[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 58 (Wednesday, May 7, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H2258]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              SAFE SCHOOLS

  (Mrs. KELLY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. KELLY. Mr. Speaker, as Members probably know by now, this week 
is Teacher Appreciation Week, and we are very grateful for all of them. 
As a former teacher, I have learned from experience that the best way 
we can truly appreciate teachers and their students is to make certain 
that they are provided with the safest possible learning environment.
  This week in Congress we are going to begin to work on legislation to 
ensure safe classrooms by removing violent juveniles. We are going to 
work to accomplish this by reforming our juvenile justice system.
  But this will only be the first step in a series we are going to take 
in this Congress to reduce crime in our schools and in our communities. 
The next step will be through strong prevention programs when we move 
to reauthorize the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Act this summer.
  We need safe classrooms for teachers and for students. We can 
accomplish this through our focus on both the areas of prevention and 
punishment. I ask for all of my colleagues to join me in support of 
safer schools when we pass both the Juvenile Crime Control Act and 
reauthorize the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Act.

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