Research Development

 

After researching for a week and reaching out to people we know in our network, we devised a research plan and identified actors within the system.

Research Plan:

Scope - Desk Research:

  • How undocumented children get registered for schools

    • How children register for public education - Kripchak

    • compare/contrast with how a normal child does.

  • How undocumented parents register their babies

    • How parents register their babies

  • How undocumented children get access to healthcare/services

    • How children get access to health/services

 

Actors - Interview:

  • Social workers

    • Jenelle

  • Lawyers

    • Kripchak’s friend, Matt

  • Teachers / People associated with schools

    • Greg Treffry

    • Melissa (ITP)

    • Debra(Lindsey’s Mom)

    • Kripchak’s Mom, Ethel

    • Kripchak’s former landlord, Jeff

    • Nancy (ITP)

  • End users

    • Families

      • Andres Donoso

    • Children

  • Community organisations

    • Cosecha via Serena

    • Anusuya(Jesal’s GF)

  • Friends

    • Mr. Ho

    • David (ITP)

 

Issues around the issue:

  • Access to education for all children

  • Access to other rights and services for undocumented children

    • Food

    • Rent

    • Healthcare

  • Pain points for families and friends

 

References:

The Future Project

Alternative Education Programs outside of schools


TO DO:

  • Interview our contacts

  • Send email to ITP list

  • Desk Research

 

Questions:

SOCIAL WORKERS, ORGANISERS, TEACHERS:

 

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE:

 

  1. What’s your relationship to education? Do you have a relationship to the general education system in the US?

 

  1. Have you worked with undocumented immigrant families before?

    1. In your work, do you interact with undocumented immigrant families?

    2. If yes, under what circumstance?

    3. How? Or in what ways?

    4. What motivates you to do this work?

 

  1. How did you become involved with this community?

    1. What’s your role / relationship to this community?

 

  1. What are some stories that you’ve heard about others experiencing pain or frustration in the process of applying for schools?

 

  1. Have you worked directly with schools before?

    1. If yes, how did it go?

    2. If no, who have you worked with?

 

  1. What tactics from your experience have been the most successful?

    1. Success in completing a project / communicating

    2. Success in changing / moving the system

 

PAIN POINTS:

  1. What according to you is the main issue, and what do u think could change in order to solve it?

  2. Where are bottlenecks, frustrations, or inefficiencies in the current systems for handling undocumented children?

  3. Is there any way to continuously track or register a student with no government id? Basically, any way to create a history.

    1. Do they have any system of registration at all?

  4. What common issues keep children out of school or from coming continuously?

 

LOGISTICS:

  1. What is the registration process for a new undocumented student without ID? A returning student? Attended a different school?

  2. What services and support are available to undocumented children? Other than education?

 

COMMUNICATION:

  1. Do you use social media to communicate with your community? how do you use social media in your work?

 

FAMILIES AND CHILDREN:

  1. What troubles have you had in registering for school?

  2. What other applications have been frustrating? Healthcare? Taxes

  3. What were some situations that you’ve experienced pain or frustration in the process of applying for schools?

  4. What are the general attitudes from schools? Do they vary?

 

From our interviews, we’ve gathered some resources regarding the legal protection for undocumented children to receive education in the US:

 

One organisation that is worthy of note is: Cosecha. They’re a non-profit that organises and fight for the rights of undocumented immigrants. They’re organising a nationwide strike on may 1st that works with local communities in various cities. Their system is decentralised and as long as there are 3 or more activists in a place they can form a circle and start planning the goals and objectives and share the identity of Cosecha. I joined their Slack group and hope to be in contact with some organisers soon.

 

Respondent info:

 

1: Debra (Lindsey’s Mom)

 

  • 4th Grade teacher in Pawling central school (Yonkers).

  • Not experienced any cases of children being discriminated due to parent’s immigrant status.

  • Schools do not require SSN of parents for their children’s admission into public schools

  • Child must have a residency in the district to get admission.

  • Common Core assessment is not mandatory in public schools anymore.

  • Based on the “Guidance on Rights of Immigrant Students and Dignity for All Students Act” all schools in NY state have to protect child’s right to education. http://www.nysed.gov/news/2017/guidance-rights-immigrant-students-and-dignity-all-students-act-now-available-20-languages

 

2: Anusuya (Jesal’s Girlfriend)

 

“if you are thinking about access to school then you should be influencing school district officials and school administrators. They are the ones that, from my understanding of the system, are in the position to dictate how children gain entry into their schools at the ground level.”

 

 

 
Nitish Wakalkar1 Comment