W R Harvin :
Just the other night as I watched television with my family, there was an ad from our local Children’s Shelter soliciting the community for donations of clothing, toys, and bedding. They have several homeless families already and are expecting more this summer. This sparked the memory of a school I was principal of in the early to late 2000’s. Although it was not the closest school located to the homeless shelter, the facility provided education for homeless children. On any given night across America there are at least 1.6 million children that are homeless. Many homeless families do not seek refuge in shelters, they sleep in cars and abandoned buildings, and they move constantly, taking their families further and further away from their communities – as a result school aged children miss scholastic opportunity.
Campus personnel play a critical part in the education of homeless youth. Feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness, and depression affect many homeless students only because children tend to mimic their family’s attitudes. These families feel that they have been cut off from the world. Behaviors i.e. (spurts of anger, rage, and doubt) are learned from parental units/families. Establishing supportive and respectful relationships with families will ensure they have the services they need. This support system plays an even more critical role for the child’s success. The school setting inherently provides safety, sensitivity, compassion, and understanding. These characteristics are just a few components of a successful relationship and foundation between families and schools. Success involves more than acts of kindness. Schools must advocate against social injustices for homeless students.
Today, some schools will not allow homeless children to register at school without school/medical records, or a home address. Those very schools deny children access to enter their schools. There are many barriers for these children to include health problems, hunger, and a lack of transportation, clothing or school supplies. These children are more prone to having learning disabilities and developmental delays, lower test scores, behavior problems, and are also more likely to have repeated a grade due to frequent absences. When these students progress through the school system in the current climate and eventually become secondary students, they will experience the frequent process of enrolling and dis-enrolling from schools. They take on a different dimension – these students will be in danger of losing their credit hours which will delay their high school graduation and cause them to re-take unnecessary classes.
This causes homeless families to lose trust and believe the school is blaming the family’s instability for the students ability to do the work. These schools do not understand the difficulties they are experiencing.
Oftentimes students are placed in the wrong classroom due to the lack of receiving school records.
It is crucial that students receive the services they are legally entitled to. Special education and 504 services should begin immediately if the school is aware students were enrolled in these programs at a previous school. If teachers are unsure whether students need these services but believe there is a need because they cannot accomplish the work, talk to students’ families as they are familiar with the last school their child attended and the services their children received.
Pick up the phone and call the previous school or conduct a visit to the shelter to get information before the school records arrive. In addition to this, place these children in an effective teacher’s classroom (both academically and behaviorally) that will assess him/her after school entry to determine academic levels. Ensure that children receive free and/or reduced breakfast and lunch, and enroll them in programs the regular student body may engage in such as after school or summer programs. Transportation should also be provided.
It is imperative that school entry delays are minimal in regards to obtaining children’s immunization records, guardianship, and in general the transfer of school records. This works both ways as students are transferring into a school, and as they transfer once they withdraw and go to another school.
Not only does the Steward B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act provide homeless children counseling services, but they also provide parent education and other training programs.
In addition to those legalities teachers that work with homeless students can encourage the class to welcome their new classmates and help promote friendships so that homeless children do not feel isolated in their new classroom.
The campus principal and counselor should visit the shelter to answer any questions the families have about their school, programs, and expectations. When there are special events at the school, the school can reach out to homeless families by welcoming them to activities so they can feel a sense of community.
It is critical that the school is seen as a positive environment to show sensitivity to children and their families.
All school personnel should be role models of a caring, trusting, and supportive environment so that families believe the school is meeting their children’s basic educational needs. Frequent communication with families should include letters, phone calls, and transportation to and from the shelter to conferences and school events. If transportation is an issue for parent-teacher conferences, teachers should consider doing visits to an alternate location such as the shelter, community center or church.
Ensure that all educators are knowledgeable about the legal rights of homeless children.
Educators should collaborate with local shelters to maintain continuity.
Educators should provide remediation and tutoring to students.
School counselors can provide assistance to students and make an effort to touch base often with homeless students and parents, and their teachers.
School districts work with local shelters to provide transportation for students.
School districts provide extended day programs after school and during the summer to all students.
Teachers assess students early on after school entry to determine education levels of students so that their needs can be met.
Schools provide educational program continuity and stability (general education, special education, 504, dyslexia, ESL, LEP).
Schools provide sensitivity and awareness training for all school personnel and students.
Homeless Liaison personnel in school districts can work closely with the homeless shelter and campus principal.
Homeless student populations will benefit from developed partnerships between homeless families and schools. These families will have a better sense and feeling of support, respect, and feel they are cared about. This will improve academic, social, and emotional development of these homeless children.
Just the other night as I watched television with my family, there was an ad from our local Children’s Shelter soliciting the community for donations of clothing, toys, and bedding. They have several homeless families already and are expecting more this summer. This sparked the memory of a school I was principal of in the early to late 2000’s. Although it was not the closest school located to the homeless shelter, the facility provided education for homeless children. On any given night across America there are at least 1.6 million children that are homeless. Many homeless families do not seek refuge in shelters, they sleep in cars and abandoned buildings, and they move constantly, taking their families further and further away from their communities – as a result school aged children miss scholastic opportunity.
Campus personnel play a critical part in the education of homeless youth. Feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness, and depression affect many homeless students only because children tend to mimic their family’s attitudes. These families feel that they have been cut off from the world. Behaviors i.e. (spurts of anger, rage, and doubt) are learned from parental units/families. Establishing supportive and respectful relationships with families will ensure they have the services they need. This support system plays an even more critical role for the child’s success. The school setting inherently provides safety, sensitivity, compassion, and understanding. These characteristics are just a few components of a successful relationship and foundation between families and schools. Success involves more than acts of kindness. Schools must advocate against social injustices for homeless students.
Today, some schools will not allow homeless children to register at school without school/medical records, or a home address. Those very schools deny children access to enter their schools. There are many barriers for these children to include health problems, hunger, and a lack of transportation, clothing or school supplies. These children are more prone to having learning disabilities and developmental delays, lower test scores, behavior problems, and are also more likely to have repeated a grade due to frequent absences. When these students progress through the school system in the current climate and eventually become secondary students, they will experience the frequent process of enrolling and dis-enrolling from schools. They take on a different dimension – these students will be in danger of losing their credit hours which will delay their high school graduation and cause them to re-take unnecessary classes.
This causes homeless families to lose trust and believe the school is blaming the family’s instability for the students ability to do the work. These schools do not understand the difficulties they are experiencing.
Oftentimes students are placed in the wrong classroom due to the lack of receiving school records.
It is crucial that students receive the services they are legally entitled to. Special education and 504 services should begin immediately if the school is aware students were enrolled in these programs at a previous school. If teachers are unsure whether students need these services but believe there is a need because they cannot accomplish the work, talk to students’ families as they are familiar with the last school their child attended and the services their children received.
Pick up the phone and call the previous school or conduct a visit to the shelter to get information before the school records arrive. In addition to this, place these children in an effective teacher’s classroom (both academically and behaviorally) that will assess him/her after school entry to determine academic levels. Ensure that children receive free and/or reduced breakfast and lunch, and enroll them in programs the regular student body may engage in such as after school or summer programs. Transportation should also be provided.
It is imperative that school entry delays are minimal in regards to obtaining children’s immunization records, guardianship, and in general the transfer of school records. This works both ways as students are transferring into a school, and as they transfer once they withdraw and go to another school.
Not only does the Steward B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act provide homeless children counseling services, but they also provide parent education and other training programs.
In addition to those legalities teachers that work with homeless students can encourage the class to welcome their new classmates and help promote friendships so that homeless children do not feel isolated in their new classroom.
The campus principal and counselor should visit the shelter to answer any questions the families have about their school, programs, and expectations. When there are special events at the school, the school can reach out to homeless families by welcoming them to activities so they can feel a sense of community.
It is critical that the school is seen as a positive environment to show sensitivity to children and their families.
All school personnel should be role models of a caring, trusting, and supportive environment so that families believe the school is meeting their children’s basic educational needs. Frequent communication with families should include letters, phone calls, and transportation to and from the shelter to conferences and school events. If transportation is an issue for parent-teacher conferences, teachers should consider doing visits to an alternate location such as the shelter, community center or church.
Ensure that all educators are knowledgeable about the legal rights of homeless children.
Educators should collaborate with local shelters to maintain continuity.
Educators should provide remediation and tutoring to students.
School counselors can provide assistance to students and make an effort to touch base often with homeless students and parents, and their teachers.
School districts work with local shelters to provide transportation for students.
School districts provide extended day programs after school and during the summer to all students.
Teachers assess students early on after school entry to determine education levels of students so that their needs can be met.
Schools provide educational program continuity and stability (general education, special education, 504, dyslexia, ESL, LEP).
Schools provide sensitivity and awareness training for all school personnel and students.
Homeless Liaison personnel in school districts can work closely with the homeless shelter and campus principal.
Homeless student populations will benefit from developed partnerships between homeless families and schools. These families will have a better sense and feeling of support, respect, and feel they are cared about. This will improve academic, social, and emotional development of these homeless children.
