(a) There is established a Planning Commission for Education to develop and recommend the implementation of a strategic master plan for public education in Connecticut.

(1) The commission shall consist of the following voting members: (A) Five members appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, one of whom shall be a current or former superintendent of schools for a rural school district, one of whom shall be a certified teacher who is currently employed as a teacher in a public school or has retired from teaching in a public school not less than one year prior to appointment, one of whom shall be a person with knowledge and experience with students with special education needs, one of whom shall be a person with knowledge and experience in systems building and one of whom shall be a representative of an organization representing boards of education; (B) five members appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, one of whom shall be a current or former superintendent of schools for an urban school district in which a charter school and interdistrict magnet school are located, one of whom shall be a certified teacher who is currently employed as a teacher in a public school or has retired from teaching in a public school not less than one year prior to appointment, one of whom shall be a person with knowledge and experience regarding early childhood education, one of whom shall be a person with knowledge and experience in civil rights relating to equity, access and the quality of education and one of whom shall be a person with knowledge and experience regarding adult education; (C) two members appointed by the majority leader of the House of Representatives, one of whom shall be a current or former superintendent of schools for a regional school district and one of whom shall be a student who is enrolled in a public high school in the state; (D) two members appointed by the majority leader of the Senate, one of whom shall be a current or former superintendent of schools for a suburban school district and one of whom shall be a parent or guardian of a student who is enrolled in a public school in the state; (E) two members appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives, one of whom shall be a representative of a state-wide business organization and one of whom shall be a scholar who has experience and expertise in the field of education from prekindergarten to grade twelve, inclusive; (F) two members appointed by the minority leader of the Senate, one of whom shall be an entrepreneur and one of whom shall be a scholar who has experience and expertise in the field of higher education; (G) nine members appointed by the Governor, one of whom shall be a certified teacher who is currently employed as a teacher in a public school or has retired from teaching in a public school not less than one year prior to appointment, one of whom shall be a parent or guardian of a student who is enrolled in a public school in the state, one of whom shall be a person with knowledge and experience in civil rights relating to equity, access and the quality of education and one of whom shall be a person with knowledge and experience in academically advanced curriculum development; (H) the Commissioner of Education; and (I) the Commissioner of Early Childhood. The commission membership shall reflect the state’s geographic, racial and ethnic diversity.

(2) The commission shall elect cochairpersons of the commission at its first meeting. Any vacancies shall be filled by the appointing authority. The commission members shall serve without compensation except for necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties. The commission may seek the advice and participation of any person, organization or state or federal agency it deems necessary to carry out the provisions of this section. The commission may, within available appropriations, retain consultants to assist in carrying out its duties. The commission may receive funds from any public or private sources to carry out its activities.

(b) The commission shall articulate a clear vision and mission for developing a sustainable, equitable and high-quality public education system that coordinates the components of education reform, clarifies how such components of education reform work together and provides every child with access to an educational experience that meets such child’s needs. The commission shall develop and recommend the implementation of a strategic master plan to carry out such vision and mission.

(1) In developing the strategic master plan, the commission shall address the following issues: (A) How to better organize the state public education system to streamline various and disparate mandates, initiatives and reforms that may compete with the articulated vision and mission; (B) the manner in which the public education system utilizes data and supports to inform and improve the provision of education in the state; (C) the extent to which the accountability system assesses the most worthy outcomes of public education; and (D) the identification and analysis of the most significant factors that effect and support the most worthy outcomes of public education for all students, including, but not limited to, poverty, socioeconomic and racial isolation, language barriers and parental engagement in a student’s education.

(2) In addressing the issues described in subdivision (1) of this subsection, the commission shall consider: (A) What are the most worthy outcomes of public education and what means can be taken to achieve such outcomes; (B) the extent to which the public education system prepares students to meet the challenges of work, citizenship and life upon graduation; (C) strategies to develop state-wide education leadership goals and to enhance education leadership in conformance with such goals; (D) ways to ensure effective communication and partnership between school districts and the families of children who attend public school in such school district, with particular focus on diversity; (E) ways to share best practices within the public education system, including, but not limited to, learning across methodologies, models and structures of educational excellence; (F) what innovations are necessary to excel in both competitiveness and character; (G) the extent to which the public education system empowers students and educators to excel, innovate and build on strengths; and (H) best practices that ensure high quality instruction and promote continuous systemic improvement.

(3) The commission shall also examine and recommend changes to funding policies, practices and accountability in order to (A) align such funding policies, practices and accountability with the strategic master plan, (B) ensure that all school districts receive equitable funding from the state, and (C) determine and recommend measures to promote the adoption of ways in which resources can be most effectively utilized.

(c) (1) Not later than April 15, 2016, the commission shall submit a preliminary report on the development of the strategic master plan together with any recommendations for appropriate legislation and funding to the Governor and the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education and appropriations, in accordance with the provisions of § 11-4a.

(2) Not later than February 15, 2017, the commission shall submit the strategic master plan, including specific goals and benchmarks for implementation, together with any recommendations for appropriate legislation and funding to the Governor and the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education and appropriations, in accordance with the provisions of § 11-4a. The commission shall terminate on the date that it submits the strategic master plan or February 15, 2017, whichever is later.