[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 104 (Wednesday, July 29, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1461]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             SCHOOL SAFETY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. KAREN McCARTHY

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 29, 1998

  Ms. McCARTHY of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support the 
special White House school safety summit called by President Clinton 
for October. This conference will bring together educators, law 
enforcement officials, and parents to discuss methods for ensuring 
school safety.
  Our children are our future, and we must do everything we can to 
guarantee them a safe learning environment in our public schools. 
Unfortunately, many school children today face threats on a daily basis 
in their schools--if not more tragic acts, such as the recent shootings 
on school grounds.
  It is also important to recognize that every day, all across America, 
children are being threatened, harassed, and beaten. President Clinton 
quoted statistics showing that three out of four students claim that 
they have trouble with disruptive classmates. These children are not 
able to fulfill their full potential because they are too afraid or 
distracted to focus on learning.
  Problem students who show constant disregard for teachers' classroom 
rules cause disorder that prohibits learning. The National Center for 
Education Statistics reports that in 1993-94, 23.6% of public school 
teachers indicated that student disrespect for teachers is a serious 
problem. When teachers are not in control, their morale is lowered, the 
students are afraid, and the time spent in school is wasted.
  Perhaps even more distressing are the students who simply do not 
attend school. Truancy leads to many criminal acts, including drug and 
alcohol use, gang activity, and violence. Further, truant students are 
not learning. When our children don't go to school, not only their own 
future, but also our country's future is threatened.
  I am a cosponsor of H.R. 4009, which will combat juvenile crime in 
our schools and amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 
1968. This bill encourages school based partnerships between local law 
enforcement agencies and school systems. Federal funding would be 
provided to hire School Resource Officers, who would work with the 
school to proactively address crime in the school.
  I am also a cosponsor of H.R. 2408, the After School Education and 
Safety Act of 1997, which would provide children with a safe and 
supervised place at the end of the school day. Safe places are 
especially important in the hours after school because this time frame 
poses the greatest risk for juveniles to be affected by criminal 
behavior. This bill would also create enrichment programs for the 
children to participate in, to increase their academic success and 
improve their intellectual, social, physical, and cultural skills.
  We must commit ourselves to taking responsibility for our children's 
educational future. Parents, teachers, and community leaders must work 
together to provide a safe and stimulating learning environment for our 
students. Our children deserve the best possible education we can 
provide, and they deserve to learn and grow in a safe environment.
  In my district, schools are using a variety of programs to keep kids 
safe. The Kansas City School District has used the ``Growing Healthy'' 
program in elementary schools for the last three years. This program 
utilizes materials on conflict resolution and violence prevention, but 
its main focus is on mental and physical health awareness.
  In Independence, Missouri, schools use a program developed by Alvin 
Brooks of the Ad Hoc Group Against Crime titled, ``Stop the Violence,'' 
which includes a series of videos and speakers. In Fort Osage, schools 
have designed their own program to identify troubled students so as to 
enter them into early intervention counseling programs.
  Other strategies used in my home state of Missouri to increase school 
safety include placing police officers in schools, training student 
mediators, and installing metal detectors. Metal detectors have 
significantly reduced the number of weapons violations in the Kansas 
City district. During the 1992-93 school year, more than 100 weapons 
violations were reported in one month. This past year, weapons 
violations were down to 16 in a month.
  Mr. Speaker, I look forward to the ``First Annual Report on School 
Safety,'' which will be the result of the school safety summit. 
Participants in the President's summit on school safety will identify 
and share creative and effective solutions to the problems currently 
facing our public schools, such as those being implemented by Missouri 
school districts. I hope that my colleagues in Congress will take their 
ideas and concerns to heart and make school safety a top priority.

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