Going in I need you to know that I was told the flow has slowed, and yet....
"Schools scramble to meet the emotional needs of undocumented children" by Pamela Constable | Washington Post September 14, 2014
WASHINGTON — All summer, Central American children caught at the US-Mexico border have been trickling into the Washington area, sent to live with relatives in Latino communities. Now, they are descending en masse on the region’s public schools, bringing an array of problems that school officials are scrambling to address.
We were told, no, no, that's not true, won't happen.
Ripped from distant worlds, most of the new students speak no English, and some are psychologically scarred from abuse by gangs or smugglers.
They also have many communicable diseases that will now be transferred to healthy American kids in the public schools. An excuse for a lot of dead kids and martial law, just like in the movies. Been programmed for it.
Reunited with parents or other relatives they barely know, and still grieving for family and friends back home, they might feel depressed and resentful.
‘‘Some of these kids arrive feeling very angry,’’ said Rina Chavez, a counselor with the Montgomery County, Md., schools. ‘‘After years of living with their grandparents, suddenly here they are with mom and a new stepdad and two younger siblings. Then they are expected in a heartbeat to sit down and learn, but they might not be ready.
‘‘At first, some even refuse to learn English.’’
Great, just what we need, more anger issues in the schools.
So what happens when the first saved illegal starts shooting up a school?
Of the roughly 37,000 border children released to parents or other sponsors since January, the Washington area has absorbed one of the largest contingents in the nation. Fairfax County, Va., has received 1,023, followed by Prince George’s County, Md., with 960, and Montgomery County, Md., with 816.
Only Los Angeles, Miami, two New York counties, and one in Texas have received more, according to federal statistics. All of the children will face eventual hearings on their immigration status.
Because all three regional school systems already serve large numbers of Spanish-speaking students, the schools are equipped to handle some of the newcomers’ needs, such as testing for English skills and academic placement. Also in place are programs to encourage immigrant parents to participate in school activities and to help them sort out conflicts after long family separations.
‘‘We have been integrating these kids into the system for years,’’ said Chrisandra Richardson, who administers English for Speakers of Other Languages programs in Montgomery schools. Last year, the county had 19,000 such students, and the border surge has added about 800 more. ‘‘It’s not a drop in the bucket,’’ she said, ‘‘but it’s what we do.’’
Yeah, "we" know. Then "we" are called conspiracy kooks.
John Torre, a Fairfax schools spokesman, said non-native English speakers were already the fastest-growing segment of students, with more than 6,000 enrolled since 2011. ‘‘This is not a new phenomenon for us,’’ he said.
They spend more time teaching languages and for tests than actual educating.
Yet
I knew there was a catch, always is.
even for schools used to integrating Hispanic immigrants, the unusually large number of those enrolling at once — many with social and emotional needs — is straining the system’s capacity for counseling and therapy.
I love mixed messages with my shovelful of propaganda upon a Sunday.
Officials at Mary’s Center, a nonprofit health agency that provides 12 schools in the District and Maryland with mental-health therapists, said they have been swamped in recent weeks with school referrals.
‘‘What’s different is the sheer volume. There’s been a huge influx of kids with a plethora of issues,’’ said Kara Lowinger, who directs the center’s therapy program.
‘‘They come with a tremendous amount of trauma, and they feel like they’re living with strangers.’’
Chavez said she urged the children to develop ‘‘coping skills,’’ such as drawing pictures for younger ones and keeping journals for older ones.
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Of course, none of those increased services are costing taxpayers a dime.
Related:
"US wants Texas immigration lockup" Associated Press September 12, 2014
AUSTIN, Texas — Federal authorities want to build a new South Texas immigration lockup for families amid an unprecedented surge in the number of youngsters pouring across the US border, a federal official said Thursday.
Remember what I said at the top of this post?
Immigration and Customs Enforcement is proposing a residential center in the town of Dilley, about 70 miles southwest of San Antonio, agency spokeswoman Adelina Pruneda said. Pruneda said the agency isn’t discussing further details, including how many adults and children the 50-acre facility would house, how much it would cost, or when it might be ready.
The agency is working to ‘‘finalize contracts with construction and service providers’’ for the South Texas facility, she said.
The spike in unaccompanied children and families crossing the border has strained federal authorities’ capacity to house those arrested on immigration charges.
Last month, federal authorities converted an all-male facility in Karnes City, southeast of San Antonio, to accept 532 mothers and their children.
The plan is being decried by advocacy groups, who point to the fraught history of a past Texas family immigration lockup. The ACLU and University of Texas Immigration Law Clinic in a 2007 suit alleged inhumane conditions.
Hey, it's a dollar a day the illegal immigrant way.
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