A5199

An Act establishing the Office of the Learning Loss Czar and supplementing Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. There is created in the Executive Branch of the State Government the Office of the Learning Loss Czar. For the purposes of complying with the provisions of Article V, Section IV, paragraph 1 of the New Jersey Constitution, the Office of the Learning Loss Czar is allocated to the Department of Education, but notwithstanding this allocation, the office shall be independent of any supervision or control by the department, or by any board or officer thereof, in the performance of its duties. The office shall have the duty to collaborate with the Commissioner of Education to analyze and address learning loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic by:

a. identifying educational products, strategies, and services that have demonstrated effectiveness in identifying and reversing student learning loss, including those products, strategies, and services that are specifically designed to address learning loss experienced by students of color, low-income students, and students with disabilities;

b. creating and maintaining a resource bank of examples of these products, explanations of and instructions for implementing these strategies and services, and models of professional development programs related to using the products and implementing the strategies and services. School districts may submit to the office for inclusion in the resource bank, descriptions and explanations of strategies, services, and programs that they have implemented, with evidence demonstrating the positive effects achieved through implementing the strategies, services, and programs;

c. identifying public and private entities that may partner with school districts to provide personnel or other resources to assist in implementing strategies to overcome learning loss;

d. providing technical assistance to school districts, upon request, to assist in identifying and implementing strategies to address student learning loss;

e. supporting grant application processes related to learning loss for school districts and the Department of Education by monitoring available grants, recommending grant applications, and assisting with the grant application process; and

f. cooperating with institutions of higher education in researching and analyzing data on student learning loss to better understand the issue and identify the most effective means to address it.

2. The administrator and chief executive officer of the office is the Learning Loss Czar, who shall be a person qualified by training and experience to perform the duties of the office. The Learning Loss Czar shall be appointed by the Governor and shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor during the Governor’s term of office and until the appointment and qualification of the Learning Loss Czar’s successor. The Learning Loss Czar’s time shall be devoted entirely to the duties of the position and shall receive a salary as determined by law. Any vacancy occurring in the position of the Learning Loss Czar shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment; except that if the Learning Loss Czar dies, resigns, becomes ineligible to serve for any reason, or is removed from office, the Governor shall appoint an acting Learning Loss Czar, who shall serve until the appointment and qualification of the Learning Loss Czar, but in no event longer than six months from the occurrence of the vacancy, and who shall exercise during this period all the powers and duties of the Learning Loss Czar pursuant to the provisions of this act.

3. The Learning Loss Czar, as administrator and chief executive officer of the office, shall:

a. administer and organize the work of the office and establish therein such administrative subdivisions as the Learning Loss Czar may deem necessary, proper, and expedient. The Learning Loss Czar may formulate and adopt rules and regulations and prescribe duties for the efficient conduct of the business, work, and general administration of the office. The Learning Loss Czar may delegate to subordinate officers or employees in the office such power as the Learning Loss Czar may deem desirable to be exercised under the Learning Loss Czar’s supervision and control;

b. appoint and remove stenographic, clerical, and other secretarial assistants as may be required for the proper conduct of the office, subject to the provisions of Title 11A of the New Jersey Statutes, and other applicable statutes, and within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available therefor. In addition, and within funding limits, the Learning Loss Czar may appoint, retain, or employ, without regard to the provisions of Title 11A of the New Jersey Statutes or any other statutes, any officers, financial managers, social workers, or other professionally qualified personnel on a contract basis or otherwise as the Learning Loss Czar deems necessary;

c. maintain suitable headquarters for the office and such other quarters as the Learning Loss Czar shall deem necessary to the proper functioning of the office;

d. solicit and accept grants of funds from the federal government and from other public and any private sources for any of the purposes of this act;

e. serve as the liaison between the Office of the Learning Loss Czar and the Department of Education; and

f. perform such other functions as may be prescribed in this act or by any other law.

4. Pursuant to the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), the Learning Loss Czar and the State Board of Education may adopt any rules and regulations necessary to effectuate the purposes of this act.

5. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill establishes the Office of the Learning Loss Czar in, but not of, the Department of Education. The office will have the duty to collaborate with the Commissioner of Education to analyze and address learning loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic by:

1) identifying educational products, strategies, and services that have demonstrated effectiveness in identifying and reversing student learning loss, including those products, strategies, and services that are specifically designed to address learning loss experienced by students of color, low-income students, and students with disabilities;

2) creating and maintaining a resource bank of examples of these products, explanations of and instructions for implementing these strategies and services, and models of professional development programs related to using the products and implementing the strategies and services. School districts may submit to the office for inclusion in the resource bank, descriptions and explanations of strategies, services, and programs that they have implemented, with evidence demonstrating the positive effects achieved through implementing the strategies, services, and programs;

3) identifying public and private entities that may partner with school districts to provide personnel or other resources to assist in implementing strategies to overcome learning loss;

4) providing technical assistance to school districts, upon request, to assist in identifying and implementing strategies to address student learning loss;

5) supporting grant application processes related to learning loss for school districts and the Department of Education by monitoring available grants, recommending grant applications, and assisting with the grant application process; and

6) cooperating with institutions of higher education in researching and analyzing data on student learning loss to better understand the issue and identify the most effective means to address it.

The bill provides that the administrator and chief executive officer of the office will be the Learning Loss Czar, who will be a person qualified by training and experience to perform the duties of the office. The Learning Loss Czar will be appointed by the Governor and will serve at the pleasure of the Governor during the Governor’s term of office and until the appointment and qualification of the Learning Loss Czar’s successor. The Learning Loss Czar will administer and organize the work of the office and serve as the liaison between the office and the Department of Education.

The purpose of this bill is to recognize the critical nature of student learning loss as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic by establishing the independent Office of the Learning Loss Czar to spearhead Statewide initiatives to address this important issue.