Ok lahoma City Public Schools Superintendent Jamie Polk and Tulsa Public Schools Superintendent Ebony Johnson have responded to the proposal, which could deter students who are undocumented or from mixed-status families from attending school.
Oklahoma City Public Schools Superintendent Jamie Polk and Tulsa Public Schools Superintendent Ebony Johnson have responded to the proposal, which could deter students who are undocumented or from mixed-status families from attending school.
“Federal law guarantees every child’s right to public education regardless of immigration status, and our District will continue operating in accordance with these established federal protections,” Polk wrote. “OKCPS does not, nor do we have plans to, collect the immigration status of our students or their families.” Johnson echoed that message in a video.
“We do not collect, require, or report any information related to immigration status to the state or federal governments,” Johnson said.
The agency’s proposal comes as schools around the country brace for a potential wave of deportations under Presidentelect Donald Trump, according to a story in The New York Times. Educators are worried federal agents could start showing up at schools despite a longstanding policy preventing Immigration and Customs Enforcement from making arrests at schools.
Undocumented college students are facing uncertainty, too, renewing fears, reports The Hechinger Report.