Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, long before COVID-19, the education of our most vulnerable students, particularly Black and Brown girls and students with disabilities, had been disrupted by discriminatory and harsh discipline practices. As early as preschool, discriminatory policies and practices push them out of the classroom. This push-out crisis and its disproportionate impact on our girls continued even as the pandemic hit and schools went remote. Last year, we learned the story of Grace, a 15-year-old Black student who was sent to juvenile detention for not completing her online coursework. At a time where our children needed to be kept safe in a volatile crisis, Grace was dehumanized and taken away from her family and her health put at risk. Advocates across the Nation, including my colleagues and I, rallied to call for Grace's release. We were so grateful she safely made her way home to her mother, but her experience is far too common. My amendment underscores the need for the GAO to study the prevalence of these practices during remote learning periods and provide recommendations on how we can work to urgently address this crisis. Our young people deserve nurturing, learning environments that support their healing and well-being. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.”