House Proceeding 03-24-09 on Mar 24th, 2009 :: 1:14:10 to 1:18:45
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1:14:06 to 1:14:26( Edit History Discussion )

Patrick J. Kennedy: services. i commend them for providing this in school settings. i ask my colleagues to support this resolution. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlelady from california. ms. woolsey: mr. speaker, i'm pleased to recognize the gentleman from rhode island, mr. kennedy, for five minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from rhode island is

1:14:10 to 1:18:45( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Patrick J. Kennedy

1:14:27 to 1:14:49( Edit History Discussion )

Patrick J. Kennedy: recognized for five minutes. mr. kennedy: thank you, mr. speaker. i'd like to commend the lady from california, ms. woolsy, and i rise today in -- ms. woolsey, and i rise today in support of house resolution 182, supporting the school social workweek. i offered this legislation to support the critical unsung work performed by school social workers in and across this country. school social workers bring unique knowledge and skill to

1:14:50 to 1:15:10( Edit History Discussion )

Patrick J. Kennedy: schools all across this country. student services teamwork together to achieve the goals as a nation that every child needs in order to succeed in school. each day across this country school social workers can be found assisting educators to understand family, cultural and community factors affecting

1:15:11 to 1:15:31( Edit History Discussion )

Patrick J. Kennedy: students as well as to meet the demands of providing quality education for students of diverse backgrounds. . educators design and implement programs and policies that address school attendance, teen pregnancy, school violence and school safety issues, as well as

1:15:32 to 1:15:53( Edit History Discussion )

Patrick J. Kennedy: child abuse and neglect, as well as special education and more. each day school social workers can be found working with parents so they may effectively participate, participate in their child's education as well as improve parenting skills, understanding special education service, as well as accessing school and community services

1:15:54 to 1:16:15( Edit History Discussion )

Patrick J. Kennedy: related to their child in health care, we must treat the whole person. in educa same. so that's where school social workers recognize the need to connect the school and home in order to relate to the needs of the children. it's a shame that fewer than one in five of the 17 million children in need of meant cal

1:16:16 to 1:16:36( Edit History Discussion )

Patrick J. Kennedy: health services actually receive them. improved and expand school mental health programs would help provide these services. the kinds of services that so many students desperately need and are precisely the kind of services that school social workers can provide. as our economy continues to struggle and families all over

1:16:37 to 1:16:58( Edit History Discussion )

Patrick J. Kennedy: the country are losing their home and jobs, the need for school social workers only becomes magnified. when you think about the fact that we are fighting a war overseas, an economic war here at home, you think about our -- the fact that our schools are our bases. we wouldn't think of twice -- twice about making sure our

1:16:59 to 1:17:20( Edit History Discussion )

Patrick J. Kennedy: military isn't provided with the latest of armaments a best of training. then why would we not think of providing the same for our teachers and our school social workers? they are the one that is make sure that our students are not left behind in the field of battle. but unfortunately, mr. speaker, too many of our children are

1:17:21 to 1:17:41( Edit History Discussion )

Patrick J. Kennedy: left behind in the field of battle. the field of battle of the literacy, the field of battle of mental health, the field of battle of addiction, and the field of battle of violence. these are the kids in our inner city that are being held hostage

1:17:42 to 1:18:03( Edit History Discussion )

Patrick J. Kennedy: to a different the global war on terror but the enemy causing 35% to 40% of our students in our inner cities to not graduate fromigh school. that is abomination, mr. speaker. if we don't have more school social workers to make sure they graduate, then our schools in this country are not going to be worth the teachers that we have in them because they are not

1:18:04 to 1:18:24( Edit History Discussion )

Patrick J. Kennedy: going to have the school social workers to do the job to help those teachers make sure that their students graduate. that's why we workers to make sure that those students graduate. and it's an important complement to our education system. we need emotional and social development just as much as we need literacy development.

1:18:25 to 1:18:45( Edit History Discussion )

Patrick J. Kennedy: that's why we need social workers in our schools. now more than ever while the economic pressure is on their families and social pressures on those families and the burden is on those families, we need to reach out where we can and that is through the schools. the school's where we reach those children and reach those families idire need.