This Week's News: Youth in Transition

Education

State must play stronger role in education reform
Detroit News – February 12, 2007
Just 10 years ago, Michigan students significantly out-performed the national average on achievement. Today, their performance is barely average compared with other states—and fails miserably compared to other countries. Experts and activists agree the state must take the lead on improving student performance by providing more guidance on instructional methods, and addressing school structures and educators who resist reforms.

Vouchers pushed in fight to prevent dropouts
San Antonio Express – February 13, 2007
Former U.S. Education Secretary Rod Paige touted school vouchers Monday as one way to address the state’s dropout issues, which a new study suggests will cost Texas taxpayers $377 million a year just for the 120,000 students expected not to graduate with the 2007 high school class.

“No Child” Commission Presents Ambitious Plan
The Washington Post – February 14, 2007
A commission proposed a wide-reaching expansion of the No Child Left Behind law yesterday requiring schools to ensure that all seniors are proficient in reading and math and hold schools accountable for raising test scores in science by 2014.

Juvenile Justice

Caucus confronts juvenile justice
Times Union – February 18, 2007
Immigration and gang violence were among the weighty topics discussed at the state Legislative Office Building during the annual gathering of black and Hispanic politicians. One workshop focused on the increase of young women in the juvenile justice system, and the challenges that presents to academics and those charged with helping the troubled youngsters.

Guilford shackles all juvenile offenders
Star-News – February 17, 2008
Unlike adult inmates, all juvenile offenders in Guilford County courts are shackled under a policy aimed at preventing children and teenagers from running away from guards. The policy is being challenged by Legal Aid of North Carolina, which said that requirement is illegal because the leg restraints aren’t used on adults without a judge’s order. The organization filed a motion last week with Chief District Court Judge Joseph E. Turner, citing psychologists who said the practice has adverse effects on children.


Youth & Consequences: a time to learn
The Valley – February 18, 2007
Dozens of youth and adults attended the workshop sponsored by the Youngstown Police Department and the Martin P. Joyce Juvenile Justice Center. A main goal of the four-hour program was helping to reduce violent crimes in the city that are committed by youngsters; it was also designed to show young people that there are alternatives to violence and consequences for making poor choices, organizers said.


Foster Care

Foster Children Grieve For Many Losses
The Post-Journal – February 18, 2007
Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteers meet regularly to share experiences and learn procedures and approaches that will help them befriend and understand their assigned foster children. The first thing learned was that grieving does not necessarily involve a death. “It is impossible to be a foster child and not experience grief”, said Dawn Comstock.

Adoption agency builds rainbow of families
Bay Area Reporter – February 15, 2007
At the forefront of the family evolution locally is Family Builders by Adoption. Now in its 30th year, the $2.5 million dollar foster care and adoption agency is expanding at lightning speed with the goal of finding homes for more than 77,500 youth in foster care in California. Family Builders is recognized as a leader in LGBT and older-children foster care and adoption.

Rally targets proposed aid cut for young adults in foster care
The Providence Journal – February 14, 2007Providence—If the General Assembly approves the budget as proposed, 857 young adults will be on their own come July 1. Those young adults have grown up in state care, in most cases because the state Department of Children, Youth and Families determined that their parents were unfit to care for them. They are over 18, but have been able to continue receiving state services—and living in foster care, group home or apartments with the state’s help paying the rent – as long as they are enrolled in college, in some cases through age 23. But that could change come July 1, if lawmakers approve ending services to this group at age 18, across the board, as a budget-balancing measure.