Earlier this month, the National Disability Rights Network released a report detailing hundreds of cases where abusive uses of seclusion and restraint by school staff injured or traumatized schoolchildren, many with disabilities. The report revealed cases where students were abusively pinned to the floor, handcuffed, locked in closets, and subjected to other acts of violence. In some of the cases, children died.

As Miller noted in his letter to GAO today, a prior GAO investigation conducted at Miller’s request uncovered thousands of similar cases of abuse at teen residential treatment facilities across the country. GAO’s work laid the groundwork for legislation to address these abuses, the Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act of 2008 (H.R. 6358), which the House passed in June.  

“Unfortunately, vulnerable children and teens are being abused all too often in other contexts,” Miller wrote. “To assist in the Committee’s ongoing efforts to help protect our children, I specifically request that FSI investigate the use of restraint, seclusion, and harmful aversive handling of children and youth in private and public schools.”

For more information on the report documenting these abuses, click here. For more information on H.R. 6358, click here.

The full text of Miller’s letter to GAO is below.

 

***

January 27, 2009

Gene L. Dodaro
Acting Comptroller General
U.S. Government Accountability Office
441 G Street, N.W.
Washington, DC   20548

Dear Mr. Dodaro:

I write to request that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) Forensic Audits and Special Investigations Unit (FSI) further investigate recent reports of neglect and abuse of children in our nation’s schools.

Over the last several years, GAO ably fulfilled my requests that it review and investigate the alarming number of deaths and incidences of abuse of youth enrolled in private residential treatment programs geared toward treating troubled teens.  Among other things, the investigative work highlighted cases where staff at some programs employed unsafe restraint techniques that lead to death in some of those cases.  In part because of these revelations, the House passed the Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act of 2008, H.R. 6358 (110th Congr.) on June 25, 2008.

Unfortunately, vulnerable children and teens are being abused all too often in other contexts.  Just this month, the National Disability Rights Network released a troubling report entitled School is Not Supposed to Hurt in which the authors described instances of death and abuse of children and youth in public and private schools across the United States.  The report focused on seclusion and restraint techniques and detailed dozens of occurrences of students being abusively pinned to the floor, handcuffed, locked in closets, and subjected to other traumatizing acts of violence.  In some of the cases, the abuse resulted in death.

To assist in the Committee’s ongoing efforts to help protect our children, I specifically request that FSI investigate the use of restraint, seclusion, and harmful aversive handling of children and youth in private and public schools. 


Sincerely,

 
George Miller

Chairman

 
cc:    Senior Republican Member Howard “Buck” McKeon

“I congratulate Arne Duncan on his much-deserved quick confirmation by the Senate. Secretary Duncan is not only a dynamic leader and a strong advocate for our schools and our students, he has a proven track record of success. With our economy in flux, our nation’s schools, colleges and universities have the power to prepare our next generation of leaders, entrepreneurs and innovators. This can only be accomplished by investing in our children from their earliest years on, giving all students the opportunity to get a world class education, and providing our teachers with the support and resources they need and deserve.

“As President Obama said yesterday, transforming our schools and colleges will be one of the most important things we can do to rebuild our economy and our country. This swift confirmation will allow Secretary Duncan to get started on this mission right away. I look forward to working with him and President Obama as we begin this challenging but exciting new era.”

“With our economy worsening by the day, bold and strategic investments are needed to jumpstart our economy and drive long-term growth and competitiveness,” said Miller. “This remarkable effort will get Americans back to work quickly, strengthen educational opportunities for our children, and fuel innovation. Together, with President-elect Obama, we are moving quickly to build a 21st economy and strengthen our nation’s middle class.”

At a recent forum convened by Democratic lawmakers, a bipartisan panel of economists and scientists urged Congress to enact an economic recovery package that creates jobs, helps states facing severe budget gaps maintain important programs, and spurs long-term economic development.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will meet those goals, helping create or save up to 4 million jobs – more than 90 percent of which will be private sector – over two years and strengthening the nation’s competitiveness.

Miller highlighted key provisions in the package that fall under the Education and Labor Committee’s jurisdiction, including:

•  School modernization: $20 billion to repair, renovate, modernize public schools and colleges and universities, including technology updates;

• Economic stabilization fund to provide relief to states: $79 billion to help states restore cuts to funding for early childhood, K-12, higher education and other vital programs;

• Aid for college students: $15.6 billion to increase the maximum Pell Grant scholarship by $500, for a maximum of $5350 in 2009 and $5550 in 2010;

• A strong, green workforce: $4 billion for job training to help get adult and dislocated back to work, create one million summer jobs for youth, and prepare workers for green jobs and other emerging industries;

• Extended unemployment benefits: $27 billion to continue the current extended unemployment benefits program – which provides up to 33 weeks of extended benefits - through 2009; and

• Health care for the unemployed: $30.3 billion to extend COBRA health insurance coverage to the unemployed, extending the period of COBRA coverage for older and tenured workers.

The bill will also be completely transparent and accountable to the American public, so that taxpayer dollars are spent wisely and are track-able online.

For a fact sheet with full details on the provisions under the House Education and Labor Committee’s jurisdiction, click here.

To view the full package released by the House Appropriations Committee today, click here.

For more specific information prepared by the Congressional Research Service which estimates the amount of education funding that each school district will receive from certain aspects of the American Recovery and Reinvestment bill, click here.

For more information on last week’s economic forum, click here.

“Arne Duncan is an incredibly smart choice for Education Secretary. He is the right person, in the right position, at the right time. His leadership and commitment to improving our nation’s schools, along with his experience and proven track record of success as the Chief Executive Officer of the Chicago Public Schools, make him particularly qualified for this important job.

“Arne recognizes the seismic shift happening in education – he knows first-hand that real change requires real leadership. He understands that by taking our education system in a bold new direction, he can help our economy change course. He knows that we need to provide good educational opportunities for all students from their earliest years on. And he rightly believes that the only interest group that matters in education policy are students and families.

“At this time of unprecedented economic uncertainty, it’s more important than ever to significantly improve our schools and continue our efforts to make college more affordable. Our schools and colleges, from early education through graduate programs, must prepare our next generation to take on 21st century jobs, and drive our discovery, innovation and competitiveness. Addressing the education challenges we face won’t be easy, but I am confident Arne Duncan will delve in and create the world-class education system our economy needs and our nation’s students deserve.”

“As the head of Chicago’s public schools, he has an impressive track record in turning around failing schools, increasing graduation rates, and significantly boosting student achievement. He has dramatically improved teacher quality and effectiveness, by working with the local teachers union to establish a performance pay system and by providing mentoring and career ladders for teachers. A longtime champion of early education, he understands that we won’t be able to close the student achievement gap unless we improve educational opportunities for every child from their earliest years on.

“Mr. Duncan takes the helm at a pivotal juncture for our schools and our economy. Our schools are in need of serious improvement; families continue to face a college affordability crisis; and we need to continue to strengthen our economic competitiveness. In an education landscape filled with strong – and often sharply contrasting – ideas, I believe that he will provide the leadership needed to bring diverse stakeholders together and break through the political gridlock.

“This summer, Mr. Duncan told our committee of the importance of ‘challenging the status quo, pushing the envelope and driving change.’ I look forward to working with him and President-elect Obama to provide all students with a world-class education that prepares them to compete in our global economy and pursue their dreams.”

Over the summer, Duncan testified before the Education and Labor Committee with mayors and superintendents of major U.S. cities on how to improve America’s schools and close the achievement gap. To watch his testimony, click here; to view his written testimony, click here.
 

“While it is good news that fourth graders have made significant gains in math, it’s troubling that our students are still behind their international peers in both math and science – fields that are key to our country’s economic vitality and competitiveness” said Miller, the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee. “It’s increasingly clear that building a world-class education system that provides students with a strong foundation in math and science must be part of any meaningful long-term economic recovery strategy.”

“How many red flags, how many alarms, how many reports will it take to understand that we significantly need to strengthen math and science education? Without math and science training, we cannot meet society’s needs and compete in a global marketplace. This has been urgent for a long time, but we keep behaving like it doesn’t matter” said Holt, a scientist and member of the House Education and Labor Committee, who has been a long time advocate for stronger science, technology, engineering, and math education.

According to the study, while both fourth and eighth grade students showed improvements in math, neither grade level improved in science over the past decade. The report also found that overall fourth and eighth graders in the U.S. performed above average in math and science, and that the lowest-performing fourth graders showed improvement in math between 1995 and 2007 and between 2003 and 2007.

Last summer, Congress enacted the America COMPETES Act which provides education and job training for students and workers in math, science, technology, and engineering fields. The law builds upon principles unveiled by Chairman Miller and Democratic leaders in their Innovation Agenda in November 2005. For more information about the COMPETES Act, click here.

Last year, as part of the landmark College Cost Reduction and Access Act, Congress enacted TEACH grants, which provide up-front tuition assistance of $4,000 each year – for a maximum of $16,000 – to students who commit to teaching in public schools in high-poverty communities or high-need subject areas, such as math and science. For more information about the law, click here.