Action Alert: Access to Education Legislation Introduced

 Healthy Teen Network and the National Women's Law Center are pleased to announce that U.S. Representative Jared Polis (D-CO) and 16 other Members of Congress introduced on July 28, 2010 the Pregnant and Parenting Students Access to Education Act (H.R. 5894), comprehensive legislation to improve high school graduation rates, college- and career-readiness, and access to postsecondary opportunities for pregnant and parenting students. The legislation provides the necessary formula funding to all states and competitive funding to school districts to ensure that pregnant and parenting students have equal access to and succeed in educational opportunities. A fact sheet on the legislation is available here. The legislation is available here.

Joining Representative Polis as original co-sponsors of H.R. 5894 are prominent members of the House Education and Labor Committee and the congressional Women's, Black, Hispanic, and Progressive caucuses, and include: Shelly Berkley (NV), Lois Capps (CA), Yvette Clarke (NY), John Conyers (MI), Raul Grijalva (AZ), Rubén Hinojosa (TX), Eddie Bernice Johnson (TX), Doris Matsui (CA), Gwen Moore (WI), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), Laura Richardson (CA), Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA), Loretta Sanchez (CA), Jan Schakowsky (IL), Robert "Bobby" Scott (VA), and Lynn Woolsey (CA).

National organizations already endorsing the bill, in addition to Healthy Teen Network and the National Women's Law Center, are: American Association of University Women, Equal Rights Advocates, National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, National Council of La Raza, National Crittenton Foundation, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health, and National Network for Youth. Additional national, state, and local organization support is expected to follow.

Representative Polis and other co-sponsors will now work to incorporate the provisions of the Pregnant and Parenting Students Access to Education Act into the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the major federal law regarding education (also known as No Child Left Behind). House and Senate education committees are currently in the process reauthorizing ESEA. Supporters of the legislation must now turn their attention to adding co-sponsors to H.R. 5894 in order to encourage Congressional education leaders to include its content in the larger ESEA measure.  We also are seeking a U.S. Senator to introduce a companion measure in that chamber.

Opportunities for organization and individual action in support of the Pregnant and Parenting Students Access to Education Act include:

Take Congressional Action: Contact U.S. Representatives and ask them to co-sponsor the Pregnant and Parenting Students Access to Education Act (H.R. 5894). Contact U.S. Senators to urge them to introduce companion legislation. Action alerts to facilitate your communication to Members of Congress through an online communication system may be found online here  and here.

Distribute the Action Alert: Advocacy organizations and direct service providers are encouraged to distribute the action alert widely to their boards of directors, organization members and supporters, expectant and parenting youth they serve, and family members and caring adults involved with young families.

Join Organization Sign-On Letter: Direct service, advocacy, and public organizations at the national, state, and local levels are invited to add their organizations to a sign-on letter in support of H.R. 5894. The sign-on letter may be found online here.  An initial response is requested by August 16 to eyates@nwlc.org. (Please let us know if you need more time). Advocacy organizations and associations are encouraged to distribute the sign-on letter widely to their member organizations and supporters.

Engage Educational Agencies in Dialogue: Advocacy and direct service organizations are encouraged to use the bill's introduction as an opportunity to start or continue a dialogue with their state educational agency, local school district boards and administrators, and neighborhood schools about their policies, practices, and programs directed toward expectant and parenting students. When doing so, encourage the educational agencies to express their support for the legislation to their Members of Congress in whatever manner they are able to do so.

Links to All Supporting Materials:

Action Alert (to send to Senators)
Action Alert (to send to Members of Congress)
Organization Sign-On Letter
Suggested Announcement Text
Pregnant and Parenting Students Access to Education Act (H.R. 5894)
Fact Sheet
Rep. Jared Polis New Release
Healthy Teen Network: A Policy Platform to Promote Health and Success among Young Families
National Women's Law Center and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund: Listening to Latinas: Barriers to High School Graduation
National Women's Law Center materials: Access to Education for Pregnant and Parenting Students

For Further Information:

For further information about the Pregnant and Parenting Students Access to Education Act, please visit Healthy Teen Network's Action Alert web page or www.nwlc.org or contact Bob Reeg of Healthy Teen Network or Lara S. Kaufmann of the National Women's Law Center.