Controversy Over Illegal Immigrant Children In Public Schools

As a student and the daughter of an elementary school principal, I am very interested in the debate over illegal immigrant children in public schools. Education is the key to success and the ticket to a better future. Illegal immigrants potentially pose threats to the educational system; however, they are still entitled to an education by law. School systems are suffering because of the government’s inadequate funding.

The increasing number of illegal immigrant children filling public school seats has caused controversy over reshaping education policies. By denying children of illegal immigrants a basic education, we foreclose any realistic possibility that they will contribute in even the smallest way to the progress of the nation. Every year teachers and administrators work hard to understand the strengths, lives and cultures of uncommented immigrant children. They do their best to help create a school environment that benefits all students. Many attest to the fact that illegal immigrants aren’t going anywhere so it would be better to educate their children and give them the tools they will need to make a better life for themselves. Even if they were deported, sending educated people back will help ensure that they are able to secure viable employment and thereby helping their country build a solid economy. Won’t this help the United States in the long run? ( http://www.city-data.com/forum/immigration/51574-illegal-immigrants-public-schools.html)

To bolster academic achievement and performance for all students nationwide, the Bush Administration has implemented No Child Left Behind. Some states have made great strides in raising achievement and narrowing gaps among elementary students. For example, the gap in Delaware between the percentage of reading-proficient white and Hispanic fifth-graders narrowed from 31 points in 2001 to less than five points in 2004, and for African-American students, the gap narrowed from 22 points to 16. While some states have made great progress, critics of No Child Left Behind argue that the bill must be revised in order to help urban schools that have large percentages of Hispanic children. They claim suburban schools receive more funding because they meet their target goals. According to the National Education Association, average per- student spending in the United States rose from less than $2,500 in 1966 to nearly $5,200 in 1989. Over that same period, combined verbal and math scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (now called the Scholastic Achievement Test), dropped from about 960 to just over 900.

Immigration does not explain rising enrollment in every single school district in the country, but the national increase in the number of children in school is a direct consequence of recent immigration. The Department of Education’s report shows that the number of students in public school has grown by about 7 million since the early 1980s. In 1998 there were 52 million school-age children, roughly 8 million of whom were either immigrants themselves or the child or an immigrant mother who had arrived since 1965 when current immigration wave began. The total k-12 expenditure for illegal immigrants costs the states 7.4 billion annually, enough to buy a computer for every junior high student nationwide. Although this is not a legislative issue yet, many illegal immigrants cannot register for college because they do not have a social security number. States such as Utah and Virginia are threatening to eliminate in-state tuition rates for illegal immigrant students who attend public colleges and universities. The fact of the matter is illegal immigrant children are here to stay and it's in our best long term interest to educate them.

Under the 1982 Plyler v. Doe Supreme Court ruling, illegal alien students are entitled to enroll in public schools at taxpayer expense. The court believed that denying undocumented children access to education unfairly punished the children for their parent’s undocumented status. As a result of the ruling schools may not: 1) deny admission to a student on the basis of undocumented status 2) treat a student fundamentally different from others to determine residency 3) engage in practices to “chill” access to school 4) require students or parents to disclose or document immigrant status 5) make injuries of students of parents that may expose their undocumented status and 6) require social security numbers from all students. The ruling was issued at a time when the amnesty program was already being discussed and it was felt that these students would be amnestied away. The students were small enough in number that they posed no threat to the education of America’s students and were not a financial hardship to taxpayers. Congress can reverse the decision if these illegal alien students prove to be a financial hardship to taxpayers and if the students who are legally residing in the United States begin to have their own education negatively impacted by the presence of illegal alien students.

There are mixed opinions about what action the U.S. should take against illegal immigration in order to alleviate the strain on public school systems. Republicans are somewhat more likely than Democrats to say illegal immigration is a "very" serious problem. By eight-to-one, Americans think it is unfair to grant rights to illegal immigrants while thousands of people wait each year to come to the United Sates legally. 86 percent of Republicans think it is unfair, as do 77 percent of Democrats. The influence of Hispanic votes is likely to be amplified in the coming election due to the new immigration policy. Liberals say the bill is unfair because it limits opportunities for unskilled workers. Conservatives oppose what they call "amnesty" for illegal behavior and say it will encourage more. They favor “providing a way for illegal immigrants currently in the country to gain legal citizenship,” but support declines sharply when the concept of amnesty is raised. Click here for a closer look at the bill’s proposals.

For more information and articles about the issues presented in this post go to: http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/frss/publications/2000032/8.asp
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-09-26-moving_N.htm
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/education/aliens_5-27.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/11/AR2007071102010.html
http://cis.org