Migrants Struggling To Enroll Their Kids In NYC Schools
Amid the continuous arrival of numerous families seeking asylum in New York City, the city’s attempts to promptly enroll their children in public schools are frequently falling short, as reported by families, advocates, and members of the education department.
Efforts to manage the complex undertaking of enrolling these newcomers’ children in schools have been hindered by inadequate staffing, inexperienced management of shelters, and language access gaps, according to those familiar with the process.
This situation has resulted in some families waiting for weeks to secure school placements or, in some cases, being left without any allocated seats. This has raised concerns that certain children might not have finalized school plans in place by the commencement of classes on September 7. Additionally, schools might not have sufficient time to prepare for the arrival of new students before the academic year begins.
“Even before all of this, there was an immense need” for education department staff working directly within homeless shelters to assist families with school-related matters, explained Jennifer Pringle, a project director at Advocates for Children, an organization that champions the rights of children in shelters and other similar groups.
Advocates for Children had advocated for the hiring of 150 full-time shelter-based personnel by the education department prior to the surge of asylum seekers. Last year, the city committed to hiring 100 such staff members. However, advocates argue that this number falls short in addressing the current requirements.
“You’ve introduced numerous new shelters without any additional staff,” remarked Pringle. “In my view, it’s hardly surprising that enrollment delays are occurring, and frankly, I would be astonished if they weren’t.”
Around 100,000 asylum seekers have arrived in New York City since the previous summer, with a significant portion finding residence in a swiftly expanding network of homeless shelters. An estimated 19,000 children have enrolled in the city’s public schools thus far, and roughly 500 of these registrations occurred since July, as reported by a spokesperson from the Education Department.
The substantial influx has prompted urgent warnings from Mayor Eric Adams, who has emphasized that city services are under considerable strain and has called for additional assistance from state and federal governments.
The primary responsibility of the Education Department is to identify the newly arrived families and ensure suitable school placements for their children. This encompasses factors such as the family’s transportation options to the school and the availability of necessary language support.
Staff members from the department’s division of students in temporary housing, including the 100 community coordinators hired the previous year, are tasked with visiting shelters, engaging with newly arrived families about school enrollment, and assisting them in completing registration forms. These forms are then submitted to the Education Department’s family welcome centers.
However, an individual involved in the process has indicated that employees are struggling to keep up with the ever-expanding number of shelters and incoming families.
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