STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1343
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 15, 2019
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Introduced by M. of A. PHEFFER AMATO, COLTON, COOK, CRESPO -- Multi-
Sponsored by -- M. of A. ABBATE -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to school session days
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 8 of section 3604 of the education law, as
2 amended by chapter 260 of the laws of 2012, is amended to read as
3 follows:
4 8. No school shall be in session on a Saturday or a legal holiday,
5 except general election day, Washington's birthday and Lincoln's birth-
6 day, and except that driver education classes may be conducted on a
7 Saturday. No school located in a city with a population of one million
8 or more shall be in session on the day of a primary election or general
9 election. A deficiency not exceeding four days during any school year
10 caused by teachers' attendance upon conferences held by superintendents
11 of schools of city school districts or other school districts employing
12 superintendents of schools shall be excused by the commissioner,
13 notwithstanding any provision of law, rule or regulation to the contra-
14 ry, a school district may elect to schedule such conference days in the
15 last two weeks of August, subject to collective bargaining requirements
16 pursuant to article fourteen of the civil service law, and such days
17 shall be counted towards the required one hundred eighty days of
18 session, provided however, that such scheduling shall not alter the
19 obligation of the school district to provide transportation to students
20 in non-public elementary and secondary schools or charter schools. The
21 commissioner shall excuse a deficiency not exceeding four days during
22 such school year caused by teachers' attendance upon conferences held by
23 such superintendents, provided that at least two such conference days
24 during such school year shall be dedicated to staff attendance upon
25 conferences providing staff development relating to implementation of
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03741-01-9
A. 1343 2
1 the new high learning standards and assessments, as adopted by the board
2 of regents. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, rule or regu-
3 lation to the contrary, school districts may elect to use one or more of
4 such allowable conference days in units of not less than one hour each
5 to provide staff development activities relating to implementation of
6 the new high learning standards and assessments. A district making such
7 election may provide such staff development during the regularly sched-
8 uled daily session and apply such units to satisfy a deficiency in the
9 length of one or more daily sessions of instruction for pupils as speci-
10 fied in regulations of the commissioner. The commissioner shall assure
11 that such conference days include appropriate school violence prevention
12 and intervention training, and may require that up to one such confer-
13 ence day be dedicated for such purpose.
14 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
