Political Quotes

“today, I am pleased to join Senator Robert Casey and eight of my colleagues in introducing the Safe Schools Improvement Act. This important legislation will help to address a crisis going on in our schools--the bullying and harassment of our children. We know that no child can achieve the high academic standards set for them if they are living in fear of bullying or harassment. This legislation will help change the culture in our classrooms and provide schools with the tools they need to promote a safe learning environment. Findings from the 2007 National School Climate Survey demonstrated that a significant number of students experienced harassment in our schools, often because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. This study also revealed that 96 percent of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students in New York often heard words such as 'gay' used in a negative connotation. Furthermore, 93 percent of students regularly heard homophobic remarks. The National School Climate Survey also found that 20 percent of students in New York were physically assaulted in their school because of their sexual orientation, while another 13 percent were assaulted because of their gender expression. This environment of harassment and bullying in our schools lowers the academic performance of our students. In fact, 35 percent of LGBT students reported to have skipped classes at least once in the past month because they felt unsafe in their own school.”