In Washington State
cuts to the budget of The Office of the Education Ombudsman
(OEO) have been proposed by the House and Senate. We
understand that the House budget proposes a cut of 5% or
$28,000, and the Senate budget proposes a much larger cut of
$320,000. The Office of the Education Ombudsman has a vital
role in helping families with students who are dealing with
bullying, harassment and intimidation in our schools. This
office is the only government agency with the time, focus and
expertise to help families deal with bullying issues in
schools. With previous cuts, they have lost the ability to do
most interventions in person, but now have to do so via
emails, phone calls and written letters.
Safe Schools Coalition has sent the letter below to
Representatives Ross Hunter, Jeannie Darneille, Pat Sullivan,
Marko Liias, and Sharon Tomiko Santos, and also to Senators Ed
Murray, Lisa Brown, and Derek Kilmer.
If you are a Washington State resident you can call or email
your legislators, especially the ones we listed above, and
explain why the OEO is important on bullying issues, and ask
them to please undo proposed cuts to the OEO in the final
budget.
Call the toll-free Legislative Hotline at 1-800-562-6000 (TTY
1-800-635-9993) to call your legislators and ask them to make
sure these cuts aren't in the final budget.
Note: We are
sharing this item because we believe that it is an issue
Safe Schools Coalition members and friends may be
interested in.
If you have opinion about them, please let your voice be
heard.
------------- This is the letter that Safe Schools Coalition
sent to the legislators:
Dear Senator /
Representative ____,
The Safe Schools Coalition is
aware that cuts to the budget of The Washington State Office
of the Education Ombudsman have been proposed by the House
and Senate. We understand that the House budget proposes a
cut of 5% or $28,000, and the Senate budget proposes a much
larger cut of $320,000.
Because of our work doing
intervention when Washington state students, parents, school
staff and others ask us for assistance when they are
involved in or witness bullying in our schools, we are all
too aware of the consequences when bullying, harassment and
intimidation situations are not handled well and impact a
young person’s ability to learn. Responses of these students
based on fear include, but are not limited to; missing
classes or entire school days, dropping out, being more
likely to abuse drugs or alcohol and making a serious
suicide attempt as a way to escape the very real lack of
safety they experience when bullying is not addressed.
The staff of OEO is made up of
education professionals whose role it is to bring an
impartial perspective - focusing on the best interest and
academic needs of the student involved, advocating for
fairness, helping families and schools examine their roles
and responsibilities, ensuring that laws and policies are
followed, doing mediation and conflict resolution when
appropriate, and working to prevent similar problems in the
future.
This office is the only
government agency with the time, focus and expertise to help
families deal with bullying issues in schools, and by doing
this they are able to prevent situations from escalating
into costly and time consuming lawsuits. With previous cuts,
they have lost the ability to do most interventions in
person, but now have to do so via emails, phone calls and
written letters.
We are opposed to these cuts
because of the vital role that the OEO has in helping
families with students who are dealing with bullying,
harassment and intimidation in our schools.
Please maintain the Office of the
Education Ombudsman funding at current levels, without the
cut as proposed in the budgets. The role the OEO plays in
our state is critical to the safety and well-being of our
youth, the families we serve, and our communities.
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************************************** The
Safe Schools Coalition
is a public-private partnership of 60+ organizations (government
agencies, schools, community agencies, churches, youth/student
groups, gay/lesbian groups, human rights groups) and 100+
individuals working to help schools become safe places where
every family can belong, where every educator can teach, and
where every child can learn, regardless of gender identity or
sexual orientation.
1-877-SAFE-SAFE
(1-877-723-3723) 24 hours a day - the phone line is answered
at the Sexual Assault Hotline and they will have a Safe
Schools Coalition Intervention Specialist volunteer get back
to you within 24 hours. Or contact us by email (click here: Intervention)
http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org/contact/?id=10and we will respond
within 24 hours.
Beth
Reis,
Public Health - Seattle & King County, 206-296-4970 Michelle
Munro,
not representing a member org Mo
Lewis,
King County Sexual Assault Resource Center Matthew
Wilson,
Oasis/Pierce County AIDS Foundation
Co-Secretaries:
Heather
Carter, Youth Suicide
Prevention Program Frank
Couch, Science &
Management of Addictions Foundation Penny
Palmer,
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