Title: COALITION FOR HEALTHIER SCHOOLS: Providing the forum for school environmental health
Author:
Section/SPIG: Environment
Issue Date:
From:
CHILDREN'S ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH NETWORK
NATIONAL PTA
AMERICAN PUBLIC HEALTH ASSOCIATION
HEALTHY SCHOOLS NETWORK
GROUPS DEMAND CONGRESS, BUSH HELP FIX SCHOOL FACILITIES, REDUCE IMPACTS ON CHILDREN
APRIL 19, 2004: National Healthy Schools Day
1. (Monday, April 19, Washington, D.C.) The National PTA, Healthy Schools Network, Children's Environmental Health Network, and APHA, in concert with scores of organizations representing millions of parents and school employees, today called upon members of Congress and President Bush to address the impacts of decayed and environmentally contaminated schools on child health and learning. April 19, 2004 is National Healthy Schools Day and marks the start of National School Building Week.
"Every single day millions of children attend schools whose contaminated conditions harm health and undermine learning. Congress and The Administration know that healthier facilities have better outcomes, yet have failed to invest in key programs to help the nation's 53 million children enrolled in 115,000 schools," said Claire Barnett, Executive Director, Healthy Schools Network,
National PTA President Linda Hodge added, "National PTA believes that every child deserves to learn in a healthy environment and that improving the quality of the school environment will have a significant impact on student academic achievement."
Daniel Swartz, Executive Director, Children's Environmental Health Network, raising questions about illnesses and disabilities, asked, "With asthma the leading cause of school absenteeism and rates of learning disabilities skyrocketing, why can the federal government not help schools understand that environmental factors are playing an increasing role in child development and provide schools with funds to fix health hazards or to engineer better facilities?"
In Washington, the national Coalition wrote to Congress and to President Bush, saying, (excerpt):
"We cannot compel children to attend schools that make them sick; we must provide the renovation and construction funds to ensure that every child has a healthy school. We ask that you:
- Demand that the US Department of Education submit to you the long-overdue Study of National Significance on the impacts of decayed schools;
- Fund the Healthy, High Performance Schools program at $25 million a year;
Expand funding for US Environmental Protection Agency's "IAQ Tools for Schools" and "Design Tools for Schools" programs;
- Support federal funds for repairing and for constructing schools; and,
- Pass the School Environmental Protection Act (SEPA) that requires schools to minimize the use toxic pest control products around children."
Speaking for APHA, Executive Director Georges Benjamin, MD, FACP, added, "The environmental condition of America's schools and the impacts on children, especially low-income children, is a priority for us. Public health must not stop at the schoolhouse door. Should the poorest children and the highest risk learners have to beg for repair funds?"
The national ad hoc Coalition for Healthier Schools, coordinated by Healthy Schools Network, has supported federal funds and policies to improve school buildings. Congress has not renewed $1 billion for repairs, nor funded the Healthy, High Performance Schools program; the Education Department has not sent a long-overdue report to Congress on a National Priority Study on facilities and children authorized in 2002.
Activities around the country to build awareness of facility issues illustrate that local schools can adopt healthier practices and that even high-needs districts are scrambling to put 'healthy, high performance' school building standards into place. Federal support would speed needed changes. A list of activities from coast to coast, including school tours and community-based groups commending schools and policy makers in twelve states for steps towards healthier schools, is appended below in 2.
For more information:
HSN, Claire L. Barnett, (518) 573-5878
CEHN, Daniel Swartz, (202) 543-4033
PTA, Courtney Snowden, (202) 289-6790
APHA, Donald Hoppert, (202) 777-2514
2. THE FOLLOWING STATE-BY-STATE ACTIVITIES SHOW WIDE SUPPORT, NEED FOR HEALTHIER SCHOOLS
Arizona: Tucson school hosts tour to demonstrate to parents, community, and students merits of nontoxic interior paints and healthy maintenance practices. Ian Ornstein, (520) 628-1553.
California: Moraga parents praise local district for adopting green cleaning and for remediating arsenic-treated equipment to protect the well-being of Moraga children. Tony Randazzo, Moraga School District, (925) 376-4151. The Healthy Children Organizing Project congratulates the San Francisco Unified School District for adopting 'high performance school' design standards to improve the indoor air quality in its schools as it allocates newly approved $295 million for construction. Neil Gendel, (415) 777-9648.
Connecticut: Foundation for Environmentally Safe Schools sends national Position Statement to all members of Connecticut General Assembly, highlights connection between federal and state reforms, urges careful attention to landmark Indoor Air Quality legislation passed last year. Joellen Lawson, (203) 426-2954.
Illinois: Illinois Healthy Schools Campaign honors Chicago Public Schools for leadership in High Performance School design and other measures to promote healthier schools. Mark Bishop, (312) 593-5931.
Maryland: PTA Council of Howard County celebrates successful introduction of the School Environment Team (SET) Program into 24 schools, looks forward to phase-in of SET into all 69 schools, and the program as a role model for other Maryland schools. Veronika Carella, Chair, Health & Environmental Issues Committee/PTACHC, (410) 489-5495.
Massachusetts: Mass. PTA and Mass. Committee on Occupational Safety and Health support "Healthy Cleaning Products" legislation that will reduce the toxicity of products routinely used in schools, day care, and other locations, and endorse national Position Statement. Ellie Goldberg, (617) 965-9637, M-PTA; Tolle Graham, (617) 291-7763 or (617) 825-7233 ext. 19, MassCOSH.
Maine: Sponsoring groups, including American Lung Association of Maine and state agencies, highlight a South Portland school piloting the "Safe and Healthy School Team" as a new facility management system designed to prevent 'sick' schools. Ginny Mott, (207) 738-2180.
New Jersey: The NJ Work Environment Council, with labor and environment allies, commend the NJ Department of Health and Senior Services for convening the first ad hoc healthy schools state interagency meeting this spring and urge continued cooperation by the NJ Schools Construction Corporation and the state departments of Community Affairs, Education, Environmental Protection, and Labor. Jim Young, (973) 233-1946
New York State: Healthy schools advocates send new report on science and policy for High Performance Schools to policy-makers as Legislators pass joint Resolution proclaiming April 19 Healthy Schools Day; press conference in State Capitol commends bipartisan bills on banning mercury and ensuring children's health. Stephen Boese, (518) 462-1426.
Oregon: Oregon Environmental Council praises the Oregon Department of Education and the local schools in Salem-Keizer, Beaverton, and Portland for efforts to reduce diesel emissions by reducing idling, as well as retrofits and use of low-sulfur diesel; urges more resources to speed retrofits and up-grades. Laura Weiss, (503) 222-1963 ext. 111.
Virginia: "Green TC" and the community celebrate $80,000,000 TC Williams High School renovation to begin this summer that is on track for a LEED 'green' building rating. David Peabody, (703) 684-1986.
Washington State: Parent expert and state representative urge Governor and State Department of Health to correct school drinking water quality regulations to address lead and other contaminants. Dr. Mark S. Cooper, (206) 683-4182, State Rep. Maralyn Chase, 360-786-7880. State of Washington Education Association becomes first NEA local in nation this spring to form 'healthy schools' caucus. Chip Halverson, (509) 454-1848 or Art Busch, (509) 452-6559.
National Coalition participants: American Association on Mental Retardation * American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees * Alliance for Healthy Homes * American Lung Association * American Public Health Association * Beyond Pesticides * Center for Health Environment and Justice * Children's Health Environmental Coalition * Children's Environmental Health Network * Connecticut Foundation for Environmentally Safe Schools * Environmental Defense * Funders Forum on Environment and Education * Healthy Kids: The Key to Basics (MA) Healthy Schools Network * Illinois Healthy Schools Campaign * Improving Kids Environment (IN) Institute for Children's Environmental Health * League of Conservation Voters * Learning Disabilities Association of America * Marin Golden Gate Learning Disabilities Association (CA) * Massachusetts Healthy Schools Network * National Center for Environmental Health Strategies * National Education Association * National Education Association/Health Information Network * National Environmental Education and Training Foundation * National PTA * Natural Resources Defense Council * New Jersey Work Environment Council * New Jersey Environmental Federation * Oregon Environmental Council * Physicians for Social Responsibility * Public Education Network * Stuyvesant High School Parents Association (NY, NY) * Twenty-first Century Schools Fund * State of Washington Healthy Schools Roundtable * West Harlem Environmental Action
And,
American Lung Association of Maine
American Occupational Therapy Association, Bethesda, MD
Apollo Alliance for Good Jobs & Energy Independence, Washington, DC
Boston Urban Asthma Coalition, MA
Buckeye Environmental Network, Grove City, OH
Californians for Alternatives to Toxics, Eureka, CA
Cancer Prevention Coalition of Los Angeles, Malibu, CA
Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program/MI Dept. of Community Health
Citizens Environmental Coalition, Albany, NY
Clean Air Council, Philadelphia, Pa
Coalition to End Childhood Lead Poisoning, Baltimore, MD
Coalition for Environmentally Safe Communities, Rockville, MD
Community Toolbox for Children's Environmental Health, CAL
Connecticut Education Association
EcoSchools USA, San Francisco, CA
Education Law Center, Newark, NJ
Embracing Your Life, LLC, Louisville, KY
Environmental Advocates of New York State
Environmental Health Watch, Cleveland, OH
Fulton (NY) IAQ Task Force
Greater Newark Conservancy, NJ
Healthy Building Network, Washington, DC
Healthy-Communications.com
Healthy Children's Organizing Project/Consumer Action, San Francisco, CA
Healthy Homes Network of Greater Kansas City
Health Impact, Seattle, WA
Healthy Living Foundation, Jupiter, FL
Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health, Chicago, IL
Informed Choices, Slidell, LA
Isles, Inc., Trenton, NJ
Jordan Institute, Inc., Concord, NH
Kids for Saving Earth, MN
League of Conservation Voters of New York State
League of Conservation Voters, Washington, DC
Learning Disabilities Association of Maine
Literacy for Environmental Justice, San Francisco, CA
Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education, Westminster, MD
Massachusetts Association for the Chemically Injured
Massachusetts Association of Special Education Parent Advisory Councils, Sharon, MA
Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health
Massachusetts PTA
Mississippi 2020 Network, Jackson MS
Montana Environmental Information Center
National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities, Washington, DC
National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, Cherry Hill, NJ
New Jersey Citizen Action
New York State Association of School Nurses
New York State United Teachers
Ohio Help End Lead Poisoning (Ohio HELP)
Ohio Fair Schools Campaign, Athens, OH
Parents for Nontoxic Alternatives, Washington, DC
Partnership Effort for the Advancement of Children's Health (PEACH), Durham, NC
PublicsRightToKnow, Malibu, CA
R&D Supply, Inc., Auburn, WA
ReSource for Health, Louisville, KY
Safe Minds, Tyrone, GA
Safer Pest Control Project, Chicago, IL
Shaw Middle School, Philadelphia, PA
South Bronx (NY) Clean Air Coalition
Toxics Information Project (TIP, Providence, RI
Trenton (NJ) Coalition for Healthy Schools
Turtle Clan Environment Testing, Inc., Stratford, CT
Washington (State) Education Association/Healthy Schools Caucus
Weare Advocacy, Weare, NH
Western New York Council on Occupational Safety and Health, Buffalo, NY
_______________________________________
Claire L. Barnett, Executive Director
Healthy Schools Network, Inc.
Coordinator, Coalition for Healthier Schools
www.healthyschools.org
t. (518) 462-0632, (212) 482-0204