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>Date:         Wed, 23 Feb 2000 10:55:04 -0500
>Reply-To: "UVM Women's Center" <[log in to unmask]>
>Sender: "UVM Women's Center" <[log in to unmask]>
>From: "Governor's Commission on Women" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject:      Take Action ALERT - Civil Rights in Education (H.473)
>To: [log in to unmask]
>
>Please read this important message from Representative Henrietta Jordan
>about H.473 a bill concerning harassment in education. -Cele
>
>> > ----- Original Message -----
>> > From: Henrietta Jordan <[log in to unmask]>
>> > To: <[log in to unmask]>
>> > Sent: Monday, February 21, 2000 1:34 PM
>> > Subject: ALERT - Civil Rights in Education (H.473)
>
>Dear Civil Rights Advocate:
>
>Earlier this month, almost 200 people came to the State House to ask the
>House Education Committee to address harassment in public schools by passing
>H.473. Parents, students, and teachers from all parts of Vermont
>told how harassment had cause irreparable harm to students of color,
>students with disabilities, gay and lesbian students. They implored the
>committee to exercise leadership and act decisively to end this
>insidious and pervasive form of discrimination. Speaking as one who has
>attended
>scores of public hearings over the years, I found the witnesses to be
>among the most eloquent and moving I have ever heard.
>
>But H.473 has not moved, and unless the committee acts on it during the
>next two weeks, it will die.
>According to Chairwoman Val Vincent, some members of the committee
>object to the fact that H.473 gives a student who reports harassment the
>right to
>sue when his or her school that fails to follow its own harassment
>policies in responding to the report. Not surprisingly, the Vermont School
>Boards
>Association and the Vermont Superintendents Association also oppose this
>provision.
>
>To get the Education Committee to act on H.473, advocates need to
>contact members NOW and tell them how important it is for them to address
>harassment in Vermont schools. Committee members need to be reminded of
>what they heard at the public hearing and that their failure to act
>means that more Vermont children will be harmed by harassment..
>
>If you want H.473 to pass this year, please contact the members of the
>House Education Committee IMMEDIATELY and ask that they take up and pass
>H.473:
>> > >
>> > > Rep. Val Vincent, Chair (D-Waterbury)
>> > > Rep. Donny Osman, Vice-Chair (D-Plainfield) ([log in to unmask])
>> > > Rep. Alysia Krasnow (D-Charlotte) ([log in to unmask])
>> > > Rep. Howard Crawford (R-Burke)
>> > > Rep. Jason Barney (R-Highgate) ([log in to unmask])
>> > > Rep. George Cross (D-Winooski)
>> > > Rep. Patricia Doyle (D-Richmond) ([log in to unmask])
>> > > Rep. Alice Miller (D-Shaftsbury) ([log in to unmask])
>> > > Rep. George Schiavone (R-Shelburne)
>> > > Rep. Bill Suchmann (R-Chester) ([log in to unmask])
>> > >
>> > > You can e-mail as indicated above and/or write them at the following
>> > address:
>Vermont House of Representatives, 115 State Street, Drawer 33,
>Montpelier,
>VT 05633.
>
>You can also register your opinion by leaving a message for them with
> the Sergeant-at-Arms (1-800-322-5616)
>
>I wish I could tell all of you who testified at the public hearing how
>much you did to advance the goal of eradicating racism and harassment in our
>schools. Now it's up to all of us to take the next crucial steps to get
>the bill moving.
>
>Please feel free to pass this message on to others. Again, thanks foryour
>interest in H.473.
>
>Regards,
>Henrietta Jordan
>
>P.S. If you receive more than one copy of this message, please accept my
>apologies. Duplication in unintentional, but, alas, inevitable!
>> > >
>> > >
>> >
>> >
>>
>
>
Tina Green
461 Main Street
Burlington, VT 05405
(802) 656-8818
(802) 656-3348 fax