Karen Pittman Testifies on the Whole Child & ESEA Reauthorization

On Thursday, April 22nd, Karen Pittman participated in a roundtable discussion held by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee (HELP) titled “ESEA Reauthorization: Meeting the Needs of the Whole Student.” The purpose of the hearing was to discuss ways that federal policy can support efforts to address the needs of the whole student, since students who are healthy, safe, and engaged in learning are more likely to succeed.

At the outset of the hearing, Chairman Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) reiterated the need to look at the broad array of supports and services for young people and to build the capacity where we see "very successful patterns" in order to support every element of the student. Karen presented the vision of an “insulated educational pipeline,” and recommended that the reauthorization of ESEA: (1) broaden the definition of student outcomes; (2) formalize and support the roles of families and community organizations; and (3) focus on improving both the content and context of student learning.

In this new roundtable hearing format, panelists provide a brief excerpt of their testimony while the majority of the time is dedicated to discussion. Karen spoke succinctly to many of the Senators' questions and made several points in tandem with other panelists, including Geoffrey Canada, CEO of the Harlem Children's Zone, Anne Henderson from the Annenberg Institute for School Reform, and Dan Cardinali, President of Communities in Schools. In both her initial comments and subsequent answers, Karen provided clear and actionable recommendations to the Senators and kept the insulated education pipeline model at the center of conversation. Several of Karen’s recommendations were referenced by the Senators and her fellow panelists throughout the two hour hearing.

Upon Chairman Harkin's question on how schools might handle the increased workload that comes with addressing the whole student (e.g., expanding the school day, broadening outcome areas beyond academics), Karen emphasized the role of partnerships between schools and community organizations that serve young people and that schools alone should not bear the responsibility of supporting the whole child. Karen also emphasized the need for both early and sustained investments in young people. While many Members of the Committee recognize the significance of investments in early childhood, Karen's remarks on sustaining investments brought the quintessential youth development perspective to the table.

Upon the request of the HELP Committee, the Forum is preparing detailed legislative comments on how to address the existing "No Child Left Behind" legislation (now known commonly as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act or ESEA) using a whole child approach. These comments will be available on the Forum's website on Friday, May 7.

Be sure to check out the Senate video of the proceedings here: http://help.senate.gov/hearings/hearing/?id=f3ea2006-5056-9502-5dbd-7fbf...

You can hear Karen's responses to questions at the following time-stamps: 28:00, 58:00-61:00, 86:00, 122:00.