Migrants Arriving in Major Cities
Lately, there have been thousands of migrants arriving in the United States. All of these migrants have been seeking asylum in the U.S., as sometimes they are coming from a place where there is a lot of turmoil. These migrants have been sent to major cities, such as Chicago and New York City.
There are also many children that have been brought along. These children are in need of schooling, and Chicago Public Schools provides the schooling for these migrant children. However, there are many issues that arise, because of the increase in students across many schools in Chicago. Teachers are severely underequipped.
Teachers Struggling to Accommodate
There are many teachers that work for CPS, who were working fine before many more students arrived in Chicago. Now, CPS is asking teachers to do a lot more work.
Essentially, CPS is asking teachers, principals, and support staff at schools to bend over backward and do multiple jobs to provide these newcomers with the things they need. Although these teachers have been doing the best they can to support each student, it can certainly get difficult. A large number of students requires either more teachers or more resources provided by CPS in order to make things work.
Just as it is not fair for the teachers to be doing a whole lot of extra work, it is unfair for the students as well. Each student deserves a good and proper education, and sometimes teachers cannot provide that, as there are a lot of students to support.
Number of Students Accepted by CPS As of Now
Over the past couple of months, CPS has accepted quite a large number of students to enroll in different schools across the city. The city has welcomed more than 5,000 new arrivals since August, many with children in Chicago Public Schools.
CPS won’t say how many students have enrolled, though the Chicago Teachers Union estimates it’s 1,200 students since the fall. That is 1,200 students that each need support but are not receiving it as CPS is not providing those resources to the teachers or even the students.
Along with the lack of support that teachers and students are receiving from CPS, there is also a need for more bilingual assistance in many schools. Education departments need more bilingual staff, resources to help immigrant families, and contract provisions to protect undocumented students and staff, members of the Chicago Teachers Union stated. If this support is not received, there will continue to be protests amongst the Chicago Teachers Union, and rightfully so.
A Story of Ana and Juanito
Ana is the mother of Juanito, both of whom migrated from Ecuador all the way to Texas. It can be said with certainty that it was a tedious journey and a very dangerous one. It is safe to say that they were both extremely tired by the time they arrived.
They were thankfully helped by a stranger, who gave them tickets to Chicago. As time has passed, Ana stated her “son is thriving at his new school but she struggles to navigate public transportation to get him to and from class. The trip takes about 45 minutes on the CTA, and he’s not eligible for bus service.” Clearly, they are still struggling to get Juanito to and from classes, but she still makes it happen for the sake of her son’s future.
Hope for the Future
Not only do teachers hope, but students and parents hope that CPS can finally listen, and supply these teachers and students with the much-needed resources. That way, everything can finally settle down, and teachers can finally get the support they need. Also, students can get the education they deserve, and parents can get the closure they need.
Written by David Loran Jr
Sources:
Block Club Chicago: Chicago’s Undocumented Students And Teachers Need More Protections, Better Bilingual Services, Teachers Union Says
Chicago Sun-Times: What’s happening to migrant students once they enter Chicago schools?
WBEZ Chicago: 9-year-old Juanito and his mom join thousands of migrants arriving in Chicago
Featured Image Courtesy of Joe Piette’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Steven dosRemedios’ Flickr Page – Creative Commons License