State Codes and Statutes
Statutes > New-jersey > Title-18a > Section-18a-6 > 18a-6-7918A:6-79. Establishment and operation; projects; plan and development; implementation
The Commissioner of Education and the State Board of Education shall have the authority and responsibility to plan for, establish and operate demonstration model early child development centers. These centers, in voluntary cooperation with local school districts or other public agencies, shall concentrate on the cognitive and affective development of children aged 3 to 6; including but not limited to health, dental hygiene, mental health, language and computation skills development, nutrition, socialization, and recreation.
The centers shall design projects within an experimental framework of early childhood education and day care support in order that unproven educational ideas, equipment, methods and approaches, newly developed curriculum materials and reliable educational techniques can be objectively tested and evaluated and their value to local school districts and other early childhood programs be demonstrated. The educational centers shall be planned and developed (1) to demonstrate an educational approach to day care that has widespread use and adaptability to local educational agencies, and (2) to procure and use Federal and private resources in combination with State resources to attain State educational goals.
The Commissioner of Education shall, with the approval of the State Board of Education, promulgate rules and regulations, establish procedures, employ personnel, and take all other necessary steps to insure the implementation of the provisions of this act.
L.1971, c. 149, s. 1, eff. May 20, 1971.
18A:6-91.1.New Jersey Commission on Environmental Education
1. a. There is hereby created in but not of the Department of Environmental Protection the New Jersey Commission on Environmental Education. The commission shall consist of 23 public members, the commissioners, or their designees, of the Department of Education, the Department of Environmental Protection, and the Department of Health, the Attorney General or a designee with responsibility in the area of environmental law, the Executive Director of the Commission on Higher Education, and a designee of the Governor. The public members shall consist of two college professors in the fields of environmental education or environmental science; one private school teacher and two public school teachers, one of whom is selected by the New Jersey Education Association, including one teacher from kindergarten to third grade, one from fourth to sixth grade, and one from seventh to twelfth grade; one school administrator; one representative of the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association; one local school board representative selected by the New Jersey School Boards Association; one member of an interfaith religious organization; one representative from labor; one representative from industry; two representatives from environmental or public interest organizations; two representatives from cultural institutions such as museums and nature centers; two representatives from the field of environmental health; two non-academic science professionals; two representatives from the agricultural community; one student representative from a student environmental organization, such as Kids Against Pollution; and one representative from the South Jersey Environmental Information Center.
b. The public members shall be appointed by the Governor for terms of three years, except that the student representative shall be appointed for a term of one year, and in the first year the other public members shall be appointed to staggered terms as follows:
(1) Seven shall be appointed to terms of one year;
(2) Seven shall be appointed to terms of two years; and
(3) Seven shall be appointed to terms of three years.
c. The commission shall meet, at a minimum, four times a year.
d. The commission shall elect a chairperson and a vice-chairperson from among its membership. The term of office for each position shall be two years.
e. The commission may hire staff as necessary within the limits of funding as provided by section 5 of P.L.1995, c.409 (C.18A:6-91.5).
L.1995,c.409,s.1.
18A:6-91.2.Duties of commission
2. The commission shall:
a. Advise and oversee the implementation of the Plan of Action that was adopted by the Commission on Environmental Education created by Executive Order Number 205 of 1989 and reconvened as the New Jersey Commission on Environmental Education by Executive Order Number 111 of 1993;
b. Develop and maintain, with the assistance of the various agencies and departments, a bi-annual inventory of the environmental education resources that are available in all State agencies and departments;
c. Develop and maintain an Environmental Education Network of activities, resources and model programs throughout the State;
d. Organize a global forum on environmental education to be held every three to five years;
e. Organize and support an annual Environmental Education Week;
f. Support such other environmental education activities as the commission determines are appropriate;
g. Provide technical assistance to the Legislature for legislation related to environmental education; and
h. Submit an annual report on the status of environmental education to the Governor and the Legislature.
L.1995,c.409,s.2.
18A:6-91.3.Inter-agency Work Group, duties
3.The Inter-agency Work Group, created pursuant to section 4 of P.L.1995, c.409 (C.18A:6-91.4), may:
a. Publicize existing model environmental education programs;
b. Provide leadership and coordination in conducting teacher in-service programs throughout the State;
c. Solicit public and private partnerships at the local, State and national levels to provide teacher education programs; and
d. Provide the commission with information concerning the availability of environmental education to students in the State.
L.1995,c.409,s.3.
18A:6-91.4.Inter-agency Work Group created
4. There is created an Inter-agency Work Group, which shall consist of the commissioner or secretary, or his designee, of each of the principal departments. This work group shall meet periodically to coordinate the environmental education efforts of the various departments and agencies in the State.
L.1995,c.409,s.4.
18A:6-91.5.Environmental Education Fund created
5. The Environmental Education Fund is established as a nonlapsing revolving fund in the Department of Environmental Protection. The fund shall be administered by the commission, and shall be credited with all moneys appropriated by this act and with grant moneys or any other revenue obtained by the commission for the purpose of environmental education. Interest received on moneys in the fund shall be credited to the fund.
L.1995,c.409,s.5.
