Democrats -Committee on Education and the Workforce, U.S. House of Representatives

A New Report Details Costs of Inaction on Seclusion and Restraint

Wed, 23 May 2012 15:53:57 +0000

A new report chronicles the fight to pass federal legislation to prevent restraint and seclusion, and the real consequences of inaction. Released by the disability advocacy group TASH, The Cost of Waiting addresses the implications of children continuing to be subjected to abusive practices that result in serious emotional trauma, physical pain and injury, and even death. Read the report below:

Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the senior Democrat on the Committee, introduced legislation to restrict restraint and seclusion in schools. The Keeping All Students Safe Act would for the first time, have put in place minimum safety standards to prevent abusive seclusion and restraint in schools across the country. The bipartisan legislation would protect schoolchildren from inappropriate uses of seclusion and restraint. The bill would provide school personnel with the necessary tools, training, and support to ensure the safety of all students and school personnel.

Wisconsin 9-Year-Old With Autism Victim of Inappropriate Seclusion: News of the Day

Fri, 18 May 2012 13:07:31 +0000

A Wisconsin mother alleges her son with Asperger's syndrome has been a victim of chronic inappropriate seclusion and restraint. The Green Bay Press Gazzette reports that when the nine-year-old refused to cooperate with his teacher, he was placed in "the quiet box" -- a a free-standing plywood structure measuring seven feet deep by five feet wide just under eight feet tall; the empty padded room stands on a bare, tile floor, has no ventilation system, and opens with a handle on the door that can be locked from the outside -- for three hours.

The boy's mother, Mandy Rennhack, details the incident:

"I had helped Ty with his math homework the night before. Because he has sensory issues associated with Asperger’s, he became frustrated from writing and the feel of his pencil. Although he did all the work, I wrote down the answers for him,” said Rennhack, who called the teacher and was assured there would be no problem.

“The next day she (teacher) hounded him about not doing his own work and he became agitated and began pacing. When he was asked to join a group he repeatedly said ‘no’ and was told to stand in the corner.”

Thinking he had done nothing wrong, Ty refused, she said.

“The teacher was going to show him who was boss. It was a power struggle; you can’t do that with autistic children,” Rennhack said. “He didn’t need to be caged up.”

When she spoke with staff, Rennhack was told her son had been in the “quiet room” for three hours.

Wisconsin recently passed a law that restricts teachers' use of seclusion and restraint on students as a “last resort” in cases of “imminent danger.” It's clear that in this case, placing the boy in "the quiet box" was punitive and unwarranted.

Inappropriate usage of seclusion and restraint is a growing problem around the country.

The Keeping All Students Safe Act would for the first time, put in place minimum safety standards to prevent abusive seclusion and restraint in schools across the country. The bipartisan legislation would protect schoolchildren from inappropriate uses of seclusion and restraint. The bill would provide school personnel with the necessary tools, training, and support to ensure the safety of all students and school personnel.

Study: 'Chronically Absent' Students Skew Attendance Data: News of the Day

Fri, 18 May 2012 13:06:41 +0000

According to a new study released yesterday, up to 15 percent of American students are chronically absent from school, missing at least one day in every 10. Chronic absenteeism can cause serious long-term harm, having been linked to poor academic performance and high dropout rates. While there are a multitude of school reform efforts, they're not likely to achieve results if the kids don't come to school.

Unfortunately, the authors of the study suggest that there is an issue with how we view and measure attendance. From the New York Times:

[Researchers from Johns Hopkins University] argue that policy makers tend to look at absenteeism in the wrong way, requiring districts and states to measure average daily attendance rates, but — with the exception of a few states — not focusing on the relatively small number of students who account for most absences. They found that some schools report an average of more than 90 percent daily attendance, masking the fact that 40 percent of their students are chronically missing.

“We don’t see the problem clearly because, in most places, we don’t measure it, and average daily attendance really skews the way we view this,” said one of the authors, Robert Balfanz, a research professor at the university’s School of Education.

This points to the importance of rich data use in school reform. With better tools for data collection and analysis of leading indicators, school districts and administrators can develop effective strategies for improving attendance. For example:

New York City, where 20 percent of public school students are chronically absent, has built one of the strongest campaigns against the problem. Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg set up a task force to address it, with officials from several agencies —from social services to law enforcement — that had long worked with the schools but had not shared information with each other.

“As early as sixth grade, we could have known that kids were on the train to drop out, and too often our efforts in the past began when it was too late,” said John Feinblatt, senior policy adviser to the mayor and head of the task force.

Some of the resulting projects include automated wake-up calls from athletes and other celebrities to about 30,000 at-risk students, urging them to go to school.

In efforts to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), Democrats introduced legislation that focused on more and better date use in school improvement. Unfortunately, Education Committee Republicans moved forward two highly partisan draft pieces of legislation in place of a whole-scale rewrite of ESEA that do not live up to our nation’s commitment to all of our children. This move means that the rewrite of the law won’t happen this year and millions of schoolchildren will have to remain under a broken system.

Click here for more information on the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act

The Fight for Equality in Education Continues: News of the Day

Tue, 15 May 2012 04:00:00 +0000

An eighth grade teacher from Mississippi penned a poignant piece in Sunday's Washington Post about racial inequality in schools. Through the lens of the schools of the Mississippi Delta region, Eli Hager disagrees with tropes "that this country has moved beyond the racial and economic complications of the past.":

In fact, my students attend schools that are still fundamentally separate and unequal. The Delta is half black and half white, yet the public schools here that are “failing” and “at risk of failing” are 95 percent black, according to data compiled by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. Its white academies are just that: purposely all-white, prestigious and successful. The black public schools, meanwhile, graduate students who are functionally illiterate or who read several grade levels behind those at affluent schools nationally...

These schools practice corporal punishment, unlike the white academies and unlike most white schools in this country. Some of my students are punched in the face until bleeding, whipped with keychains and paddled with a plank for such violations as talking out of turn.

Outside the schools, their community is one where child poverty topped 50 percent in 2000, according to census and state health data; that is four times the national rate for white children. Here, third-grade test scores are used to project future prison capacity when prison contractors lobby the state for funds.

This is a place where what some have titled the “end” of the civil rights movement is a sort of grotesque illusion.

Hager goes on to cite high rates of child mortality, obesity, poverty, and incarceration among black students, saying that despite national rhetoric about equal opportunity, his "students do not have the same practical opportunities that young, white Americans have to succeed."

Hager's op-ed is a stirring reminder that we need to continue to work for equity in education. The most important historical civil rights issue of our time is our nation’s education policy. While we’ve come a long way, we cannot forget that our nation still has more work to do to ensure that all kids – regardless of zip code or income – have access to a good, quality education. We must make guaranteeing all students access to a world-class education our top priority.

To ensure that all children have access to world-class educational opportunities, we must reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Read more about the efforts of Democrats on the committee to rewrite ESEA so it lives up to our nation’s commitment to all of our children.

Concussions Prevalent In Girls’ Youth Soccer : News of the Day

Thu, 10 May 2012 15:59:26 +0000

Concussions among student athletes are typically discussed in the context of football. But it is an issue that can impact female student athletes as well in all sports. Last night, NBC's Rock Center aired a report focusing on the growing occurrence and harmful effects of concussions in girls' youth soccer:

“People who think of concussions as only being present mostly in guys and mostly in the sport of football are just plain wrong,” said Dr. Bob Cantu, who is chairman of the surgery division and the director of sports medicine at Emerson Hospital in Concord, Mass. “Soccer is right at the top of the list for girls.”

Cantu said that the country is in the midst of “a concussion crisis” and that studies show girls are reporting nearly twice as many concussions as boys in the sports they both play.

The number of girls suffering concussions in soccer accounts for the second largest amount of all concussions reported by young athletes, according to the American Journal of Sports Medicine. (Football tops the list.)

Dr. Cantu went on to discuss the off-the-field impact concussions can have on a student athlete’s academic performance and mental health. Individuals who sustain concussions must deal with “post-concussion syndrome, which can alter their ability to function at a high level for the rest of their lives,” according to Dr. Cantu. They face intense headaches, dizziness, nausea, vision problems and even depression in the wake of a head injury.

The harmful effects of concussions on student athletes highlighted in the Rock Center report is consistent with testimony the Committee heard in 2010 from expert witness Gerard A. Gioia, PhD, Chief of the Division of Pediatric Neuropsychology at the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC. Dr. Gioia testified to both the unique vulnerability of youth athletes to sustaining concussions and their adverse impact on student athlete’s academic performance and emotional well-being.

In response to the growing evidence of the prevalence and adverse effects of concussions on student athletes, House Democrats, led by Reps. George Miller and Tim Bishop introduced H.R. 469 the Protecting Student Athletes from Concussions Act of 2011. This legislation would, for the first time, set minimum state requirements for the prevention and treatment of concussions incurred during school sports and would ensure school districts have concussion management plans that educate students, parents, coaches, teachers and school administrators about how to recognize and respond to concussions. The Rock Center report adds further urgency to the need to pass this common sense set of reforms to protect our nation’s student athletes.

Click here for more information on the Protecting Student Athletes from Concussions Act.

New Poll: Majority of Americans favor Preventing Student Loan Rates from Doubling, Protecting Women's Rights

Wed, 09 May 2012 19:05:54 +0000

Republicans in this Congress have repeatedly attacked the rights of women and blocked proposals to help struggling students and their families. Congressional Democrats have put forth initiatives to prevent student loan interest rates from doubling without harming health care for women and children, and legislation such as the Paycheck Fairness Act and the Violence Against Women Act. The GOP has consistently opposed all such efforts.

A new poll released this week shows that the majority of Americans side with the Democrats on these issues. From the National Journal:

The poll shows that Americans largely favor the Democrats’ positions on these issues: Majorities favor provisions protecting gay and lesbian victims of domestic violence and making it easier for women to sue for wage discrimination. A plurality prefers Democrats’ plans to pay for student-loan subsidies by raising taxes on some businesses, as opposed to Republicans’ plans to shift money from a preventative-health fund created as part of the 2010 health care law. On all three issues, Democrats enjoy wider advantages among women and young Americans...

Fully half of respondents said they favor Democrats’ plans to pay for these student loans, while only 34 percent favored the GOP’s approach.

House Democrats have fought hard to prevent the rate from doubling on July1. Democrats proposed to by ending unwarranted tax subsidies to big oil and gas companies. The House Republicans have twice denied the Democratic plan a vote on the House floor, as recently as today.

Rather than working with Democrats to address the issue, House Republicans instead pushed through partisan legislation, which would pay for interest rate relief by eliminating an important component of the Affordable Care Act that has already helped families, communities and health professionals identify and prevent chronic disease.

More information on the July 1 increase in some student loan interest rates.

Rep. Miller on House Floor Discussing Seclusion and Restraint

Wed, 09 May 2012 16:43:28 +0000

Rep. George Miller (D-CA), senior Democrat on the Committee, took to the House floor today to discuss the growing problem of inappropriate use of seclusion and restrain on students nationwide. Watch video of Rep. Miller below:

The Keeping All Students Safe Act, introduced by Rep. Miller, would for the first time, put in place minimum safety standards to prevent abusive seclusion and restraint in schools across the country. The bipartisan legislation would protect schoolchildren from inappropriate uses of seclusion and restraint. The bill would provide school personnel with the necessary tools, training, and support to ensure the safety of all students and school personnel.

The Keeping All Students Safe Act passed the House in March of 2010. Unfortunately, it did not become law, and incidents of inappropriate seclusion and restraint continue to occur. The map below shows the 31 States with reported incidents of inappropriate seclusion and restraint since March 2010.

For more information, click here.

2.5 Million College Students: Please Don’t Double Our Rates

Wed, 02 May 2012 20:11:34 +0000

Yesterday, almost 200 student body presidents, representing more than 2.5 million college students around the country, sent a letter to Congress urging swift action on student loan interest rates. If Congress does nothing, interest rates on some Federal loans will double on July 1st, going from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent. In the words of the student body presidents:

Student loan debt is already too high, and inaction will put most borrowers $1,000 further in debt each year they need to take out more loans. In an uncertain economy, we simply cannot afford to accumulate more debt.

Youth unemployment is the highest it has been since the 1940s, causing even greater barriers to repaying loans. While college graduates fare better in the job market than those without a college degree, an increasing number of graduates are defaulting on their loans, damaging their credit early on. Nearly 9 percent of borrowers who started repaying their loans in 2009 defaulted in the first two years.

This is an issue about young consumers. Increasing interest rates to 6.8 percent will cause more students and parents to seek riskier private loans. This will make a bad situation worse. The federal student loan programs offer a fixed interest rate while private loans have variable interest rates with terms that make them much pricier and harder to pay off over the long term.

There has long been a promise that, if a student goes to college, works hard, and does well, they will have a more prosperous future ahead of them. Student loan debt is severely undermining that prospect.

Ultimately, we need bold, bipartisan steps to address the systemic problems that are driving up the cost of college. That conversation needs to start now. We hope action on extending the 3.4 percent Stafford loan interest rate is the first of many steps in a real effort to address the level of student debt and reduce the excessive need for borrowing. The long term economic health of the nation and the future prosperity of a generation depend on your actions. Now is the time to make a serious commitment to fix how we finance college in America. This starts with protecting the current student loan interest rates.

House Democrats have fought hard to prevent the rate from jumping. Democrats proposed to keep college students’ loan rates from doubling on and reduce the deficit by ending unwarranted tax subsidies to big oil and gas companies. The Democratic plan was not allowed a vote on the House floor.

Student groups, including the United States Student Association, PIRG, and Young Invincibles, opposed the Republican's measure.

More information on the July 1st increase in some student loan interest rates.

More information on the Democratic bill to prevent the doubling of student loan rates for 7 million Americans.(Read the full “Stop the Rate Hike Act of 2012” bill here).

More information on the Republican bill to cut access to preventive services like cancer screenings and childhood immunizations.

Honoring the Month of Military Children

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:59:01 +0000

April is the Month of Military Children. Established by Caspar Weinberger, Secretary of Defense during the Reagan administration, the Month of the Military Child is observed in April to let the country’s military children know their sacrifices are appreciated. We celebrate their many achievements. It is also important to recognize the unique educational needs that these children face and work to ensure they get the supports and attention they need and deserve.

More than 80 percent of the 1.2 million school age children of military families attend public school. On average those children attend six to nine different schools during their K-12 education. Outdated and inconsistent school transfer polices often result in these students struggling to achieve academic success and social integration.

Military children with disabilities face additional challenges. In 2010, there were approximately 92,000 military students with disabilities. Upon transferring to a new school district, military families can face challenges in accessing special education services for their children. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) includes provisions to address these challenges by ensuring that the new school district provides services comparable to the previous district’s assessment of the child’s needs. However, with frequent moves, students may experience delays in access to these services. As a result military children with disabilities are often facing obstacles to academic success.

As we work to reauthorize ESEA and other K-12 education policies, including IDEA, we must consider the needs of military children and families to help ensure that regardless of mobility students receive a high-quality education and the supports they need to succeed.

This month is a reminder of the unique contributions and sacrifices military children and their families make on behalf of the country. Democrats will continue to work to address the unique educational needs of our nation’s military children.

Study: Federal School Improvement Grants Proving Effective: News of the Day

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 19:43:40 +0000

A new study published today found student test scores improved in California's lowest-achieving schools that implemented aggressive reform measures. As reported in The Atlantic, this suggests the federal School Improvement Grant (SIG) program is showing early promise in the Golden State.

Federal SIG dollars are designated for schools ranking in the bottom 5 percent for student achievement in each state. Thomas S. Dee, a professor of public policy and economics at the University of Virginia and the study's lead author, compared California public schools that were "just eligible" for the SIG fuinds with those that were "just ineligible." Both groups are very similar in their baseline statistics such as staffing, student demographics and prior achievement.

What he found "were sizable first-year improvements in school performance as a result of the SIG-funded reforms." According to Dee, "the clear inference" is that SIG dollars and whole-school reforms "catalyzed meaningful improvements in California's lowest-achieving schools."

The SIG program can also be seen in the broader context of reform: according to Dee, the SIG schools represent an amalgam of two central education reform philosophies -- bringing in new leadership and better staff development, as well as funding for wraparound student services.

Unfortunately, not all children in this country have the same educational opportunities. In addition to the achievement gap between low-income and minority children and their peers, American students suffer from a second kind of achievement gap when compared globally. Across income and background levels in math and science, our children go from among the top students in the world in the fourth grade to near the bottom by the twelfth grade. We have one of the highest dropout rates in the world. This study shows what Federal investment in education and a focus on equity can achieve in closing the achievement gap so all children are able to get the skills they need to succeed.