[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 16 (Tuesday, February 6, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E125]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           PROVIDING GRANTS FOR 100,000 RESOURCE-BASED STAFF

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. PATSY T. MINK

                               of hawaii

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 6, 2001

  Mrs. MINK of Hawaii. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to re-introduce a bill 
that provides 100,000 Resource-Based Staff for our public schools to 
help students cope with the stress and anxieties of adolescence. This 
bill is similar to HR 2982, which I introduced in the 106th Congress.
  None of us will ever forget the tragedy at Columbine High School in 
Littleton, Colorado, where two student gunmen killed 12 classmates and 
a teacher before taking their own lives. Why did this happen? What 
could make children from a seemingly typical upbringing turn so 
violent? And what can we do to ensure that our children will be safe at 
school?
  I don't know if we will ever find all of the answers. I believe that 
ultimately, we must look to our culture and within our own families to 
find some of the answers. Congress owes it to our children to work on 
policies that can bring about change.
  First, we must look to substantive preventative measures. Security 
guards, metal detectors, and expelling violent students all have their 
place in addressing this problem. But they do nothing to prevent 
tragedies from occurring.
  Ultimately, we must work with children to ensure they can handle 
their anger and emotions without resorting to violence. Many of our 
children enter school with emotional, physical, and interpersonal 
barriers to learning. We need more school counselors in our schools, 
not only to help identify these troubled youths, but to work on 
developmental skill building.
  Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher has said that appropriate 
interventions made during or prior to adolescence can direct young 
people away from violence toward healthy and constructive lives. The 
window of opportunity for effective interventions opens early and 
rarely, if ever, closes. Thus, prevention is the best guard against 
youth violence.
  We have no real infrastructure of support for our kids when it comes 
to mental health services in our schools. The most recent statistics 
indicate that there are 90,000 guidance counselors for approximately 
41.4 million students in our public schools. That translates to 1 
counselor for every 513 students. In Hawaii, we have only 1 counselor 
for every 525 students. In California, there is only 1 counselor for 
more than 1,000 students. That is simply not enough.
  With current counselors responsible for such large numbers of 
students, they are unable to address the students' personal needs. 
Instead, their role is more often administrative, scheduling, and job 
and college counseling. The child is forfeited for different goals.
  My bill will put 100,000 new resource staff in our schools to focus 
on the mental health needs of students. This will make it easier for 
children to get the attention they need.
  This resource staff will be hired to address the personal, family, 
peer level, emotional, and developmental needs of students, enabling 
them to detect early warning signs of troubled youth. They will improve 
student interaction and school safety. In a nutshell, they can help 
save children's lives.
  The resource staff can also consult with teachers and parents about 
student learning, behavior, and emotional problems. They can develop 
and implement prevention programs and deal with substance abuse. They 
can set up peer mediation, and they can enhance problem solving in 
schools. Resource staff will provide important support services to 
students, and to parents and teachers on behalf of the students.
  This legislation should be the cornerstone of a much larger proposal. 
We must address the media's impact on violence and the easy 
accessibility of guns. We must strengthen our programs for families and 
early childhood development, and we must develop character education 
programs.
  If we really are serious about addressing school violence, we must 
address prevention.
  I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.