On Thur., April 15, a subcommittee of the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee will begin hearings on banning school corporal punishment. If you agree that the United States needs to join 100 other nations that have already banned this ineffective practice, please contact one of the following:
Write Representative Carolyn McCarthy, Subcommittee Chair, Ranking Member Representative Todd “Russell” Platts and committee members. Thank Representative McCarthy for sponsoring the bill, ask all subcommittee members to support a ban on school corporal punishment and tell them why it should be banned. See arguments and contact information below. Ask the Chair and Ranking Member to copy all committee members on your letter or write them individually.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Honorable Carolyn McCarthy (D)
2346 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-5516 (202) 225-5516
Fax: (202) 225-5758
Constituent Email: http://forms.house.gov/mccarthy/contact.shtml D-NY 4th District
Honorable Todd Platts
2455 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-5836 (202) 225-5836
Fax: (202) 226-1000
Constituent Email: http://www.house.gov/platts/email.shtml R-PA l9th District
Representative George Miller, the House Education and Labor Committee Chair, is a member of the subcommittee hearing the bill. His email accepts messages from all states, not just his constituents:
Honorable George Miller
2205 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
phone: 202-225-2095 202-225-2095
fax: 202-225-560905 Rayburn House Office Building
http://georgemiller.house.gov/contactus/2007/08/post_1.html
Contact information for committee members:
Please be sure to contact members from your state. If you do not know your district, please go to http://www.congress.org/ Type in your zip code under “get involved.”
U.S. House Education and Labor Subcommittee on Healthy Families and Communities Contact Information: go to these sites to find regular office mail addresses:
Republicans:
Honorable Russell Platts: http://www.house.gov/platts/email.shtml R-PA l9th District
Honorable Buck McKeon: http://mckeon.house.gov/lets_talk.shtml R-CA 25th District
Honorable Brett Guthrie: http://guthrie.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=117§iontree=4,117 R-KY 02 District
Honorable David P. Roe: https://forms.house.gov/roe/webforms/contact.html R-TN 01 District
Honorable Glen “GT” Thomson: https://forms.house.gov/thompson/contact-form.shtml R-PA 5th District
Democrats
Honorable Yvette Clarke
http://clarke.house.gov/contact/contact-us-form.shtml (D NY-11)
Honorable Bobby Scott
http://www.bobbyscott.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=272&Itemid=60 (D VA-03)
Honorable Carol Shea-Porter
http://forms.house.gov/shea-porter/webform/issue_subscribe.htm (D NH -01)
Honorable Paul Tonko
http://tonko.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=3§iontree=3 (D-NY-21)
Honorable Jared Polis
http://polis.house.gv/Contact/ ( D CO-02)
Honorable Judy Chu
http://chu.house.gov/contact/index.shtml (D CA-32)
FACTS ABOUT AND ARGUMENTS FOR BANNING SCHOOL CORPORAL PUNISHMENT:
In 2006-07, over 223,000 students were paddled in US schools; that’s over 1200 paddlings a day. US Department of Education Office of Civil Rights Study:
http://www.stophitting.com/index.php?page=statesbanning
Sources for the following information can be found at:
http://www.stophitting.com/index.php?page=atschool-main or under (laws)
http://www.stophitting.com/index.php?page=laws-main
· Corporal punishment is linked to poorer academic achievement.
- Physical injuries occur. Welts and bruises frequently occur as well as other injuries requiring medical treatment.
- Psychological injury may occur that adversely affects learning and attitudes toward teachers and others in authority.
- Litigation against school boards and educators because of paddling injuries is not uncommon.
- Corporal punishment teaches children that physical violence is an acceptable way to solve problems.
- Better alternatives exist.
- Corporal punishment is disproportionately used on poor children, children with disabilities, minorities and boys.
- States have already determined corporal punishment is harmful. In almost all states it is banned in childcare, foster care and institutions for children. It should be banned in schools too.
- More than 50 national organizations oppose the use of school corporal punishment. These include the National Education Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Bar Association, the American Medical Association, and the American Psychological Association.
- Over twenty African American leaders have signed a proclamation opposing it.
§ Corporal punishment is illegal in schools in over l00 countries in the world.