For information in various languages, please visit the "By Language" page or click the following links for resources in languages including Arabic (العربية), Cape Verdean Creole (Kriolu di Kabu Verdi), Chinese (中文), Haitian Creole (Kreyòl Ayisyen), Portuguese (Português), Somali (Soomaali), Spanish (Español), Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) and more.

DACA: Supporting Educators Addressing the Needs of Students and Families Part 2

Co-Sponsored by the Department of Education, Tisch College Social-Emotional Learning & Civic Engagement Initiative, and Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study and Human Development

A FISHBOWL DISCUSSION EVENT

Thursday, April 19^th, 6-8pm

Tufts University, Paige Hall, Terrace Room

(12 Upper Campus Road, Medford, MA)

Refreshments and Light Dinner

Please RSVP by April 16^th via this link.

https://tufts.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1MNsogerrHmOlUh

Comprehensive TPS Clinic and Housing Fair

The Unafraid Scholarship for BPS Graduates

The Unafraid Scholarship was founded by the BTU's Unafraid Educators in order to provide financial support for students who are not eligible to receive financial aid from the federal government due to their immigration status. It is a one-time grant made payable to the student. The amount of the scholarship will depend on the particular financial need of the student, the number of qualified applicants, and the funds raised in a given year.

In order to qualify for the Unafraid Scholarship students must:

• Be undocumented
• Be a BPS graduate of a class of 2013 - 2018

There is no GPA requirement. Students must submit all materials by June 1st toUnafraidscholarship@gmail.com

Students who qualify must email: Unafraidscholarship@gmail.com to request an application. Please include the following information in the email:

• Full name
• BPS high school
• Year of graduation from BPS high school
• Years of college attended (if applicable)

Planning for a Family Emergency Packet

In a time of increased immigration enforcement, many immigrant families are looking for resources to proactively prepare in the event that they are detained and thereby separated from their children. The Planning for a Family Emergency Packet provides an overview of an immigrant’s constitutional rights when confronted by law enforcement as well as introduce key legal tools including how to assist immigrant parents in filling out specific forms to temporarily authorize someone to care for their children including accessing school, medical and other needs in case they are detained or separated.

Materials produced by Massachusetts Law Reform Institute in collaboration with the following organizations: ACLU of Massachusetts, Catholic Charities Archdiocese of Boston, Children’s Law Center of Massachusetts, Community Legal Services and Counseling Center, Greater Boston Legal Services, Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinic, Kids in Need of Defense, Massachusetts Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, Northeast Justice Center, and the Political Asylum/Immigration Representation Project

Know Your Rights Workshops

The Office of English Language Learners is working with the Mayor's Office for Immigrant Advancement and the Political Asylum/Immigration Representation (PAIR) Project to provide Know Your Rights workshops for BPS schools. This workshop will inform families and staff of information regarding basic immigrants rights. If you are interested in hosting a Know Your Rights workshop at your school, please contact Melody Feng (mfeng@bostonpublicschools.org) for more information.

You may download the presentations in the following languages:

• English Updated in January, 2018
• Chinese (中文)
• Haitian Creole (Kreyòl Ayisyen)
• Portuguese (Português)
• Spanish (Español) Updated in January, 2018

Boston Public Schools has recently updated and made some changes to the Superintendent Circular regarding Educational Access for all Students. We want all families to know that will continue to welcome them and support them, and honor their constitutional right to a free and uninterrupted public school education.

Follow the links below to access the circular in its entirety.

For English, please click here.

Arabic: .لقراءة باللغة العربية، يرجى الضغط هنا

Cape Verdean Creole: Pa Criolu di Cabo Verde, karka li.

Chinese: 閱讀中文，请點擊这里。

French: Pour français, cliquez ici.

Haitian Creole: Pou Kreyòl Ayisyen, klike isi a.

Portuguese: Para Português, pressiona aquí.

Somali: Af Soomaali, halkan riix.

Spanish: Para español, haga clic aquí.

Vietnamese: Muốn xem bằng tiếng Việt, xin bấm vào đây.

Dear Boston Public Schools Community,

As we get ready to welcome back our families, students and staff for the start of another exciting school year, the Boston School Committee and Boston Public Schools would like to affirm our deep and unwavering commitment to providing all of our young people, regardless of their immigration status, a high-quality education. As new developments arise nationally, one thing remains constant here at BPS, and that is our continued focus on creating a “Culture of We” in which we celebrate the diversity that makes our city and district truly great.

Today, we received news that the Trump administration is formally ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA. Since former President Obama signed the executive order in 2012, DACA has greatly benefited those we call “DREAMers” by allowing them to secure in-state college tuition and work permits, as well as obtain social security numbers. While this action will greatly impact these 800,000 individuals, our entire city will feel the consequences of this change, particularly in our schools.

Today, Boston Teachers Union President Jessica Tang and I partnered together in releasing the following joint statement urging Congress to pass legislation that provides a pathway to citizenship for immigrants who arrived in the United States as children:

We stand shoulder-to-shoulder in fighting for the continued protection of all DREAMers, those law-abiding young people who have come to this country — often through no choice of their own — and have grown up and been educated here. These are hardworking students, employees, and even members of the military who enrich and strengthen our communities. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) reflects our values as a country by offering 800,000 of these people the opportunity to gain a new freedom and security to work toward achieving their dreams, including getting an education and going to college, and to contribute to the country they call home. Eliminating DACA would drive them into the shadows, depleting our schools and our workforce of productive members of our society who simply yearn to pursue their dreams and fulfill their full potential. Boston’s educators remain as committed today as ever in continuing our work to protect and uplift all students, families, and communities. We remain steadfast in our efforts to ensure that we welcome and meet the needs of all children who walk through our doors, regardless of their race or immigration status. Day in and day out the principals, teachers and staff of the Boston Public Schools strive to create safe, welcoming and sustaining learning environments for all of our students.

While no current DACA beneficiaries will be immediately affected until March, the government is no longer granting any new requests until Congress takes action.

In the meantime, we will continue our efforts to provide support and learning opportunities for our educators and families so that the entire BPS community can stay informed. Please visit the BPS We Dream Together or the BTU Unafraid Educators websites for a complete list of resources, including updated information regarding DACA and the DREAM Act, which would provide a path to citizenship. People can also log onto the city’s website at boston.gov/immigrants and call the Mayor’s 24-hour hotline, “311,” to be directed to the Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Advancement for additional resources and information to help immigrants and their families.

Boston is a proud city of immigrants and BPS is a reflection of that diversity. As a district, our top priority is the safety and wellbeing of our students. We appreciate the trust that you put in us, and we will do everything we can to protect the rights of our BPS community, including those of our immigrant families and students.

Sincerely,

Tommy Chang, Ed.D.

Superintendent

The BPS We Dream Together website contains a variety of resources:

Educational Resources: useful links for school leaders, teachers, and support staff to support students and families when conversations arise about immigration and diversity

Family Resources: resources to assist families in understanding their rights, information about BPS, City of Boston, and other community resources, and useful tips to help families discuss current events with their children

Student Resources: resources to assist students with understanding their rights and how to navigate their everyday lives as immigrant or refugee students

Learning Opportunities: upcoming learning opportunities provided for educators and support staff to understand stress and its impact on teaching and learning; learning opportunities for parents to learn more about issues related to immigration and refugee status

Additional Resources: resources to assist families and students identify non-profit organizations and legal assistance that can help them understand their status and immigration options

We at Boston Public Schools (BPS) are aware of and empathetic to the concerns of our immigrant families who are facing uncertain times. BPS continues to work closely with the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Advancement and numerous community partners on providing helpful information and services to immigrant families, including students and educators. BPS is committed to fostering a safe, welcoming environment for all students regardless of their immigration status. There has been, and will continue to be, a clear focus on sustaining the personal, cultural, and linguistic identities of our students and families.

Albert Einstein¹ Isabel Allende² Citizenship Oath Ceremony³ Ieoh Ming Pei⁴ Farah Pandith⁵

Disclaimer: Boston Public Schools (BPS) strives to make the information on this website as timely and accurate as possible, BPS makes no claims, promises, or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the contents of this site, and expressly disclaims liability for errors and omissions in the contents of this site. The information provided on this site is not legal advice, does not constitute a lawyer referral service, and no attorney-client or confidential relationship is or will be formed by use of the site. Links to all and any third party websites are for resource-use only and BPS does not endorse or make any representations about them or take any responsibility for any results that may be obtained

For more information from the BPS Legal Department or questions about the terms and conditions of using this and other BPS websites, please visit the following BPS Legal page.

References

1. Image of Albert Einstein on Viewfoo.com (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.viewfoo.com/uploads/images/702_1433440833_alberteinsteinb.jpg
2. Image of Isabel Allende on Wikipedia.org (n.d.). Retrieved from https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/db/Isabel_Allende_-_001.jpg/220px-Isabel_Allende_-_001.jpg
3. Image of Naturalization Ceremony on Standard Times News. (2010). Retrieved from http://media.jrn.com/images/20100317-201940-pic-700324642_6117213_ver1.0_640_480.jpg
4. Image of Leon Ming Pei on EduBilla.com (2010). Retrieved from http://uploads.edubilla.com/awards-winners/d3/ba/ieoh-ming-pei.jpg
5. Image of Farah Pandith (2014). Retrieved from http://media.linkmedia.rs/2014/05/farahpandith.jpg