Keeping Students Safe in School
Rep. Sánchez introduces “Safe Schools Improvement Act”
Students cannot learn when they are shamed, intimidated, or in fear for their physical safety. To help all children succeed in school, we must recognize that bullying is not just “kids being kids.” It is harmful and damaging behavior that adults must take seriously.
Rep. Sánchez has introduced the Safe Schools Improvement Act to require schools to adopt codes of conduct that specifically prohibit bullying and harassment on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and religion.
Current federal law provides funds to promote school safety but does not expressly focus on issues of bullying or harassment. As a condition of receiving future Safe Schools funding, the Safe Schools Improvement Act would require schools and districts to ensure that their codes of conduct specifically prohibit bullying and harassment and would require states to include bullying and harassment data in their state-wide reporting. The legislation would also allow schools to train faculty and staff on how to prevent bullying and address it effectively when it does occur.
The Safe Schools Improvement Act has garnered support more than 100 organizations, including the National PTA; the American Federation of Teachers; the American Library Association; Big Brothers Big Sisters of America; the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network ; the Human Rights Campaign; the National Council of La Raza; and the Anti-Defamation League.
On April 20, 2012, the White House endorsed this bipartisan, common sense legislation.
The bill currently has 193 co-sponsors, the highest number of co-sponsors since it was first introduce in the 111th Congress. For a complete list of co-sponsors, click here.