Danny Kanner was clear in his assertion about the New York City public school system: “Every student has a right to go to school.”
The city Department of Education (DOE) mantra sung by Kanner, an agency spokesperson, holds true for school-age Haitian refugees whose own chalkboards and homework assignments were turned to dust on January 12.
As of February 16, 219 Haitian students who fled the earthquake-ravaged Caribbean nation had been absorbed into NYC public schools.
The majority of the students, according to the DOE, are now enrolled in Brooklyn’s District 17, which includes the heavily Haitian neighborhood of Flatbush. But Queens also tops the list.
“I wouldn’t characterize this as a massive influx,” Kanner said, “but it’s a challenging time and we’re providing all the resources we can for these students.”
But organizations including the Flanbwayan Haitian Literacy Project, the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) and Advocates for Children, along with representatives of the Haitian Consulate say the DOE is not doing enough. They claim the agency is taking too long – up to 6 weeks – to find a spot for the displaced students, when by city law, they say, school placement should take no more than five business days.
Critics also point to a lack of transition programs for Haitian English Language Learners – an issue that, along with the timing of school placements, had been a problem long before the Haiti earthquake, according to Deycy Avitia, the director of advocacy and organizing for NYIC.
Avitia noted that NYIC reached out to the DOE two years ago to set up a plan to accommodate new students into the city system. Yet, she said little has been done, as there is still an overwhelming lack of space for Haitian students, particularly at the high school level. Avitia added that the city also has a shortage of programs for Students with Interrupted Formal Education and those who lack basic literacy.
“Now, when you add on top of that the fact that there might be a steady stream of students coming in – we need to be prepared for that,” Deycy noted, referring to the ongoing arrival of Haitian students.
The DOE’s Kanner said borough enrollment centers process the new Haitian students and direct them to particular schools for potential admission. And, he added, in the beginning, city intake centers helped direct crisis counselors into schools to support social workers and guidance counselors working with the traumatized students.
“We take any and all kids,” Kanner emphasized. “Everyone’s got a right to a public education.”
In the end, however, it seems the issue does not concern admittance, but instead how efficiently the city can accommodate displaced Haitian school children, and how quickly it can get them back into a daily routine – even if it’s 1,500 miles from home.
