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| Public Act 094-0855 |
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AN ACT concerning education.
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section | ||||
2-3.80 as follows:
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(105 ILCS 5/2-3.80) (from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.80)
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Sec. 2-3.80. (a) The General Assembly recognizes that | ||||
agriculture is
the most basic and singularly important industry | ||||
in the State, that
agriculture is of central importance to the | ||||
welfare and economic stability
of the State, and that the | ||||
maintenance of this vital industry requires a
continued source | ||||
of trained and qualified individuals for employment in
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agriculture and agribusiness. The General Assembly hereby | ||||
declares that it
is in the best interests of the people of the | ||||
State of Illinois that a
comprehensive education program in | ||||
agriculture be created and maintained by
the State's public | ||||
school system in order to ensure an adequate supply of
trained | ||||
and skilled individuals and to ensure appropriate | ||||
representation of
racial and ethnic groups in all phases of the | ||||
industry. It is the intent
of the General Assembly that a State | ||||
program for agricultural education
shall be a part of the | ||||
curriculum of the public school system K through
adult, and | ||||
made readily available to all school districts which may, at
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their option, include programs in education in agriculture as a | ||||
part of the
curriculum of that district.
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(b) The State Board of Education shall adopt such rules and | ||||
regulations
as are necessary to implement the provisions of | ||||
this Section. The rules
and regulations shall not create any | ||||
new State mandates on school districts
as a condition of | ||||
receiving federal, State, and local funds by those
entities. It | ||||
is in the intent of the General Assembly that, although this
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Section does not create any new mandates, school districts are | ||||
strongly
advised to follow the guidelines set forth in this | ||
Section.
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(c) The State Superintendent of Education shall assume | ||
responsibility
for the administration of the State program | ||
adopted under this Section
throughout the public school system | ||
as well as the articulation of the
State program to the | ||
requirements and mandates of federally assisted
education. | ||
There is currently within the State Board of Education an
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agricultural education unit to assist school districts in the | ||
establishment
and maintenance of educational programs pursuant | ||
to the provisions of this
Section. The staffing of the unit | ||
shall at all times be comprised of an
appropriate number of | ||
full-time employees who shall serve as program
consultants in | ||
agricultural education and shall be available to provide
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assistance to school districts. At least one consultant shall | ||
be
responsible for the coordination of the State program, as | ||
Head Consultant.
At least one consultant shall be responsible | ||
for the coordination of the
activities of student and | ||
agricultural organizations and associations.
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(d) A committee of 13 agriculturalists representative of | ||
the various and
diverse areas of the agricultural industry in | ||
Illinois shall be established
to at least develop a curriculum | ||
and overview the implementation of the
Build Illinois through | ||
Quality Agricultural Education plans of the Illinois
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Leadership Council for Agricultural Education and to advise
the | ||
State Board of Education on vocational agricultural education. | ||
The
Committee shall be composed of the following: (6) | ||
agriculturalists
representing the Illinois Leadership Council | ||
for Agricultural Education;
(2) Secondary Agriculture | ||
Teachers; (1) "Ag In The Classroom" Teacher; (1)
Community | ||
College Agriculture Teacher; (1) Adult Agriculture Education
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Teacher; (1) University Agriculture Teacher Educator; and (1) | ||
FFA
Representative. All members of the Committee shall be | ||
appointed by the
Governor by and with the advice and consent of | ||
the Senate. The terms of
all members so appointed shall be for | ||
3 years, except that of the members
initially appointed, 5 | ||
shall be appointed to serve for terms of 1 year, 4
shall be | ||
appointed to serve for terms of 2 years and 4 shall be | ||
appointed
to serve for terms of 3 years. All members of the | ||
Committee shall serve
until their successors are appointed and | ||
qualified. Vacancies in terms
shall be filled by appointment of | ||
the Governor with the advice and consent
of the Senate for the | ||
extent of the unexpired term. The State Board of
Education | ||
shall implement a Build Illinois through Quality Agricultural
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Education plan following receipt of these recommendations | ||
which
shall be made available on or before March 31, 1987.
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Recommendations shall include, but not be limited to, the | ||
development of a
curriculum and a strategy for the purpose of | ||
establishing a source of
trained and qualified individuals in | ||
agriculture, a strategy for
articulating the State program in | ||
agricultural education throughout the
public school system, | ||
and a consumer education outreach strategy regarding
the | ||
importance of agriculture in Illinois. The committee of | ||
agriculturalists
shall serve without compensation.
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(e) A school district that offers a secondary agricultural | ||
education program that is approved for State and federal | ||
funding must ensure that, at a minimum, all of the following | ||
are available to its secondary agricultural education | ||
students: | ||
(1) An instructional sequence of courses approved by | ||
the State Board of Education. | ||
(2) A State and nationally affiliated FFA (Future | ||
Farmers of America) chapter that is integral to instruction | ||
and is not treated solely as an extracurricular activity. | ||
(3) A mechanism for ensuring the involvement of all | ||
secondary agricultural education students in formal, | ||
supervised, agricultural-experience activities and | ||
programs.
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(f) Nothing in this Section may prevent those secondary | ||
agricultural education programs that are in operation before | ||
the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 94th General | ||
Assembly and that do not have an active State and nationally | ||
affiliated FFA chapter from continuing to operate or from | ||
continuing to receive funding from the State Board of | ||
Education.
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(Source: P.A. 84-1452.)
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