PLEASE HELP US PASS AB 1572 (CAMPOS) TO GUARANTEE LOW INCOME YOUTH ACROSS CALIFORNIA ACCESS TO TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM SCHOOL. TOGETHER, WE CAN ELIMINATE THE THREAT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT STOPS, ARRESTS AND FINES; REDUCE SCHOOL LATENESS AND ABSENTEEISM; INCREASE GRADUATION RATES, AND PROVIDE FOR A SAFER TRANSPORTATION ROUTE FOR STUDENTS.
1. PRINT THE LETTER BELOW ON YOUR LETTERHEAD WITH YOUR ORG INFO ADDED – SEE SECTIONS IN RED.
2. SIGN IT AND FAX IT TO CA STATE ASSEMBLY PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE, (916) 319-2187 BY 4PM TODAY.
3. E-MAIL US A COPY AT kim@youth4justice.org, SO WE CAN MAKE SURE YOUR LETTER MADE IT IN.
THANK YOU!!!
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April 7, 2016
The Honorable Patrick O’Donnell
Chair, Assembly Education Committee
1020 N Street, Room 159
Sacramento, California 95814
Fax: (916) 319-2187
Re: Assembly Bill 1572 (Campos) – Support
Dear Chairman O’Donnell:
The NAME OF YOUR ORGANIZATION is honored to be a Co-sponsor of Assembly Bill 1572. Assembly Bill 1572 (Campos) will help increase opportunities for California’s disadvantaged youth by ensuring that children who attend the poorest schools don’t face barriers in getting to school.
Chronic absenteeism rates are a serious problem in California schools. During the 2014-2015 school year. Approximately 8% of all public school students in California missed 18 or more days of school. Research demonstrates that chronic absenteeism – particularly for low-income children – is associated with lower academic performance and greater likelihood of being pushed out of school altogether.
The inability to afford transportation is one of the most frequently cited barriers that low-income youth face in attending school. AB 1572 will help address this issue by guaranteeing safe and free transportation to low-income children in K-12 who have trouble getting to school.
Youth throughout California have been directly impacted by the high costs – both personal and financial – of public transportation to and from school, including the extremely high costs of Metro passes; expensive fines, lost time at school and work for court, and even warrants for unpaid fines resulting in detention; and damage to our education and future employment opportunities when youth miss school.
In a survey the Youth Justice Coalition conducted of more than 3,000 LA County students:
71% report lateness to school due to transportation issues;
23% report having lower grades due to transportation issues;
30% are stopped and questioned by the police on bus or Metro at least once a month;
9% are stopped 4-13 times a month.
44% of those who had missed school said that ALL their absences would have been solved if they had free transportation; and an additional 14.2% said more than half their absences would have been solved by free transportation.
AB 1572 will help prevent low-income and working class students from being pushed out of school, trapped in the cycle of poverty and stuck in the dangerous, underground economy. California needs to enact comprehensive policies to remove structural barriers that keep youth from obtaining an education, such as the lack of adequate transportation.
AB 1572 will give us the essential transportation support needed to improve school success among California’s poorest students. For all of these reasons, NAME OF YOUR ORGANIZATION is honored to be a Co-sponsor of AB 1572 and urges your “yes vote.”
Sincerely,
Your Signature
Your Name and Title
#FREELA #TransportationIsARight #EndTheSchool2Jailtrack
