File #: Res 0497-2006    Version: * Name: Require instruction on the humane treatment and protection of animals, by memorandum to all NYC public schools to notify them of the humane education mandate in Section 809.
Type: Resolution Status: Filed
Committee: Committee on Education
On agenda: 9/13/2006
Enactment date: Law number:
Title: Resolution calling upon the New York City Department of Education to help increase compliance with Section 809 of the New York State Education Law, which requires instruction on the humane treatment and protection of animals, by issuing a memorandum to all New York City public schools that notifies them of the humane education mandate in Section 809 and by requiring that all elementary school principals direct their teachers to act in accordance with this requirement.
Sponsors: Tony Avella, Gale A. Brewer, Inez E. Dickens, Lewis A. Fidler, Letitia James, Darlene Mealy, Rosie Mendez, Michael C. Nelson, Annabel Palma, James Sanders, Jr., Larry B. Seabrook, Helen Sears, Melissa Mark-Viverito, Alan J. Gerson, Jessica S. Lappin, Sara M. Gonzalez, Peter F. Vallone, Jr., Daniel R. Garodnick, James F. Gennaro, Vincent J. Gentile, Maria Del Carmen Arroyo, Eric N. Gioia, G. Oliver Koppell, James Vacca, David I. Weprin, Miguel Martinez, Robert Jackson, Hiram Monserrate, Joel Rivera, Bill De Blasio, Helen D. Foster, Kendall Stewart, Melinda R. Katz, David Yassky, John C. Liu, Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr., Domenic M. Recchia, Jr., Leroy G. Comrie, Jr., Diana Reyna, James S. Oddo, Vincent Ignizio
Council Member Sponsors: 41
Attachments: 1. Committee Report 12/10/08, 2. Hearing Testimony 12/10/08, 3. Hearing Transcript 12/10/08, 4. Committee Report 12/16/08, 5. Hearing Transcript 12/16/08, 6. Press Release, 7. Hearing Transcript - Stated Meeting 12/18/08
Date Ver.Prime SponsorAction ByActionResultAction DetailsMeeting DetailsMultimedia
12/18/2008*Tony Avella City Council Filed by CouncilPass Action details Meeting details Not available
12/16/2008*Tony Avella Committee on Education Hearing Held by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
12/16/2008*Tony Avella Committee on Education Filed by CommitteePass Action details Meeting details Not available
12/10/2007*Tony Avella Committee on Education Hearing Held by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
12/10/2007*Tony Avella Committee on Education Laid Over by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
9/13/2006*Tony Avella City Council Referred to Comm by Council  Action details Meeting details Not available
9/13/2006*Tony Avella City Council Introduced by Council  Action details Meeting details Not available

Res. No. 497

 

Resolution calling upon the New York City Department of Education to help increase compliance with Section 809 of the New York State Education Law, which requires instruction on the humane treatment and protection of animals, by issuing a memorandum to all New York City public schools that notifies them of the humane education mandate in Section 809 and by requiring that all elementary school principals direct their teachers to act in accordance with this requirement.

 

By Council Members Avella, Brewer, Dickens, Fidler, James, Mealy, Mendez, Nelson, Palma, Sanders Jr., Seabrook, Sears, Mark-Viverito, Gerson, Lappin, Gonzalez, Vallone Jr., Garodnick, Gennaro, Gentile, Arroyo, Gioia, Koppell, Vacca, Weprin, Martinez, Jackson, Monserrate, Rivera, de Blasio, Foster, Stewart, Katz, Yassky, Liu, Addabbo Jr., Recchia Jr., Comrie, Reyna, Oddo and Ignizio

 

                     Whereas, Section 809 of the New York State Education Law (“Section 809”) requires that every elementary school under State control, or supported wholly or partly by public money of the State, provide instruction on the humane treatment and protection of animals and lessons on the importance of spaying and neutering (“humane education”); and

                     Whereas, According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), humane education cultivates empathy, compassion and respect in our youth towards all living beings and helps children develop into caring, responsible citizens; and

                     Whereas, According to the Humane Society of the U.S., sociological and psychological research studies confirm that there is a strong correlation between animal cruelty and violence against humans, and that violent offenders frequently have childhood and adolescent histories of serious and repeated animal abuse; and

                     Whereas, Violence among youth is widespread in our communities today, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and research studies support the proposition that humane education is a valuable deterrent to violence and a first defense in breaking cycles of violence; and

                     Whereas, Section 809 provides that the penalty for non-compliance with the humane education mandate is withdrawal of public school funding; and

                     Whereas, Despite Section 809’s strong mandate promoting humane education, animal rights advocates maintain that most administrators and teachers are unaware of the law, and the law’s penalty provision has not been enforced; and

                     Whereas, Instruction in humane education can easily and effectively be integrated into a standards-based curriculum; and

                     Whereas, Section 809 does not require teacher training in humane education; and

                     Whereas, Several organizations, such as the ASPCA, Humane Education Advocates Reaching Teachers (HEART), International Institute for Humane Education (IIHE), and Roots and Shoots (part of the Jane Goodall Institute), are working to implement humane education in school programs through in-classroom presentations, teacher training, and an array of relevant resources; and

                     Whereas, These same organizations can assist New York City schools in complying with this important law designed to teach children the character-building virtues of compassion, kindness and respect, and can help schools utilize staff development days to train teachers in how to implement humane education in their classes; now, therefore, be it

                     Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the New York City Department of Education to help increase compliance with Section 809 of the New York State Education Law, which requires instruction on the humane treatment and protection of animals, by issuing a memorandum to all New York City public schools that notifies them of the humane education mandate in Section 809, and by requiring that all elementary school principals direct their teachers to act in accordance with this requirement.

LS#1654

JA

9/6/06