Washington, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) invited Eagan High School senior Kayla VanDyke to testify before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearing today (Thursday, April 29) regarding special populations and education reform.
Sen. Franken invited VanDyke to testify to illustrate the obstacles facing foster youth in the education system, an issue he has been working to improve in the upcoming education reauthorization bill.
VanDyke is an 18-year-old foster youth who has lived through seven different foster care placements as well as a period of homelessness. She testified today that she was regularly forced to change schools, often missing important lessons and repeating others. She also testified that, had she had access to liaisons and counselors and known about transportation arrangements such as those included in Sen. Franken’s Fostering Success In Education Act, it would have helped her stay in the school of her choice.
“Through the force of her determination and innate ability, Kayla has overcome tremendous adversity,” said Sen. Franken. “Drawing from her own life experience, she can provide us with valuable guidance on education reform.“
Sen. Franken introduced the Fostering Success In Education Act last fall along with Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.). The bill would help ensure that foster youth could have a stable educational environment despite the challenges or instability they faced at home. Sen. Franken’s initiative would help foster youth stay in their school of origin by providing arrangements and funding for transportation, as well as assigning liaisons to make sure educational choices are made in the child’s best interests.
Sen. Mikulski congratulated Sens. Franken and Murray on their efforts and said she would like to co-sponsor their bill.
VanDyke announced today that she will graduate high school with a 3.7 GPA, drawing a round of applause from the hearing room. She will attend Hamline University in Minnesota as a freshman in the fall. Sen. Franken predicted a bright future for VanDyke.
