, as defined by the commissioner. The
8 department shall issue rigorous standards for courses, programs, and
9 activities, that shall qualify as continuing teacher and leader educa-
10 tion pursuant to this section. For purposes of this section, a peer
11 review teacher, or a principal acting as an independent trained evalu-
12 ator, conducting a classroom observation as part of the teacher evalu-
13 ation system pursuant to section three thousand twelve-d of this article
14 may credit such time towards [his or her] their continuing teacher and
15 leader effectiveness requirements.
16 b. (i) Such continuing teacher and leader education required pursuant
17 to this section shall include, but not be limited to, a minimum of ten
18 hours of continuing education courses, programs and activities related
19 to immigrant focused trauma-informed practices to support students who
20 are dealing with adverse childhood or adolescent experiences as a result
21 of immigration status. For purposes of this paragraph, "immigrant
22 focused trauma-informed practices" means a focus on the impact of trauma
23 related to immigration status and the effect such trauma has on physical
24 health, mental health, early childhood or adolescent development and
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02957-01-5
A. 8034 2
1 childhood or adolescent traumatic stress. The number of hours of contin-
2 uing education required related to immigrant focused trauma-informed
3 practices during each five-year registration period shall be determined
4 by the department.
5 (ii) The department shall ensure, in consultation with providers of
6 continuing teacher and leader education, that courses, programs and
7 activities related to immigrant focused trauma-informed practices are
8 made sufficiently available for an applicant for registration to comply
9 with the requirements of this paragraph.
10 c. Nothing in this section shall limit the ability of local school
11 districts to agree pursuant to collective bargaining to additional hours
12 of professional development or continuing teacher or leader education
13 above the minimum requirements set forth in this section.
14 [c.] d. A certified individual who has not satisfied the continuing
15 teacher and leader education requirements shall not be issued a five-
16 year registration certificate by the department and shall not practice
17 unless and until a registration or conditional registration certificate
18 is issued as provided in subdivision three of this section. For purposes
19 of this subdivision, "continuing teacher and leader education require-
20 ments" shall mean activities designed to improve the teacher or leader's
21 pedagogical and/or leadership skills, targeted at improving student
22 performance, including but not limited to formal continuing teacher and
23 leader education activities. Such activities shall promote the profes-
24 sionalization of teaching and be closely aligned to district goals for
25 student performance which meet the standards prescribed by regulations
26 of the commissioner. To fulfill the continuing teacher and leader educa-
27 tion requirement, programs must be taken from sponsors approved by the
28 department, which shall include but not be limited to school districts,
29 pursuant to the regulations of the commissioner.
30 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
