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NYC school year set to begin with thousands of new migrant students
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Aug 30, 2023
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Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Aug 30, 2023
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New York City public schools are set to open next week with nearly 19,000 new homeless students – a reflection of the migrant crisis’ effect on the education system, officials from the Adams administration said Wednesday.
Schools Chancellor David Banks said in a briefing on the asylum seeker crisis that the students, who have enrolled in public schools since last year, are living in the city’s temporary housing system made up of homeless shelters and hotels. The Education Department does not track students’ immigration status, but the vast majority of newcomers are believed to be migrants.
“Our focus remains undeterred on the education, well-being and holistic development of every student that steps into a New York City public school, regardless of where they come from or the language that they speak at home,” Banks said.
There are more than 3,400 teachers in the city’s public schools certified to teach English as a new language. At least 1,700 other teachers are fluent in Spanish, Banks said.
Those numbers are not a significant increase compared to figures reported by Gothamist in December, when educators said the school system was scrambling to meet migrant students’ basic needs. At that time, teachers described relying on bilingual students or translation apps to communicate with migrant kids.
“I’ve visited schools where I’ve seen other students – third and fourth graders – who are interpreting for other classmates,” Banks said at the briefing.
His comments came on the same day Chalkbeat reported that some migrant families are encountering difficulties enrolling in school due to inexperienced shelter operators, language barriers and staffing challenges.
Mayor Eric Adams recently estimated the migrant crisis will cost the city $12 billion by 2025.
There are more than 111,500 people currently in the city's homeless shelter system – including more than 59,400 asylum seekers as of Aug. 27, officials said. On average, more than 10,000 people are entering the shelter system each month. Last week, more than 2,900 migrants entered the city's shelter system.
The city is also working to get as many migrant children vaccinated as possible, education department Chief of Staff Melissa Aviles-Ramos said.
Students in temporary housing do not need to show proof of vaccination in order to enroll in school, though the city seeks to connect students to mobile vaccination units and clinics “in a timely manner,” Aviles-Ramos said.
More migrant kids are expected to arrive in the city. The Adams administration has implemented a controversial policy of giving single adult migrants in emergency shelters 60 days to find somewhere else to live – to make room for migrant families with children.
During the conference, administration officials echoed Adams’ pleas for more help from the Biden administration.
Anne Williams-Isom, deputy mayor for health and human services, said the federal government is asking “one municipality to respond to what are state and federal issues.”
Tagged
new york city
education
Asylum Seekers
Giulia Heyward
Giulia Heyward is a breaking news reporter on the Day-Of desk. She previously worked at NPR, as a breaking news reporter, and the New York Times, as a reporting fellow on the national desk. Her work has also appeared in CNN, The Atlantic and Politico. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or more securely on signal at 917-715-1458.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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