Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Austin Beutner recently joined state and county leaders in celebrating the Legislature’s passage of Assembly Bill 413, which re-designates “at-risk youth” as “at-promise youth” in California’s education and penal laws.

“‘At-risk’ presumes a certain path, ‘at-promise’ reinforces what we know, that every child has the ability to succeed in school and in life,” Beutner said. “It’s up to us to make sure they have all the support they need to do so.”

AB 413 was co-sponsored by Assemblyman Reginald Byron Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles), who chairs the state Assembly’s Public Safety Committee and the Select Committee on Ending the School to Prison Pipeline. The legislation is intended to change the outcomes of vulnerable youth by promoting a more positive approach.

“I was proud to see our sponsors, supporters, families, and students come together to celebrate the signing of AB 413,” Jones-Sawyer said. “Recognizing our young people as ‘at-promise’ is very personal to me. This bill [is] about celebrating our students and ensuring that everyone recognizes the inherent promise they all possess. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues in Sacramento to invest in our children during this next legislative year.”

“None of us should refer to children – any children, regardless of where they are born or where they grow up – in any type of deficit language,” said Los Angeles County Office of Education Superintendent Dr. Debra Duardo. “We are here as educators and community members to uplift our children, to uplift their spirits and not to squelch them. Words matter.”

For information, visit lausd.net.