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For Immediate Release
December 10, 2015
Contact: Margaret Cellucci, Director of Communications
National Association of School Nurses
mcellucci@nasn.org / 240-247-1628
PRESIDENT SIGNS “EVERY STUDENT SUCCEEDS ACT” (ESSA) INTO LAW
School Nurses highlighted in new law
Silver Spring, MD (December 10, 2015) – This week, President Obama signed into law the “Every Student Succeeds Act” or ESSA, just one day after it passed the U.S. Senate. The previous week ESSA was passed in the U.S. House of Representatives with an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote. ESSA replaces “No Child Left Behind” which was many years overdue for being reauthorized.
Within ESSA there is a crucial provision that highlights the important work that school nurses do in chronic disease management. Additionally, the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) has supported several provisions that address the role of Specialized Instructional Support Personnel in promoting student success in Title I.
“This is terrific news for our students. School nurses are the basic infrastructure for the health of students in schools and provide a critical link to student success, ensuring that they are safe, healthy, and ready to learn,” said NASN President Beth Mattey. “The inclusion of school nurses in ESSA, paves the way for school nurses as necessary and important members of the team who will lead the changing landscape of healthcare.”
Learn more about the bill and read the specific school nurse language on page. 481.
NASN
The National Association of School Nurses is a non-profit specialty nursing organization, organized in 1968 and incorporated in 1977, representing school nurses exclusively. NASN has nearly 16,000 members and 50 affiliates, including the District of Columbia and overseas. The mission of the NASN is to advance school nurse practice to keep students healthy, safe and ready to learn. To learn more about NASN, please visit us on the Web at www.nasn.org or call 866-627-6767.
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