Monthly Archives: June 2016

House Bill 307 w/HA 1 (Teacher Reimbursement) was signed into law

House Bill 307 w/HA 1 was signed into law on June 9, 2016. This bill provides a reimbursement upon the applicant becoming a teacher in a Delaware public school. Below is a little background information about the original House Bill 146 which was signed into law last July 2015.

In 2015, I sponsored  House Bill 146, which enacted the one-time fee of no more than $100 for an educator’s first license in Delaware, House Bill 146.   Delaware was one of only a few states that did not charge a fee for educator licensure or for certifications.  Delaware processed approximately 10,000 applications for licensure and certification each year, in addition to other processing requests for current educators, such as plus credits.  Because of reciprocity agreements and the lack of license fees in our state, the Department of Education processes approximately one to two thousand applications per year from applicants outside of the State of Delaware who do not become employed here.  Establishing a $100 fee for new licenses will help deter applicants who apply because of the lack of cost and with the intent to seek reciprocity elsewhere.  This will reduce the processing burden and allow the licensure office to better serve the needs of Delaware’s educators.

 

House Bill 292 (Child Abuse Hotline) was signed into law

House Bill 292 was signed into law on June 9, 2016. This bill requires schools to post the toll-free telephone report line number for child abuse and neglect in a conspicuous location, where it may be viewed by students.

This legislation came from a woman from Texas who was molested as a child by family members. She has been working throughout the United States to pass similar legislation in every state. So far – Alaska, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Virginia and West Virginians have passed this law or one similar to it.   Alabama, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Louisiana, New Jersey,  New York, Rhode Island, and Tennessee have introduced the legislation.

Below is what she originally had sent to me asking if I would be willing to help. When I read her story, it broke my heart thinking about this young child being molested by her family – the very ones who were to protect her.

Today, schools are teaching students to report “acts of violence.”  As a child, I was molested by multiple males I am related to.  If I had been asked if I had endured an “act of violence” it would not have been on my radar.  I did not consider the molestation or even the rape I endured as an “act of violence” because the perpetrators were family. I mistook the emotions they exhibited during the assaults as a show of affection for me.  I reported the abuse to my mother–who chose not to protect me. Other adults in the family made the decision not help me.  I kept the secret while in school because of shame and I was warned not to tell.

As an adult my internal dialog told me that since my own mother wouldn’t help me-didn’t love me-how could anyone else so I kept my secret until I was in my mid-fifties.  I am now using my secret as a testimony to encourage legislators to pass legislation on behalf of students who are currently being molested by posting the toll free child abuse hotline telephone number in schools where students will view it every day.

Teachers are mandated reporters in Texas. If a teacher had suspected I was being molested I am confident they would not have reported it due to who my family was.  It was common knowledge in the small conservative town I was raised in that my great-grandparents organized the first church in town of any denomination.  I have talked to school employees who suspected a student was being abuse but didn’t report it. You can’t depend on teachers to recognize all students who are being molested or to report all cases.

What I do know is this, if I had of gone to school every day and seen a toll-free child abuse hotline I would have known automatically that there was someone on the other end of that telephone who wanted to help me.  I would have called it for help, the sexual abuse would have stopped, and I would have done better in school and sought a higher education.

Texas schools were required to post the child abuse hotline number prior to my law.  In my research I discovered the number was being posted in areas where students would not view it.  I found the number in teacher’s lounge, in the student handbook, in the entry way of the administrator’s office in lettering so small it was difficult to read, and one school had the number posted so high on the wall it was touching the ceiling…thus the language of the law.

Now public and open enrollment charter schools in Texas are required to post on all campus, in a clearly visible location, in a public area of the school that is readily accessible to students, a sign in English and Spanish posted 11 x 17 or larger, at student eye level, containing the toll-free child abuse hotline telephone number operated by the Department of Family and protective Services, instructions to call 911 in cases of emergencies and direction to www.txabuse.org.  (Texas Education Agency determined the size and location of the poster.)

To the woman in Texas, thank you for advocating for those who do not have a voice.  Thank you for all the work you are doing to protect children.

 

University of Delaware will change their policy regarding state-funded merit-based scholarships

I received an email last October from a parent whose child was attending the University of Delaware. The child was a freshman and in 2010 the student was awarded the Michael C Ferguson scholarship (a state-funded merit-based scholarship) in the amount of $1,000. The student wanted the scholarship to be split into two $500 increments for Fall and Spring semesters to cover books. The university’s policy was to include the Michael C Ferguson and Diamond State Scholarships when deciding how much need-based financial aid a Delaware student would receive. If the incoming Delaware student received one or both of these scholarships, that student’s need-based financial aid was reduced.

I reached out to the University of Delaware to see what could be done to change this policy. Over the last six months , we continued to have conversations around a possible solution.

Below, is a letter I received from the University of Delaware. I appreciate the university’s willingness to work with me to find a solution to this issue. Thank you to the parent who took the time to write to me. By writing to me, you brought an issue to my attention which was resolved. The resolution did not help this student, but it will help future Delaware students.