SENATE PASSES BROWN AMENDMENT TO CREATE MORE SCHOOLS THAT OFFER SUPPORTIVE SERVICES TO STUDENTS IN NEED – The U.S. Senate voted to adopt U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown’s (D-OH) amendment to the Every Child Achieves Act – legislation to reform No Child Left Behind – to create a grant program to expand the community school model to more schools across the country. Community schools bring together students, families, service providers, and neighborhoods to provide important services to help students better access the learning opportunities and support services they need to succeed.

“Challenges at home can undermine classroom performance and leave students struggling to keep up,” Brown said. “Community schools have a proven track record of connecting student and their families to critical services. This amendment will help expand this model so more students can access essential resources like medical care and after-school care. This will ensure that students can focus their attention on succeeding in school.”

“Community schools create the best possible conditions for students to learn and grow,” Darlene Kamine, executive director of Cincinnati’s Community Learning Center Institute, said. “By making schools community hubs, we not only support our children’s educational needs, we harness community resources and services to strengthen families and neighborhoods.”

IN RESPONSE TO 2014 SHOOTING AT DAYTON VA, BROWN CALLS ON VETERANS AFFAIRS SECRETARY TO DESIGNATE VA POLICE AS LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS – Following the 2014 shooting at the Dayton Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) called on U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald to designate VA police officers as Law Enforcement Officers (LEOs). VA police officers’ authority currently ends at the property line of VA facilities which could hinder their ability to effectively respond to threats.

“As Veterans Affairs’ first responders, VA police officers put their safety on the line to serve the Department,” Brown said. “Designating VA police officers as Law Enforcement Officers will honor their important work and expand their ability to continue protecting veterans and VA employees.”

SENATE PASSES EVERY CHILD ACHIEVES ACT WITH KEY BROWN PROVISIONS – The U.S. Senate passed several of U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown’s (D-OH) priorities as part of the Every Child Achieves Act – legislation to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Reauthorization Act. Brown voted in support of the bill.

“We owe it to students in Ohio and across the nation to strengthen our schools,” Brown said. “That’s why I’ve worked to ensure that this bill contains provisions that will hold charter schools accountable, protect students from excessive testing, and ensure that students receive the critical social services they need so they can focus on achieving academic success. I will continue to work to expand school resources so that every student, regardless of zip code, has access to a quality, effective education.”