Thread: AZ: Illegal immigrants could be dumped from classes

http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa ... p0118.html

Illegal immigrants could be dumped from classes
Josh Kelley
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 17, 2007 07:13 PM

Undocumented immigrants enrolled in Mesa Public Schools adult education classes to learn English likely will be kicked out because of Proposition 300 approved last November by Arizona voters.

Proposition 300 prohibits illegal immigrants who are adults from taking such courses that are state-funded and requires school officials to report the number of people who are denied access to those courses because of their immigration status.

Mesa school officials say the courses are used to get parents more engaged in the education of their children and give adults the skills they need to get better jobs.

The state Department of Education has yet to determine how or when the proposition should be implemented and is requesting an interpretation by the state Attorney General's Office before giving school districts guidance.

About 600 people are enrolled in 35 adult education classes in Mesa Public Schools, including 23 that focus on learning English, said Dave Eagleburger, the district's director of community education.

The other classes help students pass the General Education Development or GED test.

If students in those classes are forced to prove citizenship, "the result will be we will have fewer students in our adult education program than we have now," Eagleburger said. "There doesn't seem to be any doubt in my mind about that."

But it's unclear just how many people would be affected.

"We've never asked, just like when a student comes into a school," Eagleburger said. "We've always been told it's not legal to ask for U.S. citizenship. What we ask for is residence."

Until state education officials give more direction, the district will continue to require only residency information, not documentation proving legal residency.

"Right now we're just operating business as usual," said Sharon Holycross, early childhood education coordinator.

Holycross oversees the district's family literacy program, which is offered at five Title I elementary schools - Adams, Eisenhower, Lincoln, Longfellow and Lowell - that serve a large number of students from low-income households. All but Lincoln offer English language courses for adults. Lincoln offers GED training.

The program, which has existed in Mesa since 1991, allows pre-school students ages 3 and 4 to attend early childhood education classes, while their parents are next door learning English. For a portion of class time, which lasts four to five hours a day, parents interact with their children and learn how to teach them skills in reading, writing and math, said Holycross, who previously taught in the program for three years.

Federal Title I funds are used to pay for the program, along with state funds that apparently fall within the scope of Proposition300.

"How will all of that be considered when we are given particular guidance as to how we operate? We just don't know," Holycross said.

If federal money only were used, the district would likely avoid having to comply with the proposition, said Tom Pickrell, general counsel for Mesa Public Schools.

About 80 parents are enrolled in the program. Holycross said she doesn't know how many are legally in the country because staff has never asked.

Beyond the classroom, teachers and staff make home visits to families to work with parents on educating their children away from school.

"I think the family literacy program provides the family immeasurable support in developing relationships between the home and the school, enabling parents to be the first and most important advocate for the education of their children," Holycross said.

Pickrell said the proposition's toughest requirements could involve determining the immigration status of those who apply for adult education and literacy classes.

"My understanding is that can be a very complicated question," he said. "We have to report back to them (the state Department of Education) how many adults are denied access."

Looking for answers
The state Department of Education is asking the Arizona Attorney General's Office for clarifying information on Proposition 300 including:

• When the proposition goes into effect.

• When the department must report to the state Legislature the number of people denied access to adult education and literacy classes.

• How schools should determine whether a person is a legal resident and the documents needed to prove it.

• How federal money, and matching state money, can be used under the stipulations of the proposition.

• Whether federal law, which the department says is silent on the issue of immigration status regarding the funding of adult education and literacy classes, trumps the new state law, or vice versa.

Good! Get them off the tax-payer dole. Those classes are for legal immigrants.