October 11, 2005
The Honorable Sheila
Kuehl
State Capitol, Room 5108
Sacramento,
California 95814
Dear Senator Kuehl,
RE: SUPPORT FOR SB 660 KUEHL
On behalf of Pleasanton PTA Council, representing over 5,000
members, I wish to notify you of our strong support
for SB 660, Kuehl, and to thank you for authoring this bill. SB 660 requires a school principal to notify
parents and give them a chance to be present before making an elementary school
student available to the police for formal questioning at school. Or, in the case of high schoolers, to inform the student that he or
she has the right to request that a parent or trusted member of the school
staff be present during the questioning.
PTA members in our Council know that parent involvement in children’s
lives is crucial to their success and sense of security. Parents are a child’s primary protector and
advocate, and the ones responsible for raising them and keeping them safe. We also know that parent involvement is the
key element in solving behavioral issues with children. The
California State PTA supports SB 660 for all of these reasons and because it
believes that children deserve a safe and supportive environment in which to
learn. Pleasanton PTA Council agrees wholeheartedly. Children should not have to face the possibility of being traumatized
at school by an experience they cannot understand.
Parents also know that
school campuses must remain safe. Your
bill safeguards school campuses by making exceptions for law enforcement to
proceed without delay in emergency circumstances, and in cases where the
parent’s presence could present a danger to the child.
The careful balance
offered by SB 660 protects children who are questioned, promotes parental
involvement, and retains discretion for law enforcement to act promptly when
the circumstances demand it.
We thank you for
bringing this bill before the legislature, and for all the difficult but
important work you do for the safety and protection of children in California.
Sincerely,
Debbie Look
President