N.Y. Veterans' Services Law § 5: Veteran speaker education program

§ 5. Veteran speaker education program. 1. There is hereby established

within the department a veteran speaker education program to be

developed and implemented by the commissioner in consultation with the

commissioner of the New York state military museum and veterans resource

center and in accordance with the provisions of this section. Such

program shall provide school districts within this state with a listing

of available veteran speakers willing to visit classrooms for the

purpose of discussing their military experience.

2. The department, from its available resources, shall develop an

informational pamphlet to be distributed either by mail or

electronically to school districts which provides a general overview of

the program including its purpose and how to participate. The department

shall, in consultation with congressionally chartered veterans

organizations and local veterans services agencies, appoint and create a

listing of veteran speakers coordinators for each county of the state

who shall be listed in the informational pamphlet. The veteran speakers

coordinators' duties shall include but not be limited to contacting

veterans who reside in their county including those who have

participated in the veteran's oral history program at the New York state

military museum or the West Point oral history project or the veterans

history project of the American Folklore Center or any similar oral

history project with information about this program and inquiring as to

whether such persons would be willing to participate as speakers or in

any other capacity. The listing shall include the names and contact

information for such veterans including information describing the type

of military service performed by each such person, the time and length

of service, geographic area or areas where such person served and rank.

The veteran speakers coordinators shall annually update such information

regarding the availability of such veterans.

3. No teacher or veteran shall be required to participate in this

program. Any teacher who wishes to supplement his or her classroom

instruction concerning a particular era in American military history may

contact a participating veteran personally to request that such person

visit a classroom to discuss his or her military experience. A teacher

shall be responsible for ascertaining the appropriateness of any

proposed speaker based upon the age of the children and the intended

subject matter. Nothing in this section shall be intended to supersede

any particular or general school rules or regulations or other laws

relating to curriculum.

4. The department shall require a certified copy of the veteran's

discharge papers to participate in the veteran speaker program. Such

form shall be filed with the department to serve as evidence that such

person is a veteran who served in the United States military honorably.

5. The department shall implement a procedure for evaluations of each

speaker to be completed by teachers and students, and maintain such

evaluations and make them available upon request to other teachers who

plan to participate.

6. The department may consult with other veterans organizations and

any branch of the U.S. military in the development of this program.