releases: https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=8ef62675-686f-45db-9e57-471e484a902c
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=8ef62675-686f-45db-9e57-471e484a902c | Heitkamp Leads Bipartisan Group of 19 Senators in Urging the Protection of Resources Supporting Native Student Academic Success | 2015-11-05 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today, in partnership with Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, led a bipartisan group of 19 Senators in urging congressional leaders to protect critical resources and reforms for Native American students as part of the final agreement to reauthorize the nations elementary and secondary education reform law. The senators pressed Republican and Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives and Senate to protect provisions Heitkamp fought for in the Every Child Achieves Act (ECAA) the Senates legislation to reform K-12 education that would update the outdated No Child Left Behind Act. Senate and House leaders are currently negotiating a final version of the bill. In the bill, which the Senate passed this summer, Heitkamp helped include crucial provisions promoting equal access to educational opportunities for students living on tribal lands. Specifically, her legislation would make sure public school systems have access to programs, activities and support services to help prevent human trafficking, suicide and discrimination, as well as resources to fight bullying and provide trauma-informed teaching. Every child should have the opportunity to thrive, but too often our Native children are forgotten, said Heitkamp. Today, were asking our colleagues in Congress, who are working on a final deal on the education bill I helped pass this summer, to make sure this country lives up to its trust responsibility to Native youth. By maintaining key protections and resources to help combat suicide, human trafficking, and trauma that children in tribal communities often face and which I fought for in this bill, as well as boosting Native language programs and tribal self-determination, which must be maintained so we can to make sure every Native student has the chance to achieve. I am proud to again help lead a bipartisan effort to strengthen how our schools, tribes, and tribal organizations work together to advance Alaska Native and Native American students preparation for adulthood, said Murkowski.I was proud to help craft provisions in the Every Child Achieves Act that will benefit Native students, educators, and communities.This letter, which brings together Senators from across the country and from both sides of the aisle, further demonstrates how important these provisions are. Click here to read Heitkamps bipartisan letter to Republican and Democratic Congressional leaders on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. Joining Heitkamp in her bipartisan letter include the following 18 U.S. Senators: Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Al Franken (D-MN), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Jon Tester (D-MT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Tom Udall (D-NM), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), John Hoeven (R-ND), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Steve Daines (R-MT), and Dan Sullivan (R-AK). In her bipartisan letter, Heitkamp and the other senators urged Congressional leaders to preserve provisions in the bill she worked to include that would: Address and prevent human trafficking in schools. Heitkamps provision would help improve school climates and make sure teachers have the training they need to provide trauma-informed teaching as well as prevent violence, suicide, and to raise awareness and prevent trafficking in schools. Without Heitkamps work to include anti-trafficking provisions, such resources would not have been addressed in the education bill. Improve Native student academic achievement. Heitkamp pushed to support programs aimed at strengthening the role of tribes and tribal organizations to better reflect the needs of Native students. She also supported policy to help retain educators maintaining good educator retention on tribal lands by improving partnerships between public schools and tribes, so they can boost academic success among Native youth Protect and strengthen Native languages and cultures. Building on her work to reauthorize legislation to help preserve often endangered Native languages in ESEA, Heitkamp encouraged Congressional leaders to protect the measures cultural language enrichment and immersion programs that boost pride and morale in Native communities and improve students academic performance and attendance. Heitkamp has continually advocated to make sure students living in Indian Country have access to quality educational opportunities and resources so they can thrive, including: Improving educational resources for disadvantaged and at-risk Native youth. Heitkamp promoted 21st Century Community Learning Centers in the ESEA to make sure all children, including vulnerable and at-risk youth in Indian Country, are supported by safe after-school programs. In April, Heitkamp recommended several ESEA provisions including reinstating dedicated resources for after-school learning programs for disadvantaged and low-performing schools on tribal lands. Providing equal academic opportunities for Native students. In October, Heitkamp worked to incorporate a new grant program in the ESEA to support schools that use Native languages as a primary language of instruction to help make sure Native languages survive as well as boost academic performance among students. Heitkamps bipartisan bill to address comprehensive challenges Native children face including lacking educational opportunities by creating a Commission on Native Children recently unanimously passed in the U.S. Senate and introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. Providing students in Native and rural communities better access to education. Heitkamp convened educators across North Dakota in January to discuss the challenges the states rural schools face and how to address their concerns through improvements to ESEA that help make sure all of North Dakota students receive access to a top-notch and comprehensive education regardless of where they live. In April 2014, Heitkamp met with then-U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Administrator John Padalino to find ways to increase connectivity for the states Native and rural populations to make sure students in remote areas have access to needed technology education and economic opportunities. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |