Targeted Senate Contacts Needed to Save Elementary School Counseling Program!

Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program

Bills to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program introduced by Representative Marge Roukema (R-NJ) as the Elementary and Secondary Counseling Improvement Act (H.R. 1508) and Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) as the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Improvement Act (S. 620) were incorporated, as amendments, into much larger education legislation--the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) (H.R. 1).

A conference committee has been appointed to work out the differences in the House and Senate Versions. The Senate appointed Kennedy, Dodd, Harkin, Mikulski, Jeffords, Bingaman, Wellstone, Murray, Reed, Edwards, Clinton, Lieberman, Bayh, Gregg, Frist, Enzi, Hutchinson, Warner, Bond, Roberts, Collins, Sessions, DeWine, Allard and Ensign to the conference committee and the House appointed Boehner, Petri, Roukema, McKeon, Castle, Graham, Hilleary, Isakson, Miller, George, Kildee, Owens, Mink, Andrews, and Roemer.

The last meeting held by the Conference committee was September 25. Conferees are scheduled to meet again on October 23, but is unclear—even with pressure from President Bush—if a final compromise can be reached prior to adjournment.

If you live in one of the following states, PLEASE TAKE ACTION BEFORE MARCH 6!

ALABAMA
ARKANSAS
KANSAS
MAINE
MISSOURI
NEW HAMPSHIRE
TENNESSEE
VERMONT
VIRGINIA
WYOMING

SITUATION:

The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee has postponed action on the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) until March 6. At present, the draft bill the Committee will consider does NOT include the reauthorization of the Elementary School Counseling Demonstration Program. It is critical that we build support among Committee Republicans to vote in favor of a possible amendment to add the counseling program to the bill before it is approved by the Committee.

MESSAGE:

REMEMBER -- When communicating with your Members of Congress, especially by e-mail, but also by fax, letter or telephone, remember to include your FULL ADDRESS. Many offices will not consider your message if you cannot be identified as a constituent.

Feel free to add specific information about school social work services in your state.

MESSAGE BEGINS

As a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, I understand Senator (last name-see Senators below) will soon be taking action on President Bush's proposal to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.

As a school social worker and member of the National Association of Social Workers, I urge the Senator to support including the reauthorization of the Elementary School Counseling Demonstration Program in the committee-approved bill.

On behalf of the (# of members) of the (State) Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, I urge the Senator to support including the reauthorization of the Elementary School Counseling Demonstration Program in the committee-approved bill.

The program, sponsored by Senator Harkin (D-IA), is the only federal program with dedicated funding to hire school social workers, school counselors, and school psychologists to provide comprehensive counseling services -- services that increase school safety, reduce school drop-outs, and remove barriers to academic achievement. 58 school districts, out of 560 applicants, were awarded grants for FY 2000; another 20 to 30 grants are expected to be awarded within the next couple of months with FY 2001 funding.

MESSAGE CONTINUES

[For Alabama, Kansas, New Hampshire, Tennessee. For specific school districts, see below.]

The (name of school district) received a counseling grant for FY 2000, which will be renewed for FY 2001, but without the program being reauthorized, third year funding for the grant will be in jeopardy. And, of course, no other districts in (name of state) will have an opportunity to apply.

[For Arkansas, Maine, Missouri, Utah, Virginia, Wyoming.]

No school districts in (name of state) received a counseling grant the first year, but if the program is eliminated, districts in our state will not even have another opportunity to apply.

I hope the Senator will lend his support to reauthorizing the Elementary School Counseling Demonstration Program. The services the program funds can go a long way in helping the President reach his goal of "no child left behind."

Name

FULL ADDRESS

MESSAGE ENDS

SENATORS TO CONTACT: Remember to include your FULL ADDRESS.

Latest known staff person handling education issues is listed.

ALABAMA
Senator Jeff Sessions
Staff: John Little - PH 202-224-4124; Email john_little@sessions.senate.gov
One Grant - Tuscaloosa

ARKANSAS
Senator Tim Hutchinson
Staff: Holly Kuzmich - PH 202-224-2353; Email holly_kuzmich@hutchinson.senate.gov
No Grants

KANSAS
Senator Pat Roberts
Staff: Sarah Ross or Heather Wilson - PH 202-224-4774; Email sarah_ross@roberts.senate.gov or heather_wilson@roberts.senate.gov
One Grant - Wichita

MAINE
Senator Susan Collins
Staff: Maureen Marshall - PH 202-224-5344; Email maureen_marshall@collins.senate.gov
No Grants

MISSOURI
Senator Christopher Bond
Staff: Tracy Henkee - PH 202-224-5721; Email tracy_henkee@bond.senate.gov
No Grants

NEW HAMPSHIRE
Senator Judd Gregg
Staff: Denzel McGuire or Townsend Lange - PH 202-224-3324; Email None
One Grant - Nashua

TENNESSEE
Senator Bill Frist
Staff: Andrea Becker - PH 202-224-3344; Email andrea_becker@frist.senate.gov
One Grant - Nashville

VERMONT
Chairman - Senator Jim Jeffords
Staff: Sherry Kaiman - PH 202-224-6770; Email sherry_kaiman@labor.senate.gov
No Grants

VIRGINIA
Senator John Warner
Staff: Chris Yianilos - PH 202-224-2023; Email chris_yianilos@warner.senate.gov
No Grants

WYOMING
Senator Mike Enzi
Staff: Raissa Geary - PH 202-224-3424; Email raissa_geary@enzi.senate.gov
No Grants

AS ALWAYS, THANKS FOR YOUR ADVOCACY.

Only by working together can we achieve the recognition the school social work profession deserves and the school social work services our children deserve.

Feedback/Questions:

ADVOCATING FOR THE PROFESSION AND THE PEOPLE WE SERVE.