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The Associated Press
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The materials in the AP file were compiled by The Associated Press. These materials may not be
republished without the express written consent of The Associated Press.
April 15, 2000, Saturday, AM cycle
SECTION: Washington Dateline
LENGTH: 645 words
HEADLINE: Clinton announces new grants to prevent youth violence
BYLINE: By LAWRENCE L. KNUTSON, Associated Press Writer
DATELINE: WASHINGTON
BODY:
Marking the first anniversary of the shooting deaths at Columbine High School, President Clinton
announced $120 million in new federal grants Saturday to place more police officers in schools and help
even the youngest kids cope with their problems.
"In our national struggle against youth violence we must not fail our children; our future depends on it,"
the president said in his weekly radio address.
Clinton announced that he and first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton will host a White House Conference
on Teen-agers on May 2 to "talk through the challenges of raising responsible children."
Parents, teens, teachers, youth workers and others will discuss research that indicates the preteen years
set patterns for behavior and success in adulthood. Other subjects will include the risks, challenges and
anxieties faced by young people today and what can be done to avoid dangerous or risky behavior.
"We need to talk about safety and security in every house in America," Clinton said.
Republican critics said the federal government is a clumsy middleman in trying to cope with problems
that should be addressed locally. They cast doubt on whether the teen conference would accomplish
anything, accused Clinton of ignoring media violence, and said he should support stiff jail sentences for
anyone carrying a firearm in a violent or drug-related crime.
Clinton announced $40 million in grants for 23 school districts that he said have found successful,
comprehensive approaches to help troubled young people.
"These districts are bringing school nurses and counselors together to respond to warning signs like
depression or bullying," Clinton said. "They are improving classroom security and expanding
after-school and mentoring programs."
Clinton also unveiled the $60 million fifth round of funding for "COPS in School," a Justice
Department program that helps pay the costs of placing police ffficers in schools to help make them
safe for students and teachers. The money will be used to provide 452 officers in schools in more than
220 communities.
"Already, it has placed 2,200 officers in more than 1,000 communities across our nation, where they are
heightening school safety as well as coaching sports and acting as mentors and mediators for kids in
need," Clinton said.
1 of 2
4/21/2000 2:05 PM
Finally, Clinton said the Education Department has earmarked million for local proposals to create
or expand counseling programs for elementary schoolchildren, "We have seen all too clearly that even
our youngest children need our help," he said.
"As we prepare next week to mark the one-year anniversary of the tragedy at Columbine High School,
our thoughts turn to the safety of our communities, schools and children," Clinton said. "All of us -
parents, schools, communities and government - share responsibility to keep kids safe."
On April 20, 1999, two students at Columbine High in Little Colo., fatally shot 12 students and a
teacher before killing themselves.
Clinton's proposals drew instant comment from Republicans.
"The White House Conference on teen-agers is sure to
innal headlines and attention, but
unlikely to add new light to these troubling questions," said Ren. J.C. Watts Jr., R-Okla., chairman of
the House Republican Conference. He said the solutions will found around America's kitchen tables,
"not from Washington or from posturing politicians."
Republican National Committee Chairman Jim Nicholson
Clinton of having "shamelessly
politicized and taken advantage of national tragedies" while
2 the films, television programs and
music videos Nicholson said are responsible for creating
"11
of death" among youthful
Americans. Instead of using his office to combat the entertal
industry, Clinton has chosen to use
the industry as a source of campaign cash, he said.
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Subject: more WIRE STORIES -- WH Conf on Teens
Clintons convene conference on teens
By LORI SANTOS
WASHINGTON, May 2 (UPI) -- President Clinton and first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton
convened a White House conference on teens Tuesday, addressing issues facing parents and
young people under today's added pressures of the work place and the Internet, along with the
more traditional problems.
As part of the day's events, Clinton signed an executive order barring discrimination against
parents in the federal workplace. The order mirrors legislation pending on Capitol Hill and
prohibits employers in the executive branch from acting on assumptions that parents cannot
satisfy the requirements of a particular position.
"The goal of this order simply says, 'no glass ceiling for parents," Clinton said in the
opening session. "The job they are doing at home is more important anyway."
Clinton adviser Bruce Reed said the executive action does "for the federal workplace what we
would like Congress to do for the country."
He said, for example, a candidate for a job or promotion cannot be penalized for having to
be home by 6 p.m.
The Clintons also released two studies as part of the first-ever conference, one a report by the
president's Council of Economic Advisors that concluded teenagers whose parents are engaged
and involved in their lives are more likely to excel in school and avoid risk behaviors.
A YMCA poll found that parents are most anxious about drug and alcohol use and violence
while teens are most concerned about "not having enough time together" with their parents,
and their education.
"The good news is that the teenagers are far healthier, more prosperous and look forward to
more promising lives than ever before in our history," Clinton said, citing declines in youth
violence, homicide, suicide, pregnancy and drug use.
The down side, he said, was teen smoking, drug use and gun violence "are still far too high."
One startling finding, Clinton said, was that teenagers who have dinner with their parents
five nights a week are far more likely to avoid smoking, drinking, violence, suicide and drugs.
The first lady said she and the president had tried to do just that every evening with their
daughter Chelsea, now 20 and a junior at Stanford University. The three would eat together in
the small kitchen of the private quarters upstairs in the White House and the Clintons even
avoided going out much or to the Camp David presidential retreat to be around for their
daughter.
"All of us are here because we believe there is no group of Americans more full of promise
or potential," Hillary Clinton said. "But we also believe there is no group of Americans more
in need of the support, guidance and committed efforts of all of than today's teenagers."
The public proceedings, however, broke little new ground, focusing instead on rather standard
prescriptions for parents to keep lines of communication open, spend more time with their
teenagers and monitor what movies they watch and their use of the Internet.
One teen who took part in the conference, 14-year-old Gabriella Contreros, said she thought
it would be helpful if families could eat dinner together every night but some, like her own,
are split up and often work late in the evening.
Contreros, an 8th grader from Tuscon, Ariz., said the discussions put little out there she
hadn't heard before.
"Being a teenager, I kind of knew a lot of it," she said.
-- Copyright 2000 by United Press International. All rights reserved. --
Message: WWN-UPI-1-20000502-15370400-bc-clintons-teens Content: SRVUPIWASH
SRVUSNEWS Content: PERSONAL SOCL Content: 08000000 14000000
BC-CLINTON-TEENS
^White House teen conference has tips, research
By Randall Mikkelsen
WASHINGTON, May 2 (Reuters) - Want to raise `responsible, resourceful"
teenagers? Listen well, and make sure they do their chores.
The first White House conference on teens, presided over by President Bill Clinton
and first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, featured such time-tested advice, plus new research
showing early teenage years are a crucial step in brain development, and called for more
government steps to help parents and teens.
`Anybody that thinks that we've done everything we need to do to help parents
with teenagers hasn't had teenagers and hasn't been around lately," Clinton said.
The conference brought together experts on adolescents, as well as actors Danny
DeVito and Rhea Perlman, who are active in children's issues.
It also showcased Mrs. Clinton, the Democratic candidate for a U.S. Senate seat in
New York, who has long made children's issues a cornerstone of her political agenda. She
wore a pair of reading glasses, infrequently seen in public, as she moderated panel discussions.
At the session, the president announced an executive order forbidding federal
employers from discriminating against workers with families, saying he aimed to eliminate any
glass ceiling" blocking advancement of people with children at home.
He called for expanding family-leave legislation and increasing funding for
after-school programmes.
Clinton also released a report by his Council on Economic Advisers, which he billed
as a good news/bad news snapshot of the condition of American teenagers.
`The good news is that the teenagers are far healthier, more prosperous, and look
forward to more promising lives than ever before in our history," he said. He cited figures
showing high school graduation and college enrollment rates at all-time highs, and declines in
youth violence, homicide, suicide, teen pregnancy, and, recently, drug use.
Major challenges include still-excessive rates in the United States of teen smoking,
drug use and pregnancy. And despite a marked decline in teen homicide over the past few
years, still far too many communities are scarred by gun violence," he said.
The report highlighted the importance of parents spending time with and listening to
their children. `Teenagers that had dinner with their parents five nights a week are far more
likely to avoid smoking, drinking, violence, suicide and drugs. This held true for single-parent
as well as two-parent families, across all income and racial groups," Clinton said.
bc-CLINTONS-TEENS
^Clintons stress quality time for parents, teens
^Attn: Note Web site address at end of story. YMCA of the USA in 11th graf is cq
BY SERGIO BUSTOS
Gannett News Service
WASHINGTON - The nation's first couple Tuesday urged parents to spend more
time with their teen-age children, citing a national poll that found a significant number of
families share few meals together and that parents and children seldom talk about sensitive
subjects as sex, dating, drugs or alcohol.
The poll was released as part of a daylong White House conference exploring the
pressure-filled lives of teen-agers and their parents.
First lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, taking a break from her New York Senate
campaign, led the discussion that included educators, members of Congress, and parents and
teen-agers from across the country.
If you ask teens and you listen to teens, you can hear, directly and indirectly, their
voices telling us that growing up today feels tougher than ever before," Clinton said. I
happen to think that's right.''
And if it's tough to be a teen-ager today, it's probably even tougher to be a
parent,' she said.
President Clinton, whom the first lady introduced as my co-parent," used the
conference to announce he had signed an executive order that prohibits discrimination against
working parents employed by the federal government.
`The goal of this order simply says, no glass ceiling for parents,' said Clinton.
The job they're doing at home is more important, anyway, and if they can do your job, you
ought not to stop them."
The conference, ``Raising Responsible and Resourceful Youth," included sessions
that examined such topics as how the news media influence youth and how communities can
better support parents and teen-agers.
The national poll, conducted by the YMCA of the USA, surveyed 200 children age
12-15 and 200 parents of children in the same age range by telephone, and found stark
differences between the two generations.
Among the findings:
- Teens are three times more likely than their parents to say that not having enough
time together'' is their biggest concern. Family time tied with education as the top priorities of
teens.
- Parents are far more concerned by outside threats such as drugs and alcohol than
they are about family time. Quality time ranks fourth among parents' concerns.
- About 36 percent of parents reported that their teens spend most of their free time
in front of a computer or television screen. Almost one in three teens agreed.
- 34 percent of both parents and teen-agers blame parents' workload as the main
reason families don't spend more time together.
- As teens get older, parents talk to them less about sex. Only one in six 15-year-olds
surveyed reported talking to their parents about sex.
- Only three in 10 teens said their parents discussed drugs or alcohol with them.
- While most parents (64 percent) believe their teen-age children share the same basic
values, less than half of the teen-agers (48 percent) agreed with their parents' values.
--
For more information about the White House Conference on Teenagers: Raising
Responsible and Resourceful Youth, visit the White House Web site: www.whitehouse.gov
AM-White House-Teens,550
^White House holds conference on raising teens
^By DEB RIECHMANN = ^Associated Press Writer =
WASHINGTON (AP) Parenting teens is just as important as holding down a
government job, President Clinton said Tuesday in signing an executive order prohibiting
discrimination against parents in the federal workplace.
Believe it or not, there are still some employers who are reluctant to hire or to
promote employees who have children at home," Clinton said at a White House conference on
raising and mentoring responsible teens.
The goal of this order simply says no glass ceiling for parents,' Clinton said.
The order ensures that workers are not discriminated against simply because they are
parents. It applies only to federal workers and does not require approval from Congress.
`The job they're doing at home is more important anyway, and if they can do your
job, you ought not to stop them," Clinton said to employers of parents.
Parents, teens, teachers, youth workers and others attended the daylong conference,
which was moderated by first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton. Topics included what parents and
communities can do to help teens succeed, how parents can spend more time with their teens,
and the media's effect on youth and parenting.
Today's teens aren't different, society is, Mrs. Clinton said.
Rather than trying to make our kids somehow adapt, we should be thinking about
ways that our institutions can change and be more supportive of our own kids and provide
what our children have always needed the kind of connectedness and support and love and
discipline that every young person really wants and needs from us."
She announced an Internet site for teen-agers (http://www.americasteens.gov). to help
them with homework, hobbies and careers. The site is being developed by 17 federal agencies.
In addition, she announced that another site will be created where parents can find information
about current media ratings systems.
Republican National Committee spokesman Chris Paulitz complained that the
conference relied heavily on liberal-minded panelists. Mrs. Clinton used to say it takes a
village to raise a child," Paulitz said. Now all it takes is partisan Democrats and Hollywood
moguls."
Actor and producer Danny DeVito, father of two teens and a 12-year-old, and his
wife, actress Rhea Perlman, spoke in the East Room of the White House about successful after
school initiatives in Los Angeles.
``We have to listen to kids," DeVito said. ``There are so many things going
through their heads. They're confused. They're mad, or sad. What do they do if they don't
have anybody who they can trust or turn to?''
But just being at home doesn't mean parents are emotionally involved with their
teens, said Dr. Robert Blum, director of general pediatrics and adolescent health at the
University of Minnesota. Going shopping or tossing a football does not bond parents and
teens, he said.
``I challenge adults to include us, encourage us, have faith in youth of all ages,"
said Gabriella Contreras, a 14-year-old activist in Tuscon, Ariz. ``Volunteer with us to make
a difference in our community, to enable us to have a voice or just get involved with our
daily lives."
=
On the Net:
The White House: http://www.whitehouse.gov
Message Sent To:
Copyright 2000 The Washington Post
The Washington Post
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April 16, 2000, Sunday, Final Edition
SECTION: A SECTION; Pg. A09
LENGTH: 200 words
HEADLINE: President, First Lady to Host Summit On Teenagers
DATELINE: PALO ALTO, Calif., April 15
BODY:
President Clinton said yesterday that he and his wife, Hillary, will hold a White House conference on
teenagers next month to examine ways to avert violent outbursts like that at Colorado's Columbine
High School a year ago.
"As we prepare next week to mark the one-year anniversary of the tragedy at Columbine High School,
our thoughts turn to the safety of our communities, schools and children," Clinton said in his weekly
radio address.
Clinton said he and the first lady, a Democratic candidate for a U.S. Senate seat in New York, will hold
the conference on May 2 and bring in parents and teenagers, experts and educators "to talk through the
challenges of raising responsible children."
On April 20 last year, two students went on a shooting rampage at the school outside Denver, killing 13
people before killing themselves and leaving a deep scar in the American psyche about the causes
behind the violence.
The conference will examine the risks, challenges and anxieties faced by today's teenagers, the impact
of the Internet on youth and parenting, what parents, communities and young people can do to avoid
risk behaviors, and other topics, White House officials said.
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
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April 16, 2000, Sunday, Late Edition - Final
SECTION: Section 1; Page 30; Column 5; National Desk
LENGTH: 376 words
HEADLINE: President and First Lady Plan Conference on School Violence
BYLINE: Reuters
DATELINE: PALO ALTO, Calif., April 15
BODY:
President Clinton said today that he and his wife, Hillary, would hold a White House conference on
teenagers next month to look at ways to avoid violent outbursts like that at Columbine High School in
Littleton, Colo., a year ago.
"As we prepare next week to mark the one-year anniversary of the tragedy at Columbine High School,
our thoughts turn to the safety of our communities, schools and children," Mr. Clinton said in his
weekly radio address.
Mr. Clinton said he and Mrs. Clinton, a Democratic candidate for a United States Senate seat in New
York, would hold the conference on May 2 and would bring in parents and teenagers, experts in the
causes of violence and educators "to talk through the challenges of raising responsible children."
On April 20 last year, two students went on a shooting rampage at the Columbine school near Denver,
killing 13 people before killing themselves.
The conference will examine the risks, challenges and anxieties faced by today's teenagers, the impact
of the Internet on young people and parenting, what parents, communities and young people can do to
avoid risky behaviors and other topics, the White House said.
Mr. Clinton, on a five-day trip to Georgia, California, New Mexico and Illinois, also announced $40
million in new grants for 23 school districts to pay for strategies for reaching out to troubled young
people.
"These districts are bringing school nurses and counselors together to respond to warning signs like
depression or bullying," the president said.
One of the concerns in the aftermath of Columbine and other school shootings is that teachers, students
and parents need to pay more attention to warning signs from troubled youths.
"Those of us who are parents have perhaps the greatest responsibility," Mr. Clinton said.
The president last Wednesday marked the coming anniversary of Columbine with a visit to Denver,
focusing on ways to keep guns out of the hands of teenagers.
Mr. Clinton also said he was releasing $60 million from a COPS in Schools program for police officers
to work in schools in more than 220 communities.
"The vast majority of our schools are safe places for our kids to learn," he said. "But any violent
incident is one too many."
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Copyright 2000 The Washington Post
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April 16, 2000, Sunday, Final Edition
SECTION: A SECTION; Pg. A09
LENGTH: 200 words
HEADLINE: President, First Lady to Host Summit On Teenagers
DATELINE: PALO ALTO, Calif., April 15
BODY:
President Clinton said yesterday that he and his wife, Hillary, will hold a White House conference on
teenagers next month to examine ways to avert violent outbursts like that at Colorado's Columbine
High School a year ago.
"As we prepare next week to mark the one-year anniversary of the tragedy at Columbine High School,
our thoughts turn to the safety of our communities, schools and children," Clinton said in his weekly
radio address.
Clinton said he and the first lady, a Democratic candidate for a U.S. Senate seat in New York, will hold
the conference on May 2 and bring in parents and teenagers, experts and educators "to talk through the
challenges of raising responsible children."
On April 20 last year, two students went on a shooting rampage at the school outside Denver, killing 13
people before killing themselves and leaving a deep scar in the American psyche about the causes
behind the violence.
The conference will examine the risks, challenges and anxieties faced by today's teenagers, the impact
of the Internet on youth and parenting, what parents, communities and young people can do to avoid
risk behaviors, and other topics, White House officials said.
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
LOAD-DATE: April 16, 2000
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The Associated Press
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The materials in the AP file were compiled by The Associated Press. These materials may not be
republished without the express written consent of The Associated Press.
April 15, 2000, Saturday, AM cycle
SECTION: Washington Dateline
LENGTH: 645 words
HEADLINE: Clinton announces new grants to prevent youth violence
BYLINE: By LAWRENCE L. KNUTSON, Associated Press Writer
DATELINE: WASHINGTON
BODY:
Marking the first anniversary of the shooting deaths at Columbine High School, President Clinton
announced $120 million in new federal grants Saturday to place more police officers in schools and help
even the youngest kids cope with their problems.
"In our national struggle against youth violence we must not fail our children; our future depends on it,"
the president said in his weekly radio address.
Clinton announced that he and first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton will host a White House Conference
on Teen-agers on May 2 to "talk through the challenges of raising responsible children."
Parents, teens, teachers, youth workers and others will discuss research that indicates the preteen years
set patterns for behavior and success in adulthood. Other subjects will include the risks, challenges and
anxieties faced by young people today and what can be done to avoid dangerous or risky behavior.
"We need to talk about safety and security in every house in America," Clinton said.
Republican critics said the federal government is a clumsy middleman in trying to cope with problems
that should be addressed locally. They cast doubt on whether the teen conference would accomplish
anything, accused Clinton of ignoring media violence, and said he should support stiff jail sentences for
anyone carrying a firearm in a violent or drug-related crime.
Clinton announced $40 million in grants for 23 school districts that he said have found successful,
comprehensive approaches to help troubled young people.
"These districts are bringing school nurses and counselors together to respond to warning signs like
depression or bullying," Clinton said. "They are improving classroom security and expanding
after-school and mentoring programs."
Clinton also unveiled the $60 million fifth round of funding for "COPS in School," a Justice
Department program that helps pay the costs of placing police officers in schools to help make them
safe for students and teachers. The money will be used to provide 452 officers in schools in more-than
220 communities.
"Already, it has placed 2,200 officers in more than 1,000 communities across our nation, where they are
heightening school safety as well as coaching sports and acting as mentors and mediators for kids in
need," Clinton said.
1 of 2
4/21/2000 2:05 PM
Finally, Clinton said the Education Department has earmarked $20 million for local proposals to create
or expand counseling programs for elementary schoolchildren. "We have seen all too clearly that even
our youngest children need our help," he said.
"As we prepare next week to mark the one-year anniversary of the tragedy at Columbine High School,
our thoughts turn to the safety of our communities, schools and children," Clinton said. "All of us -
parents, schools, communities and government - share responsibility to keep kids safe."
On April 20, 1999, two students at Columbine High in Littleton, Colo., fatally shot 12 students and a
teacher before killing themselves.
Clinton's proposals drew instant comment from Republicans.
"The White House Conference on teen-agers is sure to draw national headlines and attention, but
unlikely to add new light to these troubling questions," said Rep. J.C. Watts Jr., R-Okla., chairman of
the House Republican Conference. He said the solutions will be found around America's kitchen tables,
"not from Washington or from posturing politicians."
Republican National Committee Chairman Jim Nicholson accused Clinton of having "shamelessly
politicized and taken advantage of national tragedies" while ignoring the films, television programs and
music videos Nicholson said are responsible for creating "a culture of death" among youthful
Americans. Instead of using his office to combat the entertainment industry, Clinton has chosen to use
the industry as a source of campaign cash, he said.
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
LOAD-DATE: April 16, 2000
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Copyright 2000 The New York Times Company
The New York Times
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April 16, 2000, Sunday, Late Edition - Final
SECTION: Section 1; Page 30; Column 5; National Desk
LENGTH: 376 words
HEADLINE: President and First Lady Plan Conference on School Violence
BYLINE: Reuters
DATELINE: PALO ALTO, Calif., April 15
BODY:
President Clinton said today that he and his wife, Hillary, would hold a White House conference on
teenagers next month to look at ways to avoid violent outbursts like that at Columbine High School in
Littleton, Colo., a year ago.
"As we prepare next week to mark the one-year anniversary of the tragedy at Columbine High School,
our thoughts turn to the safety of our communities, schools and children," Mr. Clinton said in his
weekly radio address.
Mr. Clinton said he and Mrs. Clinton, a Democratic candidate for a United States Senate seat in New
York, would hold the conference on May 2 and would bring in parents and teenagers, experts in the
causes of violence and educators "to talk through the challenges of raising responsible children."
On April 20 last year, two students went on a shooting rampage at the Columbine school near Denver,
killing 13 people before killing themselves.
The conference will examine the risks, challenges and anxieties faced by today's teenagers, the impact
of the Internet on young people and parenting, what parents, communities and young people can do to
avoid risky behaviors and other topics, the White House said.
Mr. Clinton, on a five-day trip to Georgia, California, New Mexico and Illinois, also announced $40
million in new grants for 23 school districts to pay for strategies for reaching out to troubled young
people.
"These districts are bringing school nurses and counselors together to respond to warning signs like
depression or bullying," the president said.
One of the concerns in the aftermath of Columbine and other school shootings is that teachers, students
and parents need to pay more attention to warning signs from troubled youths.
"Those of us who are parents have perhaps the greatest responsibility," Mr. Clinton said.
The president last Wednesday marked the coming anniversary of Columbine with a visit to Denver,
focusing on ways to keep guns out of the hands of teenagers.
Mr. Clinton also said he was releasing $60 million from a COPS in Schools program for police officers
to work in schools in more than 220 communities.
"The vast majority of our schools are safe places for our kids to learn," he said. "But any violent
incident is one too many."
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Copyright 2000 Little Rock Newspapers, Inc.
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
April 16, 2000, Sunday
SECTION: NEWS; Pg. B1
LENGTH: 860 words
HEADLINE: LR schools grab share of $ 41 million in grants Clinton lauds 23 districts for safety
initiatives
BYLINE: KIMBERLY GILLESPIE, ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE
BODY:
President Clinton announced grants for 23 school districts including Little Rock, due to receive $
2.2 million each of the next three years -- that he said have found successful, comprehensive approaches
to help troubled young people.
Clinton announced a total of $ 41 million in grants, which vary in amount, to school districts across the
country through the Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative during his weekly radio address Saturday.
Little Rock is the only school district in Arkansas to receive one of the grants.
The initiative supports urban, rural and suburban schools that use community-based and public school
services to prevent violence in schools and provide opportunities for healthy child development.
"These districts are bringing school nurses and counselors together to respond to warning signs like
depression or bullying," Clinton said. "They are improving classroom security and expanding
after-school and mentoring programs."
Linda Young Austin, the Little Rock district's director of planning and development, said some of the
money will be used to fill new positions for staff members responsible for security on buses and for
substance abuse prevention.
Austin said the need for those positions was brought up last year during discussions about revising the
district's strategic plan and the district's revised desegregation and education plan.
"Both of those plans identify priorities and goals of which the district has taken the opportunity to fulfill
some of the objectives that we've not been able to fulfill [before] through this grant opportunity," Austin
said.
The district also plans to hire full-time licensed clinicians to deal with mental-health issues at each of
the eight middle schools next year and to staff short-term suspension centers to be set up in
neighborhoods at churches, for example for students suspended for less than 10 days.
Grant money will allow the district to expand a program designed to teach teens parenting skills and
provide them with strategies to stay in school. The district will also start a program to help parents
communicate better with their teen-agers.
"A lot of times parents don't know how to ask the right questions, nor do they know how to ask the right
questions if their children get into trouble," Austin said. "This program just helps them figure out what
kinds of questions to ask and how to ask them and get answers."
The grant will also be used for violence-prevention and peer-mediation programs to help students learn
to get along and communicate positively with one another.
Austin said the Little Rock Police Department, New Futures for Youth and the Centers for Youth and
Families helped district officials put together a proposal for increasing security and improving
mental-health services in middle schools.
"This is a very positive thing happening for us because it's going to allow us to move forward in a lot of
different strategic planning goals," Superintendent Les Carnine said. "We're very fortunate to have
gotten this grant."
The three-year grant is from the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services and the U.S. Department of Education.
Marking the first anniversary of the shooting deaths at Columbine High School, Clinton announced $
120 million in federal grants Saturday for a variety of things, including placing more police officers in
schools and helping even the youngest kids cope with problems.
Besides the $ 41 million grants for schools, Clinton:
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Announced that he and first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton will hold a White House Conference on
Teen-agers on May 2 to "talk through the challenges of raising responsible children."
Unveiled that school districts across the country will receive the $ 60 million, fifth round of funding for
"COPS in School," a Justice Department program that helps pay the costs of placing police officers in
schools to help make them safe for students and teachers. The money will be used to provide 452
officers in schools in more than 220 communities.
Said the U.S. Department of Education has earmarked $ 20 million for local proposals to create or
expand counseling programs for elementary-age children.
"As we prepare next week to mark the one-year anniversary of the tragedy at Columbine High School,
our thoughts turn to the safety of our communities, schools and children," Clinton said. "All of us --
parents, schools, communities and government -- share responsibility to keep kids safe."
On April 20, 1999, two students at Columbine High in Littleton, Colo., fatally shot 12 students and a
teacher before killing themselves.
Clinton's proposals drew instant comment from Republicans.
Republican critics said the federal government is a clumsy middleman in trying to cope with problems
that should be addressed locally. They cast doubt on whether the teen conference would accomplish
anything, accused Clinton of ignoring media violence and said he should support stiff jail sentences for
anyone carrying a firearm in a violent or drug-related crime.
Information for this article was contributed by The Associated Press
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Copyright 2000 The Christian Science Publishing Society
The Christian Science Monitor
April 20, 2000, Thursday
SECTION: EDITORIALS; THE MONITOR'S VIEW; Pg. 12
LENGTH: 755 words
HEADLINE: Columbine's Flowers
HIGHLIGHT:
The search for ways to protect, and better serve, youth
BODY:
A year after the tragedy at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo., the country still struggles for an
adequate response. This, not unlike the Oklahoma City bombing also being remembered this week, was
an event almost beyond comprehension, happening in a setting of prosperity and civic pride. It appeared
to contradict every easy assumption about American life.
In what seemed a terrible climax to a series of violent incidents at public schools, two young men, the
products of middle-class suburban families, took guns and explosives to their school and methodically
tried to kill as many fellow students and teachers as they could before turning their guns on themselves.
Twelve were killed and 23 injured. There have been few darker days in recent American memory.
But it's a darkness the nation is determined to emerge from. The year since Columbine has been abuzz
with ways to prevent such tragedies and deal with underlying causes:
*More emphasis is being put on character education, conflict resolution courses, and other ways of
helping young citizens understand themselves better and solve problems.
*Related to the Columbine anniversary, President Clinton and first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton will
host a White House Conference on Teenagers May 2. The purpose of the gathering, says the
president, is to "talk through the challenges of raising responsible children."
*Countless schools have instituted stronger security measures. Just as important, administrators,
teachers, and parents have striven to do a better job of identifying and helping students who might be
prone to violence.
*Communities have established closer liaisons between police departments and schools.
*State governments have established school-safety centers to coordinate efforts and share ideas among
all schools under their jurisdiction.
*The federal government has pumped money into security measures. Mr. Clinton just announced $ 120
million in new federal grants to increase police protection of schools.
*Gun control has been pushed front and center. Though efforts to strengthen laws at the federal level
have flagged, some states are pushing forward. The gun-control plan recently proposed by Gov. George
Pataki of New York, for example, is groundbreaking.
The list could go on. But action in halls of government or schools, though useful, may be far less
important than a shift of attitude in the relationships between students, between teachers and students,
and - perhaps most important - between students and parents.
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The overriding need is to open the thinking of young people to constructive self-examination and a
capacity to care for others. That's how moral voids like those that seemed to envelop the school shooters
can be filled. That's how negative influences, such as violent entertainment media, are neutralized. How
to accomplish this?
A vice principal at North High School in Naperville, III. (see story on page 1) wants to focus fresh
attention on the kids in the "middle" - not the outstanding students, or the ones on the brink of failures -
but those who may just be getting by, and may be feeling no one cares. Just a bit of positive attention
from a teacher, or well-motivated peers, can make a big difference.
In some communities, like Manatee County, Fla., teen clubs have been formed to encourage volunteer
work helping the needy. When youngsters are given opportunities to serve others, they often respond
enthusiastically, and learn key moral lessons in the bargain.
Religion and spiritual teaching and example build moral sensibility and regard for others. One of the
darkest sides of the Columbine tragedy was the young gunmen's scorn toward those who professed a
belief in God. That underscores the need for all spiritual seekers to deepen their concern for youth and
their understanding of the power of love over hate.
What's clearly not needed is a climate of fear where every youngster who dresses strangely, or writes
about dark themes, or seems attracted to violent imagery is regarded with suspicion. All children require
respect and genuine interest, based on their innate intelligence and capacity to grow.
Columbine must serve as a continuing wake-up call to build better communities that embrace the
troubled youth among us. That would be the best memorial to the students who fell there.
(c) Copyright 2000. The Christian Science Publishing Society
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Copyright 2000 Times Mirror Company
Los Angeles Times
April 20, 2000, Thursday, Home Edition
SECTION: Southern California Living; Part E; Page 6; View Desk
LENGTH: 233 words
HEADLINE: SECTION GEE! ADVICE, HUMOR, COMICS, HOROSCOPE, KIDS;
LAUGH LINES
BODY:
Forgive and Forget: "Hillary Clinton recently spent a couple of days as a principal at a New York
area high school. It would be great having Hillary as your principal. If you get caught cheating, she'd
forgive you. (Jay Leno)
A Little Guest Work: "Next month
President Clinton and the first lady will hold a White House
conference on raising teenagers. President Clinton hopes to come away from this event with a greater
awareness of teenagers' needs
and a few phone numbers." (Colin Quinn)
Unable to Deliver: "Elian's Miami family says they would have sent him back to Cuba by now, but for
some reason their FedEx guy has stopped coming to the house." (Craig Kilborn)
Barely News: "Darva Conger (the bride from 'Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire?") might pose
nude in Playboy. How sad is that going to be for her ex, Rick Rockwell?
'Hey, Rick, how did your
wife look naked?'
'I don't know.'
'Well, here, look at Page 139!' (Andrew Wisot)
In the Know: "George W. Bush told voters he believes students ought to be tested on what they know
before they get promoted. After this speech, he got a phone call from Yale. They're sending him back to
the third grade." (Argus Hamilton)
Got a joke? Send it to Laugh Lines by fax, (213) 237-0732, or mail, Southern California Living, Los
Angeles Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, CA 90053.
LANGUAGE: English
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Copyright 2000 The Patriot Ledger
The Patriot Ledger (Quincy, MA)
April 17, 2000 Monday ROP Edition
SECTION: NEWS; Pg. 03
LENGTH: 210 words
HEADLINE: Clinton aims millions at youth violence solutions
BODY:
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Marking the first anniversary of the shooting deaths at Columbine High
School, President Clinton announced $ 120 million in federal grants to place more police officers in
schools and finance programs meant to help even the youngest children cope with their problems.
"We must not fail our children; our future depends on it," the president said Saturday during his weekly
radio address.
Clinton announced that on May 2 he and first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton will host a White House
Conference on teenagers to "talk through the challenges of raising responsible children."
Parents, teens, teachers, youth workers and others will discuss research that indicates the preteen years
establish lifelong patterns of behavior. Other subjects will include the risks, challenges and anxieties
faced by young people and how to avoid and deal with them.
Republican critics called the federal government a clumsy middleman in the battle to solve problems
that should be addressed locally. Republican skeptics question the relevance of the teen conference
would accomplish anything, accuse Clinton of ignoring media violence, and said he should support
severe jail sentences for anyone carrying a firearm in a violent or drug-related crime.
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
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Copyright 2000 Globe Newspaper Company
The Boston Globe
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April 21, 2000, Friday THIRD EDITION
SECTION: NATIONAL/FOREIGN; Pg. A1
LENGTH: 1311 words
HEADLINE: RESEARCHERS WORRYING AS TEENS GROW UP ONLINE
BYLINE: By Patricia Wen, Globe Staff
BODY:
Teens don't understand the big fuss. As the first generation to grow up in a wired world, they hardly
know a time when computers weren't around, and they leap at the chance to spend hours online, chatting
with friends. So what?
But researchers nationwide are increasingly concerned that, as cyberspace replaces the pizza parlor as
the local hangout, adolescents are becoming more isolated, less adept at interpersonal relationships, and
perhaps numb to the small - and big - deceptions that are so much a part of the e-mail world. From
Massachusetts Institute of Technology to the Internet Addiction Center at McLean Hospital in Belmont,
researchers are asking just how the futures of teenagers are changed when so many of them are
spending an hour or two on the Internet each day, replacing face-to-face contact with virtual reality.
"We're not only looking at what the computer can do for us, but what are they doing to us," said Sherry
Turkle, an MIT sociologist who has secured start-up funding for a Center for Technology and Identity.
"It's on so many people's minds."
Turkle's center will study, among other things, how today's teens are affected by growing up with
interactive computer technology. She wants to know how a teen's sense of self and values may be
altered in a world where personal connections and the creation of new identities can be limitless.
Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh is beginning a study on the long-term effect on teenagers
when the computer becomes a central part of their social lives. Social psychologist Robert Kraut said
he's concerned about the "opportunity costs" of so much online time for youths.
Kraut found that teens who used computers, even just a few hours a week, showed increased signs of
loneliness and social isolation. In his 1998 study of 100 Pittsburgh families that use the Internet, Kraut
said these teens reported having fewer friends to hang around with, possibly because their computer
time replaced hours they would have spent with others.
"Chatting online may be better than watching television, but it's worse than hanging out with real
friends," he said.
The interest in cyber-chatting teens goes beyond academia. Next month, a White House conference on
teenagers is sponsoring a session on teens and online behavior, including warnings about cyber-stalkers
and other predators.
But today's teens don't see anything strange in the fact that the computer screen occupies a central place
in their social lives. Just as their parents' generation quickly adjusted to microwave ovens and
touch-tone phones, so have today's teens to personal computers.
Since 1989, when America Online burst onto the scene with chat rooms and instant-messenger systems,
teens flocked to them by the millions. Traffic soared in the mid-1990s when AOL developed a "buddy
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list" for the instant-messenger system, enabling teens to know when friends were online, and then start a
conversation. If all the buddies wanted to e-mail at once, they could enter their own chat room.
Teenage use of computers grew even more over the last two years, thanks to the steep drop in prices of
personal computers. About 40 percent of US households now have a computer, and nearly 70 percent
with incomes more than $50,000 have them, according to the Yankee Group, a Boston-based
technology research firm.
Not surprisingly, AOL reports a spike in instant-messenger traffic in the mid-afternoon, just after school
lets out. Teens say it's little different than the rush at McDonald's after 2 p.m. as adolescents look for
ways to unwind.
"School is stressful and busy. There's almost no time to just hang out," said Parker Rice, 17, of Newton
South High School. "Talking online is just catch-up time."
Many teens acknowledge there's an unreal quality to their cyberspace communication, including their
odd shorthand terms, such as POS (parent over shoulder) or LOL (laughing out loud). Psychologists see
this code as part of the exclusive shared language that teenagers love.
When it comes to e-mail exchanges, teens also show a remarkable tolerance for each other's fudges or
deceptions. Nor are they surprised when a mere acquaintance unloads a personal secret through e-mail.
Nobody seems to expect the online world to be the same as the real world.
While waiting outside school recently, Rice recalled a timid boy in class who recently got up the nerve
to send her an e-mail. At the end, he issued an uncharacteristically macho send-off, "Later, Babe."
"He'd never say that to me face to face in school," said Rice, more amused than annoyed. "Sometimes
people try to seem more self-confident online."
And consider the fact that Jonathon Reis, 14, of Somerville, didn't seem the least bit put off when a girl
who had described herself online as slender turned out to be quite heavy. "I know it's likely they'll say
they look better than they are," he said while shopping at the CambridgeSide Galleria.
Teens say they also appreciate the ability to edit what they say online, or take the time to think about a
response. As cowardly as it may seem, some teens admit that asking someone for a date, or breaking up,
can be easier in message form.
But they insist there's no harm intended, and cyberspace has become just another medium - like the
telephone - in the often-clumsy, experimental world of adolescence.
Echoing the view of these youths, Turkle, an MIT specialist in the computer's impact on human
behavior, sees cyberspace as the new electronic "playspace" for adolescents, an escape from the pressure
of everyday life.
While she worries about some safety issues, Turkle said the anonymity and distance of cyberspace allow
young people to try out new identities. For instance, an artistic boy can admit to an interest in fashion or
an awkward girl can reach out to some new friends with little fear of rejection. Shaping their own
identities and forming strong peer groups are among the most central themes of adolescence, she said.
"The Web is the location where much of the work of adolescence is being done these days," said Turkle.
But other researchers don't think everything is so benign, worrying that some teens will mistake the
"weak social ties" so easily found among e-mail buddies for genuine friendship.
"These are not the kind of relationships that will sustain you if you have a personal crisis or a death in
the family," said Harry Waxman, a psychologist and chair of the Project on the Internet and Human
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Behavior at Harvard Medical School.
Waxman and others worry about raising a generation of teens who, as adults, would rather solve a
dispute through e-mail than in person. In some ways, the Internet exacerbates the trend toward isolation
and away from community that Harvard government professor Robert Putnam has described as
"bowling alone."
Beyond the issue of social isolation, a small group of researchers speculates that the developing neural
connections in the brains of teens could be affected by such intense involvement with the computer
screen.
"If you restrict your experience to staring in front of the screen, you may be short-changing your brain,"
said Dr. Martin Teicher, head of developmental biopsychiatry at McLean Hospital.
In fact, McLean Hospital has already set up an Internet Addiction Center for teens as well as adults who
fear computers are harming them psychologically.
Maressa Hecht Orzack, its coordinator, said she gets many teenage patients, often youngsters who are
socially marginalized or among the "bright and bored." She's eager for more research to be done on the
impact of online life on teens, saying the good and bad of the medium is not yet fully known.
"These young people may be losing connections to real objects," she said. SIDEBAR THE GROWTH
OF INSTANT E-MAIL SEE MICROFILM FOR CHART DATA GLOBE STAFF GRAPHIC
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Copyright 2000 Gannett Company, Inc.
USA TODAY
April 21, 2000, Friday through Sunday, FIRST EDITION
SECTION: NEWS; Pg. 8A
LENGTH: 912 words
HEADLINE: Candidates go through motions on school violence
BYLINE: Walter Shapiro
DATELINE: FORT LEE, N.J.
BODY:
FORT LEE, N.J. -- The presidential campaign has become so choreographed, it's like an old-time dance
studio with footprints outlining the steps taped to the floor.
Thursday was, of course, the first anniversary of the heart-rending massacre at Columbine High, so Al
Gore and George W. Bush dedicated the day to expressing their opposition to school violence, which is
not exactly an unpopular stand. Gore chose ethnically diverse Fort Lee High School, conveniently
located just over the George Washington Bridge from the New York media market, to publicly
acknowledge that this is a topic that defies an "easy, glib, magic-bullet answer." (Memo to the vice
president: That metaphor needs work.)
Bush, sensitive to the concerns of social conservatives that he is veering too close to the political center,
opted to visit an elementary school in Temple, Texas, to highlight his commitment to character-based
education programs. "Ultimately, the safety of our children depends on more than laws," the Texas
governor declared, using words that reflected his opposition to ambitious gun-control legislation. "It
depends on the values that we teach them and the kind of culture that we create."
Both candidates, to their credit, sensed that this was not the moment for partisan invective. Even though
a preprinted news release quoted Gore as describing Bush's character-based approach as only "half a
solution," the vice president, during an hour-long meeting with students and faculty, refrained from
uttering even these mild words of criticism.
The language of both candidates might have been muted, but their we-must-never-forget-Columbine
appearances had the unfortunate side effect of contributing to the hysteria that has come to surround the
topic of school violence.
A report released by the Justice Policy Institute earlier this month stressed that, even counting the
Columbine shootings, violent deaths in schools were down 40% during the 1998-99 academic year
compared with the year before, when 43 died.
"Ironically," the report's authors noted, "during a time when youth violence and violence in the schools
has been on the decline, parents are becoming more afraid for the safety of their children in schools."
Gore talked about the complexities surrounding school violence for 45 minutes before he got around to
ruefully admitting the truth. "Schools remain some of the safest places in our society," he belatedly
declared, "and school violence has been trending down."
Why is there such a gap between perceptions and reality? The press and TV news deserve some of the
blame for inflaming parental fears each time they produce a tear-stained Columbine retrospective. The
murder rampage in an affluent Colorado high school has become this era's version of the Challenger
disaster, a tragedy replayed so often that we cannot avoid becoming numb to its horrors.
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At a time when parents with children at home or "working families," as Gore loves to call them -- are
defined as a key voting bloc, politicians cannot resist playing to their worst fears. It was not coincidental
that the Clinton press office chose the Columbine anniversary to announce an upcoming White House
conference on teenagers called "Raising Responsible and Resourceful Youth." In Fort Lee, Gore
permitted himself a mawkish moment when he confided that one of the parents of a slain Columbine
student had whispered to him, "Promise me that these children have not died in vain."
The vice president is, to be sure, a complex figure. In the space of a single answer to a single voter
question, he can adopt four or five political personas, some of which are beguiling and others are
off-putting. So it was in Fort Lee when a questioner, who identified himself as something called a
"substance-awareness coordinator," asked why the government had reduced federal grant money for
"at-risk youth."
Gore began his response by saying that "President Clinton and I included it in the budget." (Note the
subtle reference to the vice president's seemingly co-equal role in the administration.) But, Gore
explained, congressional Republicans needed money for their "huge, risky tax plan." (It never hurts to
drive home the partisan message.) So, he said, the Republicans "tried to cut back on everything they
could."
But then, in an artful rhetorical flourish, Gore turned familiar GOP rhetoric about tax cuts on its head.
"They say, 'It's your money.'
"Yes, it is. But it's also your children." That was the vice president's transition into a thoughtful aside on
the way that ill-conceived congressional budget cuts can lead to the failure to promptly diagnose mental
illness among the young. Now, at long last, came the moment for Gore's carefully phrased campaign
promise: "I'm in favor of a robust increase in funds for fighting substance abuse." (A challenge for
Republicans: Figure out exactly how much money "a robust increase in funds" represents.)
Sometimes the most revealing moments in a presidential campaign are the quiet days like Thursday,
when there are few headlines to be won and few voters to be swayed. By bowing to the irresistible
impulse to use Columbine as a campaign prop, both Gore and Bush demonstrated the obvious truth that
they are hard-core politicians. But by speaking softly and avoiding any tawdry or overly partisan stunts,
they also provided a glimpse of the substance beneath their political veneers. All in all, it wasn't a
half-bad day.
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Victoria L. Valentine
05/02/2000 02:46:42 PM
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Subject: WIRE STORIES -- WH Teen Conference
BC-clinton-parents
Clinton Bans Discrimination Against Parents in Federal Jobs ^By Richard Keil
.2000 Bloomberg News
Washington, May 2 (Bloomberg) -- President Bill Clinton signed an executive order
today barring federal agencies from discriminating against working parents in hiring and
promotion.
`Believe it or not, there are still some employers who are reluctant to hire or to
promote employees who have children at home," Clinton said. ``The goal of this order
simply says, `No glass ceiling for parents.' The job they're doing at home is more important
anyway, and if they can do your job you ought not to stop them."
The order applies only to the federal workplace; changes in employment law that
would apply to private companies would require congressional approval.
Clinton announced the move at a White House conference on teenagers; the president
first proposed the change in employment law during his 1999 State of the Union address.
The order bars discrimination against parents in all aspects of federal employment,
including recruitment, referral, hiring, promotions, training and discharge. The goal of the
move is to prevent employers from assuming that those caring for children wouldn't have the
time or commitment to fulfill job responsibilities.
It is based on legislation introduced last year by Senator Edward Kennedy, a
Massachusetts Democrat, and Senator Christopher Dodd, a Democrat from Connecticut; the
bill didn't pass.
Clinton administration officials said the order wouldn't interfere with an employer's
ability to select workers. --Richard Keil in Washington (202) 624-1884, or dkeilbloomberg.net
/rdm /wfs -0- (BN) May/02/2000 13:47
Clintons convene White House conference on teens
WASHINGTON, May 2 (UPI) -- President Clinton and first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton
convened a White House conference on teens Tuesday, releasing reports showing some good
news about youth involvement with drugs and smoking but significant problems remaining,
including a lack of quality time with parents. Clinton said, "Virtually everybody has some
trouble balancing family and work."
-- Copyright 2000 by United Press International. All rights reserved. --
^PM-White House-Teens, 1st Ld-Writethru, a0415,590
^White House holds conference on raising teens
`Eds: LEADS with 9 new grafs with Clinton executive order, quotes; picks up graf 5 pvs,
'Adults usually
^By DEB RIECHMANN = ^Associated Press Writer =
WASHINGTON (AP) President Clinton today ordered a ban on a glass ceiling for
parents'' in the federal work force, meaning the government cannot discriminate against
parents out of concern that home life will intrude on the workplace.
`Believe it or not, there are still some employers who are reluctant to hire or
promote employees who have children at home," Clinton said at the start of a White House
conference on helping families raise teen-agers.
``The job they are doing at home is more important," Clinton said, citing studies
and a new poll that, he said, confirm that communication and family togetherness are crucial
factors in raising responsible, happy teen-agers.
Clinton's executive order applies only to federal workers and does not require
approval from Congress.
Parents are still the most important adults in their teen-agers' lives," first lady
Hillary Rodham Clinton said before introducing her ``co-parent'' in raising daughter Chelsea,
20, who left home three years ago for college.
Mrs. Clinton described occasional frustrations as she and the president dealt with
Chelsea's teen-age ambivalence toward them. `You want to hang around just in case they'll
deign to say something to you, she said to laughter.
But she said the 30 minutes or so the three of them tried to spend having at least one
meal together each day was her favorite part of the day.
Parents, teens, teachers, youth workers and others were invited to the daylong
conference to discuss ways to raise and mentor responsible and resourceful youth.
Mrs. Clinton moderated two morning sessions, including one on what parents and
communities can do to help teens succeed. Afternoon panel discussions were to address what
can be done to make it easier for parents to spend time together, media's effect on youth and
parenting and what parents, communities and young people can do to avoid risky behavior.
Adults usually do not listen to young people and they don't make it their business
to help them implement their goals,' said panelist Dorothy Stoneman, founder of the
Boston-based YouthBuild USA, which teaches low-income young people construction skills by
building affordable housing in their communities. What happens when you listen, young
people get engaged and connected and they feel better about themselves.'
The conference also was highlighting recent brain research that says the preteen years
are as important in setting patterns for adult behavior as the first three years of life.
Scientists had believed that brain development slowed after the first few years of life
that the brain was essentially organized by the time a child enters the first grade. The research,
first published late last year and then in the March issue of the journal Nature, showed that in
teen-agers up to age 15, there are peak growth rates in areas of the brain associated with
language and associative thinking.
``Sometimes we give up on kids early and feel that they are already doomed for
certain fates, but from the biological perspective there are still lots and lots of opportunities for
change during the teen years,' said Dr. Jay Giedd, a National Institute of Mental Health child
psychiatrist who worked on the research.
=
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