Letter on a request that you support S. 919 Successful, Safe, and Healthy Students Act of 2011

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Letter to the senate

The Honorable Senator Sherrod BrownUnited States Senate,(D- OH) Class I 713 Hart Senate Office Building.Washington, D.C. 20510.

Dear Senator Sherrod

I am a college student taking a course in Nutrition. I am writing this letter to you as a request that you support S. 919 Successful, Safe, and Healthy Students Act of 2011. This bill aims at safeguarding and would help states in developing, as well as implementing all-inclusive strategies and programs that would foster a positive environment for students to thrive mentally, physically, socially and academically. In addition, the bill aims at implementing programs that enhance mental health and expand mental health and counseling services to all students so as to promote access. This includes intervention, prevention, as well as the appropriate diagnosis and referral services. Moreover, collaboration between schools and the community agencies would be enhanced via communication, training of mental health professionals and personnel, technical assistance. This legislation would also achieve the appropriate student-to-professional ratios for social workers, school counselors, as well as psychologists. This is aimed at ensuring that the social, emotional, counseling, behavioral, educational and mental health needs of the entire student community are met.

This bill is built on two tenets. It directs the secretary of education to give grants to states so as to do the following.

(1). Develop, improve, as well as implement state information and reporting systems that measure the learning conditions based on surveys of staff and school students.

(2). Award nonprofit organizations, as well as local educational agencies with competitive sub-grants that utilize measurement systems to make all-inclusive improvements to school-level learning conditions.

One of the main or key aims of the Federal assistance programs, as promoted by this bill, is the prevention of harassment, violence and substance abuse among students. It goes without saying that substance abuse and bullying are some of the key ills that plague present-day learning institutions. Statistics show that more than 160,000 students miss school every day, fearing intimidation and attacks from other students (Rigby, 2007). This may be in the form of verbal, as well as physical attacks. The same statistics state that, there are about 2.1 million bullies in American schools who intimidate about 2.7 million school children. In fact, 1 out of every 7 American students in Grades K-12 is either a victim of bullying or a bully. 15 % of total school absenteeism relates directly to fears of undergoing bullying in schools (Rigby, 2007). Obviously, this bill would improve or have a positive impact on schoolgoing rates and, therefore, enhance the education rates in the United States. Moreover, suicide rates among students would go down in both lower and higher grades. Quite a large number of suicide incidents have been relating to violence and bullying in schools, as well as over the internet (Rigby, 2007). This bill is, therefore, a step in the appropriate direction in enhancing and safeguarding the conduciveness of the school environment.

On the same note, substance abuse has been a global problem. It goes without saying that students of varied grades are immensely involved in substance abuse. This is extremely sad and discouraging, especially considering that the young people are the future pillars of the country. This means that comprehensive measures need to be implemented or taken to ensure that they are freed from the manacles of substance abuse (Fisher & Harrison, 2008). Anything short of this would be tantamount to forfeiting the future of this country and throwing it to the dogs. In essence, this bill holds the future of this country and aims at safeguarding future prosperity. Your support for the bill will go a long way in safeguarding the achievement of future prosperity, as well as ensuring that the school community is productive and healthy in all aspects.

Thanks in advance.

Sincerely,

Works cited

Rigby, K (2007). Bullying in Schools and What to Do about It: Revised and Updated. New York: Aust Council for Ed Research

Fisher, GL & Harrison, TC (2008). Substance Abuse: Information for School Counselors, Social Workers, Therapists, and Counselors. New York: Pearson

(Rigby, 2007)