Sen. Christopher Belt

Filed: 5/11/2021

 

 


 

 


 
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1
AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 2088

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 2088 by replacing
3everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4    "Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section
522-90 as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/22-90)
7    (Section scheduled to be repealed on February 1, 2023)
8    Sec. 22-90. Whole Child Task Force.
9    (a) The General Assembly makes all of the following
10findings:
11        (1) The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed systemic
12    inequities in American society. Students, educators, and
13    families throughout this State have been deeply affected
14    by the pandemic, and the impact of the pandemic will be
15    felt for years to come. The negative consequences of the
16    pandemic have impacted students and communities

 

 

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1    differently along the lines of race, income, language, and
2    special needs. However, students in this State faced
3    significant unmet physical health, mental health, and
4    social and emotional needs even prior to the pandemic.
5        (2) The path to recovery requires a commitment from
6    adults in this State to address our students cultural,
7    physical, emotional, and mental health needs and to
8    provide them with stronger and increased systemic support
9    and intervention.
10        (3) It is well documented that trauma and toxic stress
11    diminish a child's ability to thrive. Forms of childhood
12    trauma and toxic stress include adverse childhood
13    experiences, systemic racism, poverty, food and housing
14    insecurity, and gender-based violence. The COVID-19
15    pandemic has exacerbated these issues and brought them
16    into focus.
17        (4) It is estimated that, overall, approximately 40%
18    of children in this State have experienced at least one
19    adverse childhood experience and approximately 10% have
20    experienced 3 or more adverse childhood experiences.
21    However, the number of adverse childhood experiences is
22    higher for Black and Hispanic children who are growing up
23    in poverty. The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the number
24    of students who have experienced childhood trauma. Also,
25    the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted preexisting
26    inequities in school disciplinary practices that

 

 

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1    disproportionately impact Black and Brown students.
2    Research shows, for example, that girls of color are
3    disproportionately impacted by trauma, adversity, and
4    abuse, and instead of receiving the care and
5    trauma-informed support they may need, many Black girls in
6    particular face disproportionately harsh disciplinary
7    measures.
8        (5) The cumulative effects of trauma and toxic stress
9    adversely impact the physical health of students, as well
10    as their ability to learn, form relationships, and
11    self-regulate. If left unaddressed, these effects increase
12    a student's risk for depression, alcoholism, anxiety,
13    asthma, smoking, and suicide, all of which are risks that
14    disproportionately affect Black youth and may lead to a
15    host of medical diseases as an adult. Access to infant and
16    early childhood mental health services is critical to
17    ensure the social and emotional well-being of this State's
18    youngest children, particularly those children who have
19    experienced trauma.
20        (6) Although this State enacted measures through
21    Public Act 100-105 to address the high rate of early care
22    and preschool expulsions of infants, toddlers, and
23    preschoolers and the disproportionately higher rate of
24    expulsion for Black and Hispanic children, a recent study
25    found a wide variation in the awareness, understanding,
26    and compliance with the law by providers of early

 

 

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1    childhood care. Further work is needed to implement the
2    law, which includes providing training to early childhood
3    care providers to increase their understanding of the law,
4    increasing the availability and access to infant and early
5    childhood mental health services, and building aligned
6    data collection systems to better understand expulsion
7    rates and to allow for accurate reporting as required by
8    the law.
9        (7) Many educators and schools in this State have
10    embraced and implemented evidenced-based restorative
11    justice and trauma-responsive and culturally relevant
12    practices and interventions. However, the use of these
13    interventions on students is often isolated or is
14    implemented occasionally and only if the school has the
15    appropriate leadership, resources, and partners available
16    to engage seriously in this work. It would be malpractice
17    to deny our students access to these practices and
18    interventions, especially in the aftermath of a
19    once-in-a-century pandemic.
20    (b) The Whole Child Task Force is created for the purpose
21of establishing an equitable, inclusive, safe, and supportive
22environment in all schools for every student in this State.
23The task force shall have all of the following goals, which
24means key steps have to be taken to ensure that every child in
25every school in this State has access to teachers, social
26workers, school leaders, support personnel, and others who

 

 

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1have been trained in evidenced-based interventions and
2restorative practices:
3        (1) To create a common definition of a
4    trauma-responsive school, a trauma-responsive district,
5    and a trauma-responsive community.
6        (2) To outline the training and resources required to
7    create and sustain a system of support for
8    trauma-responsive schools, districts, and communities and
9    to identify this State's role in that work, including
10    recommendations concerning options for redirecting
11    resources from school resource officers to classroom-based
12    support.
13        (3) To identify or develop a process to conduct an
14    analysis of the organizations that provide training in
15    restorative practices, implicit bias, anti-racism, and
16    trauma-responsive systems, mental health services, and
17    social and emotional services to schools.
18        (4) To provide recommendations concerning the key data
19    to be collected and reported to ensure that this State has
20    a full and accurate understanding of the progress toward
21    ensuring that all schools, including programs and
22    providers of care to pre-kindergarten children, employ
23    restorative, anti-racist, and trauma-responsive
24    strategies and practices. The data collected must include
25    information relating to the availability of trauma
26    responsive support structures in schools as well as

 

 

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1    disciplinary practices employed on students in person or
2    through other means, including during remote or blended
3    learning. It should also include information on the use
4    of, and funding for, school resource officers and other
5    similar police personnel in school programs.
6        (5) To recommend an implementation timeline, including
7    the key roles, responsibilities, and resources to advance
8    this State toward a system in which every school,
9    district, and community is progressing toward becoming
10    trauma-responsive.
11        (6) To seek input and feedback from stakeholders,
12    including parents, students, and educators, who reflect
13    the diversity of this State.
14        (7) To recommend legislation, policies, and practices
15    to prevent learning loss in students during periods of
16    suspension and expulsion, including, but not limited to,
17    remote instruction.
18    (c) Members of the Whole Child Task Force shall be
19appointed by the State Superintendent of Education. Members of
20this task force must represent the diversity of this State and
21possess the expertise needed to perform the work required to
22meet the goals of the task force set forth under subsection
23(a). Members of the task force shall include all of the
24following:
25        (1) One member of a statewide professional teachers'
26    organization.

 

 

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1        (2) One member of another statewide professional
2    teachers' organization.
3        (3) One member who represents a school district
4    serving a community with a population of 500,000 or more.
5        (4) One member of a statewide organization
6    representing social workers.
7        (5) One member of an organization that has specific
8    expertise in trauma-responsive school practices and
9    experience in supporting schools in developing
10    trauma-responsive and restorative practices.
11        (6) One member of another organization that has
12    specific expertise in trauma-responsive school practices
13    and experience in supporting schools in developing
14    trauma-responsive and restorative practices.
15        (7) One member of a statewide organization that
16    represents school administrators.
17        (8) One member of a statewide policy organization that
18    works to build a healthy public education system that
19    prepares all students for a successful college, career,
20    and civic life.
21        (9) One member of a statewide organization that brings
22    teachers together to identify and address issues critical
23    to student success.
24        (10) One member of the General Assembly recommended by
25    the President of the Senate.
26        (11) One member of the General Assembly recommended by

 

 

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1    the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
2        (12) One member of the General Assembly recommended by
3    the Minority Leader of the Senate.
4        (13) One member of the General Assembly recommended by
5    the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.
6        (14) One member of a civil rights organization that
7    works actively on issues regarding student support.
8        (15) One administrator from a school district that has
9    actively worked to develop a system of student support
10    that uses a trauma-informed lens.
11        (16) One educator from a school district that has
12    actively worked to develop a system of student support
13    that uses a trauma-informed lens.
14        (17) One member of a youth-led organization.
15        (18) One member of an organization that has
16    demonstrated expertise in restorative practices.
17        (19) One member of a coalition of mental health and
18    school practitioners who assist schools in developing and
19    implementing trauma-informed and restorative strategies
20    and systems.
21        (20) One member of an organization whose mission is to
22    promote the safety, health, and economic success of
23    children, youth, and families in this State.
24        (21) One member who works or has worked as a
25    restorative justice coach or disciplinarian.
26        (22) One member who works or has worked as a social

 

 

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1    worker.
2        (23) One member of the State Board of Education.
3        (24) One member who represents a statewide principals'
4    organization.
5        (25) One member who represents a statewide
6    organization of school boards.
7        (26) One member who has expertise in pre-kindergarten
8    education.
9        (27) One member who represents a school social worker
10    association.
11        (28) One member who represents an organization that
12    represents school districts in both the south suburbs and
13    collar counties.
14        (29) One member who is a licensed clinical
15    psychologist who (A) has a doctor of philosophy in the
16    field of clinical psychology and has an appointment at an
17    independent free-standing children's hospital located in
18    Chicago, (B) serves as associate professor at a medical
19    school located in Chicago, and (C) serves as the clinical
20    director of a coalition of voluntary collaboration of
21    organizations that are committed to applying a trauma lens
22    to their efforts on behalf of families and children in the
23    State.
24        (30) One member who represents a west suburban school
25    district.
26    (d) The Whole Child Task Force shall meet at the call of

 

 

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1the State Superintendent of Education or his or her designee,
2who shall serve as as the chairperson. The State Board of
3Education shall provide administrative and other support to
4the task force. Members of the task force shall serve without
5compensation.
6    (e) The Whole Child Task Force shall submit a report of its
7findings and recommendations to the General Assembly, the
8Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, the State Board of
9Education, and the Governor on or before February 1, 2022.
10Upon submitting its report, the task force is dissolved.
11    (f) This Section is repealed on February 1, 2023.
12(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)".