Skip to main content
New York

New York Teach For America Endorses the Safe Schools Improvement Act

Teach For America endorses the Safe Schools Improvement Act, a bipartisan bill, because every student needs a safe place to learn in order to succeed at school.

“Every child deserves a safe place to learn, and schools and school districts must put an end to harassment and bullying,” said Elisa Villanueva Beard, Teach For America co-CEO. “Through our work, Teach For America has long been committed to safety, fairness, and dignity for all students, and it is time for Congress to stand up for those same protections.  Bullying for any reason is unacceptable.”

The legislation would require school districts receiving federal funds to adopt codes of conduct specifically prohibiting bullying and harassment, including conduct based on a student’s actual or perceived race, color, national origin, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or religion.

“Parents and local communities deserve to know what is going on in their schools. By requiring states to collect and report data on incidents of bullying and harassment, students can feel confident that they can be themselves, they are supported, and they are able to reach their full potential,” said Matt Kramer, co-CEO of Teach For America.

About Teach For America

Teach For America works in partnership with communities to expand educational opportunity for children facing the challenges of poverty. Founded in 1990, Teach For America recruits and develops a diverse corps of outstanding college graduates and professionals to make an initial two-year commitment to teach in high-need schools and become lifelong leaders in the movement to end educational inequity. Today, 10,600 corps members are teaching in 50 urban and rural regions across the country while more than 37,000 alumni work across sectors to ensure that all children have access to an excellent education. For more information, visit www.teachforamerica.org and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.