NYC Leadership Academy calls on system leaders to protect and support immigrant students

Over the next several weeks, schools around the country will open their doors for a new school year. This should be a time of excitement and anticipation of new learning for children and educators.  

This should not be a time of fear. As educational leaders, we cannot allow our students and their teachers to return to school frightened, or to be too afraid to return at all. 

Schools, under strong leadership, have a critical role to play in ensuring immigrant children have a safe haven in their schools. While federal officials’ threats of home and workplace raids have mostly been just that – threats — families are still understandably scared. School and system leaders have a critical role to play in ensuring our schools do not only what is right, but what the law requires: to educate ALL of our youth and keep them safe.  

Two years ago, I wrote an op-ed outlining a few crucial steps that school and school system leaders can take to protect their immigrant students and families. This work becomes more relevant and urgent every day. As I wrote then, among the most important things leaders can do is:  

• Identify a set of student-centered values and integrate them into the life of the school.  
• Challenge discrimination and demonstrate intolerance for it. 
• Encourage conversations that value all points of view. 
• Widely share information about immigrant rights and resources with students and families.  

Courageous leaders should also know that they are not alone. They can learn from each other, look to each other for ideas and guidance. We have recently seen some districts use the media and other means to remind families of the policies in place that make schools safe havens for undocumented families. I know of a principal who, with the support of his superintendent, recently blocked ICE officers from entering his school when they came looking for members of the school community whom they suspected were undocumented. We would love to hear and share with our community how you are leading with courage for some of our most vulnerable young people — share your stories with us at jgrossman@nycleadershipacademy.org or and we will handle them sensitively, or if you are comfortable, post them on Twitter at #HowILeadforEquity.  

Let’s give all children access to the opportunity that is their right: a school year that engages them in the joys of learning by keeping them safe in an environment that values and respects all perspectives and experiences.