Education

SAN FRANCISCO -- Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today joined the Center for American Progress on a telephone press conference to discuss California’s efforts to combat elementary school truancy and unveil a new report released today by the Center for American Progress, “The High Cost of Truancy.”

“Debates about our nation’s public education system are moot if our children aren’t in class,” said Attorney General Harris. “Truancy is a major problem in California and nationwide, resulting in significant economic loss and increased public safety costs.  This report should serve as a call to action, because every child deserves an equal education.”

Attorney General Harris will release her annual report on California’s elementary school truancy and absenteeism crisis, “In School + On Track,” next month.

The report released today by the Center for American Progress finds that as the U.S. undergoes drastic demographic shifts, our population, schools, and labor force cannot afford the high cost of truancy.  The report identifies how and why students become disconnected from school and who is most at risk of chronic absenteeism, while also outlining the consequences of truancy and identifying promising measures states are taking to tackle truancy.  View the report here: https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/race/report/2015/08/19/109863/.

The report also presents concrete and actionable federal, state, and local policy recommendations to combat truancy, including to:

• Develop a national definition for truancy, chronic truancy, and chronic absenteeism.
• Improve data collection for early warning systems.
• Increase wrap-around services and align them with student needs.
• Reduce punitive policies.
• Increase parental involvement and the accessibility and availability of education programs.

In 2013, Attorney General Harris released the first ever report, “In School + On Track,” on the impact of elementary school truancy on our state, including the implications on educational equity, criminal justice, and public safety.

The 2014 report found that a quarter of a million elementary school students in California missed 10% or more of the 2013-2014 school year and almost 90% of the elementary students who are missing over a month of school per year were from low-income families.   More than 1 in 5 African American students were chronically absent, more than double the average for white students, and African American elementary school students were chronically truant at nearly four times the rate of all students.

These racial disparities are particularly troubling in light of the fact that more than half of all babies born in the U.S. today are children of color, and for the first time in history, the majority of the 2014-2015 public school K-12 population nationwide is projected to be students of color.

View the reports here: https://oag.ca.gov/truancy.

As the District Attorney of San Francisco, Attorney General Harris started a citywide truancy initiative in 2006.  Over a two-year period, then-District Attorney Harris’ initiative reduced truancy among elementary students in San Francisco by 23%, according to the San Francisco Unified School District.  The initiative also served as a model for SB 1317 (Leno), which defined “chronic truancy” for the first time under state law and established the initiative’s model of combining meaningful services with smart sanctions in the California Penal Code.  The bill was sponsored by then-District Attorney Harris and was enacted into law in 2010.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Attorney General Kamala D. Harris will join Center for American Progress Director of Education Policy Tiffany D. Miller on a telephone press call tomorrow, Tuesday, August 25 at 11 a.m. PDT to discuss California’s efforts to combat elementary school truancy and unveil a new report from the Center for American Progress.

Attorney General Harris will release her annual report on California’s elementary school truancy and absenteeism crisis, “In School + On Track,” next month.

WHO:

Attorney General Kamala D. Harris
Tiffany D. Miller, Director of Education Policy, Center for American Progress
Carmel Martin, Executive Vice President for Policy, Center for American Progress (moderator)

WHEN:

Tuesday, August 25, 2015
11 a.m. PDT

WHERE:

To RSVP to this call and receive an advance copy of the Center for American Progress’s new report, please email Tanya S. Arditi at tarditi@americanprogress.org with the subject line “Truancy Press Call RSVP”.

NOTES:

This call is open to credentialed media only.

LOS ANGELES – Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today issued a consumer alert to Californians based on an increased number of complaints regarding student loan debt consolidation scams received by the Attorney General’s Public Inquiry Unit. Often times purporting to offer “student debt management” or “student loan consolidation” plans, private companies are charging borrowers upfront or monthly fees for FREE federal loan benefits. These companies may claim that they have a special relationship with the Department of Education or that a special governmental loan consolidation will be ending soon and will urge students to use their services in obtaining student loan consolidation or relief. Many times these companies will charge an initial application fee as well as a monthly service fee. 

Consolidating federal student loans is FREE and can only be done through the Federal Direct Consolidation Program. A Direct Consolidation Loan will combine multiple federal student loans into one loan, resulting in a single monthly payment. Most Direct Consolidation Loans will be eligible for alternative payment plans, including income-driven repayment plans that can lower monthly payments according to income levels. Private education loans are not eligible for the Federal Direct Consolidation Program.

Applying for a Direct Consolidation Loan can be completed online:

Step 1:  Find out more information on the eligibility requirements, benefits, and potential warnings against federal loan consolidation at the Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid website here: https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans/consolidation. 

Step 2:  Make a list of all of your federal student loans. You can get a complete list of all of your federal loans here: https://nslds.ed.gov/nslds/nslds_SA/.

Step 3:  Apply for a Direct Consolidation Loan by completing and submitting the FREE Federal Direct Consolidation Loan Application and Promissory Note found here: https://studentloans.gov/myDirectLoan/consolidationPaper.action.  

Step 4:  Choose and apply for a Repayment Plan option. If you are having trouble making your student loan payments, you may want to consider an income-driven repayment plan such as the Income Based Repayment Plan, Pay As You Earn Plan, Income Contingent Repayment Plan, or the Income Sensitive Repayment Plan: https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans/understand/plans. The online Repayment Estimator may be helpful in determining the best repayment plan for your needs: https://studentloans.gov/myDirectLoan/mobile/repayment/repaymentEstimator.action.  

If You Are a Current Servicemember with Federal Student Loans:

As a current servicemember you may be eligible for special benefits and repayment options for your federal student loans. More information can be found here: https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/sites/default/files/military-student-loan-benefits.pdf.  

For More Information on Federal Loan Consolidation: 

If you have questions about consolidating your federal student loans, you can contact the Department of Education’s Loan Consolidation Information Call Center at: (800) 557-7392 or visit www.studentloans.gov/. 

To File a Complaint About a Possible Student Loan Debt Relief Scam, Contact:

The Attorney General’s Public Inquiry Unit: https://oag.ca.gov/contact/consumer-complaint-against-business-or-company

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: http://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/

SAN FRANCISCO – In response to the California High School Exit Exam controversy, Attorney General Kamala D. Harris released the following statement:

“As the result of a thoughtless bureaucratic blunder, thousands of high school graduates face the prospect of not being able to enroll in college, serve their country through the military, or pursue other professional goals.  This oversight creates real and immediate harm for these students.  I look forward to working with our state leaders to fix this injustice immediately and ensure our students are given the opportunity to pursue their educational and professional dreams."

SAN FRANCISCO – Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today released an enhanced interactive tool to help former Corinthian Colleges, Inc. students  learn about new expanded loan relief options granted to students by the U.S. Department of Education. As a result of the Department’s announcement, a large majority of former California Heald College students are now eligible for a streamlined process for loan forgiveness, with an estimated $500-$600 million worth of loans made to approximately 40,000 former Heald students since 2010. 

Corinthian students should utilize the interactive tool created by the Attorney General’s office to learn more about their new relief eligibility and to connect with free resources near them. 

Students will be prompted to answer a short series of questions, which will result in a personalized resource sheet that can be downloaded or emailed for future reference. The personal resource sheet will provide students with information about types of relief they may be eligible for, information on free local legal aid organizations that may provide advice and assistance in applying for relief, and can optionally provide information on cost-effective educational opportunities near them.   

This week, the U.S. Department of Education announced expanded debt relief options for Corinthian students, which will result in many more students being eligible for relief. Specifically, the Department expanded eligibility for students to apply for a closed school discharge, extending the eligibility window back to June 20, 2014 for students who withdrew from a Corinthian College. With the recent closure of all of Corinthian’s California campuses, students in the state will greatly benefit from the Department of Education’s expanded relief effort.  Additionally, the Department announced a streamlined process for many former Heald students to apply for relief through a borrower defense to repayment.   Ten of the thirteen former Heald Colleges were located in California.

The Department of Education’s announcement comes after continuous calls from Attorney General Harris for substantive relief for students suffering from crippling debt.

In May, Attorney General Harris sent a letter to U.S. Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan, asking the Department to exercise its authority under closed school discharge regulations to provide aid to students affected by Corinthian’s predatory practices.   

In April, Attorney General Harris and eight other state Attorneys General also sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Education urging immediate debt relief for the students who attended Heald College and other CCI campuses. 

Attorney General Harris filed a complaint in 2013 alleging that CCI misrepresented job placement rates and school programs and intentionally targeted low-income, vulnerable Californians through persistent internet, telemarketing and television ad campaigns. In addition, the complaint alleges that Corinthian executives knowingly misrepresented job placement rates to investors and accrediting agencies, harming students, investors and taxpayers.

Students can access the interactive tool here: http://oag.ca.gov/corinthiantool

SAN FRANCISCO –  Attorney General Kamala D. Harris released the following statement today, following the U.S. Department of Education’s announcement that many more Corinthian Colleges, Inc. students will now be eligible for student loan relief.  Corinthian Colleges, Inc. (CCI) recently closed its remaining campuses in California.

“Corinthian profited by preying on the educational dreams of vulnerable people and then left them under a mountain of debt,” said Attorney General Harris. “I applaud the Department of Education for answering our call to relieve students from this crippling debt Corinthian imposed upon them through its lies and deception. This action has the potential to give students new hope and the opportunity to achieve their educational goals and rebuild their lives.”

Attorney General Harris filed a complaint in 2013 alleging that CCI misrepresented job placement rates and school programs and intentionally targeted low-income, vulnerable Californians through persistent internet, telemarketing and television ad campaigns. In addition, the complaint alleges that Corinthian executives knowingly misrepresented job placement rates to investors and accrediting agencies, harming students, investors and taxpayers.

In April, Attorney General Harris and eight other state Attorneys General sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Education urging immediate debt relief for the students who attended Heald College and other CCI campuses. View the letter here: https://oag.ca.gov/sites/all/files/agweb/pdfs/letter-asg-arne-duncan-04-09-2015.pdf. 

LOS ANGELES–Attorney General Kamala D. Harris issued the following statement on the announcement by Corinthian College, Inc. (CCI) that it will close all of its California campuses.

"Corinthian continued to deceive its students to the end.  Closure of these campuses should help students get out from under the mountains of debt Corinthian imposed upon them through its lies.  Federal and state regulators rightly acted to prevent taxpayer dollars from flowing to Corinthian, which preyed on the educational dreams of vulnerable people such as low-income individuals, single mothers and veterans by misleading students and investors about job placement rates and course offerings.  My office will work closely with our state and federal partners to ensure that students get the relief they deserve, providing them with a new path to achieve their educational goals and rebuild their lives.”

Current students attending Corinthian’s WyoTech, Everest or Heald College campuses can visit www.oag.ca.gov/Corinthian to find information on eligibility for debt relief, available resources and the closure status of a specific campus.

Students are also encouraged to utilize an interactive tool created to help current and former Corinthian students learn more about their rights and how to protect them. Students will be prompted to answer a series of questions, which will result in a personalized resource sheet that can be downloaded or emailed for future reference. The personal resource sheet will provide students with information about types of relief they may be eligible for, as well as information on local organizations that can provide help and advice regarding their legal rights and educational options.

In 2013, Attorney General Harris filed a complaint alleging that CCI intentionally targeted low-income, vulnerable Californians through deceptive and false advertisements and aggressive marketing campaigns that misrepresented job placement rates and school programs. The complaint alleged that CCI deployed these advertisements through persistent internet, telemarketing and television ad campaigns. The complaint further alleged that Corinthian executives knowingly misrepresented job placement rates to investors and accrediting agencies, which harmed students, investors and taxpayers.

On April 9, 2015, Attorney General Harris and eight other state Attorneys General sent a letter to the Department of Education urging the federal government to immediately relieve the debt burden of thousands of students who attended Heald College and other Corinthian Colleges, Incorporated campuses. View the letter here: https://oag.ca.gov/sites/all/files/agweb/pdfs/letter-asg-arne-duncan-04-09-2015.pdf.

SAN FRANCISCO - Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today issued a statement on the U.S. Department of Education’s actions against Heald College. 

“I applaud the Department of Education for taking strong action to hold Heald College accountable for its egregious misconduct at the expense of students.  Now that the Department has found that Heald engaged in illegal conduct, I urge the Department to act quickly to relieve these students from their student loan debt burdens, which will provide them with the opportunity to achieve their educational goals and rebuild their lives.”

On April 9, 2015, Attorney General Harris and eight other state Attorneys General sent a letter to the Department of Education urging the federal government to immediately relieve the debt burden of thousands of students who attended Heald College and other Corinthian Colleges, Incorporated campuses. View the letter here: https://oag.ca.gov/sites/all/files/agweb/pdfs/letter-asg-arne-duncan-04-09-2015.pdf.

For more information on resources available to Heald College students, visit www.oag.ca.gov/heald.

SACRAMENTO -- Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today issued the following statement on Governor Brown’s veto of A.B. 1866 and A.B. 1672 and his signing of A.B. 2141 and A.B. 1643:

“I am disappointed that Governor Brown vetoed AB 1866 and AB 1672. These are missed opportunities to help keep California's youngest and most vulnerable students on track. The facts are very clear. We know that nearly a million elementary school children are truant from our classrooms each year. We know foster, low-income and minority children are truant at much higher rates than other children. And we know truancy drives California's drop-out, crime and incarceration rates. We must get serious about keeping track of whether young children are in school.

The Governor has expressed his commitment to reducing absenteeism and his signature of AB 1643 and AB 2141 are good steps in the right direction. His pledge to do more with local school officials to address California’s elementary school truancy rates will, I hope, result in more tools to address this problem.

I thank Assemblymembers Bocanegra, Holden, Bonta, Hall and Buchanan and the parents, educators and communities who worked so diligently to move these bills forward. I commit to using every tool I have available to address this crisis in our schools.”

SAN FRANCISCO -- The White House My Brother’s Keeper Task Force issued a statement of support for Attorney General Kamala D. Harris’ initiatives to reduce truancy in California elementary schools.

Cabinet Secretary Broderick Johnson and U.S. Department of Education Deputy Secretary Jim Shelton, who serve as the Chair and Executive Director, respectively, of the White House My Brother’s Keeper Task Force, issued the following statement on Attorney General Harris’ In School + On Track 2014 report:

“We appreciate the report issued today by California’s Attorney General, Kamala Harris.  This incisive and candid report highlights critical barriers to learning for young people; barriers that begin as early as kindergarten and first grade.  As the Chair and Executive Director of the My Brother’s Keeper Task Force, we know that we all need to be brutally honest about the current state of our children’s lives and that we need to invest the necessary resources in their growth and development to overcome the challenges the data reveal. The astounding facts presented in this report shine a light on the need to adopt policies and practices that address chronic absenteeism and other issues that impede our young people’s path to opportunity and success. We look forward to working with Attorney General Harris and leaders of other communities across the country to find common sense solutions that will strengthen families and communities for years to come.”

Last week, Attorney General Harris released a report, In School + On Track 2014, which provides new research on how students of color and students from low-income families are missing a disproportionate amount of school each year.

The report also articulates the importance of the Every Kid Counts legislative package sponsored by Attorney General Harris that currently awaits Governor Jerry Brown’s signature.

More information on the Every Kid Counts legislative package is available here: https://oag.ca.gov/truancy/letters.

The online version of the In School + On Track 2014 report can be found here: https://oag.ca.gov/truancy/2014.

Information on the White House task force is available here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/my-brothers-keeper#section-about-my-brothers-keeper.