Scenarios

1. Scenarios Unaccompanied Youth Issues and Ethics

2. Scenario One: Jeremy Jeremy, 15, recently showed up with his friend, Billy, at Vento High School, where you are the Principal. He explained to you that he was staying with Billy for awhile, and wanted to go to this school instead of the school he was attending, McKinney High, which is in a different district. After some pressing, he explained that he had been kicked out of his home by his mom and stepfather. He said they knew where he was and “didn’t care.”

3. Jeremy • Is Jeremy “homeless” under McKinney- Vento? Why or Why not?  • What school(s) is Jeremy eligible to attend? • How does the McKinney-Vento Act pertain to this situation? What services is Jeremy eligible for?  • Is there any responsibility in district policy or state or federal law to report Jeremy’s whereabouts? • To whom are you supposed to report him and when? • Does it make a difference if he tells you his mom hits him? • What would be your responsibility if Jeremy’s parents contacted you and told you that he had left home without permission?  

4. Jeremy • What if Jeremy’s parents say they have reported him as a runaway, and they want him home? They ask you not to enroll him? How would you handle this?  • How would you code Jeremy in PEIMS? If his parents do not want him identified as homeless would you then not code him, or change his code? • What if he was staying with a friend without the friend’s parental permission? • What would you do to support this young person? What strategies would you use and what resources would tap? • How would you work with your district to create the changes that are needed so situations like this can be responded to appropriately for all students who experience them?

5. Situations/Dilemmas Work as a group: Identify the youth’s needs, Identify the challenges in meeting those needs Identify resources Identify the: ethical principles ethical issues or concerns ethical practices

6. Scenario Two: Antwan Antwan is a 14 year old first time 9th grader who has attended school for most of his life in the largest urban school district in the city (district of origin). He has been served in Special Education classrooms and has an IEP that just expired. His mother, legal guardian, has a significant history of drug abuse and has been missing for most of the summer. Antwan resided with various family members throughout the summer, and two weeks into the new school year finally ends up with a family member, Aunt, who seems willing to provide some stability. She resides in a bordering district (district of residence).

7. Scenario Two: Antwan She has attempted to enroll Antwan in the 9th grade at the local high school but has been denied due to lack of custody. Aunt does not know where Antwan’s legal guardian, Mother, is at this time and no other family members have had contact with her for weeks. Aunt is not sure if she is willing, or able, to take custody of Antwan at this time, but wants him to attend school. She has been told by the district in which she resides that she will have to file for custody of Antwan before they will enroll him in school and show them paperwork with a court date. They have also indicated that she will need to have an updated IEP before Antwan can actually begin attending school.

8. Scenario Two Antwan • Is Antwan “homeless” under McKinney- Vento? Why or Why not?  • Which school is Antwan eligible to attend?  • How does the McKinney-Vento Act pertain to this situation? • What services is Antwan eligible for? • What IDEA provisions apply to Antwan’s situation?  • Can the school require the Aunt to get legal guardianship? • What might be the impediments to the Aunt being able to get guardianship?  • Are there any kinship services that might be available to the aunt?

9. Scenario Two: Antwan • Would you need to report the situation if Antwan tells you his mother was abusive, even though he is safe with his non-abusive aunt now? • What would be your responsibility if Antwan’s mother contacted you and told you that she had not given permission for Antwan to live with his aunt? • What would you do to support this young person? What strategies would you use and what resources would you tap?  • How would you work with your district to create the changes that are needed so situations like this can be responded to appropriately for all students who experience them?

10. Situations/Dilemmas Work as a group: Identify the youth’s needs, Identify the challenges in meeting those needs Identify resources Identify the: ethical principles ethical issues or concerns ethical practices

11. Scenario 3: Tina Alice has a friend, Judy, who has been keeping her granddaughter, Tina, age 15, while her son is incarcerated. Alice’s friend has a medical issue requiring her hospitalization. Judy asks Alice to take the child in while she is hospitalized. Alice takes the child to the high school near her home to enroll her. The registrar tells Alice she will have to return when the Administrator is there to fill out the “homeless” paperwork. She gives Alice a guardianship form to get her friend’s son to sign. It also has to be notarized. Alice explains that her friend’s son is incarcerated some distance away. Alice cannot go get his signature. She cannot take off work to come in another day to sign paperwork.

12. Scenario 3: Tina The registrar tells her Alice she has no choice she will simply have to return in three days to meet with the administrator. Alice calls three days later only to find that the administrator is not expected in that day, and the receptionist doesn’t know for sure when he will be in. She tells Alice to call daily, and reasserts that only this administrator can do the paperwork with Alice. She also inquires as to whether Alice has gotten the guardianship paper signed by her son. Is Tina MV eligible? Is Tina Unaccompanied? What barriers can you identify in this situation? How should they be remedied?

13. Situations/Dilemmas Work as a group: Identify the youth’s needs, Identify the challenges in meeting those needs Identify resources Identify the: ethical principles ethical issues or concerns ethical practices

14. Scenario Four: Miranda Miranda, who is 17 years old, arrives at Oak High School in early November seeking to enroll in school. She informs you, the school district homeless liaison, that she left home four months ago because she just couldn’t stay there anymore. She is reluctant to share any other information about why she no longer wants to live with her mother, who is her custodial parent. She informs you that her father died 5 years ago.

15. Scenario 4 : Miranda Miranda has been sleeping on the couch of a friend who resides in your district and within the attendance zone of Oak High School. Before Miranda’s name reached your desk, the registrar called her mother who informed the school that Miranda could come home anytime she wants. However, the mother didn’t really seem to care if Miranda lived at home or not—she doesn’t really plan to do anything about the fact that Miranda left. Miranda is steadfast about not going home and about enrolling in Oak High.

16. Scenario 4: Miranda She only needs two more semesters of credit to graduate. Unfortunately, she has barely attended classes since the school year began two months ago. She says she intended to continue in her school of origin, but she was unaware of her McKinney-Vento rights and thought she had to use public transportation to get there. Somehow she just never had the money so was only present for 7 days this semester.

17. Miranda • Is Miranda “homeless” under McKinney- Vento? Why or Why not?  • How does the McKinney-Vento Act pertain to this situation? What services is Miranda eligible for? • Is there any responsibility in district policy or state or federal law to report Miranda’s whereabouts? • To whom are you supposed to report her and when? • Does it make a difference if she tells you her mom hits her? • What would be your responsibility if Miranda’s parents contacted you and told you that she had run away without permission?

18. Miranda • What if she was staying with a friend without the friend’s parental permission? • What would you do to support this young person? What strategies would you use and what resources would tap? • Would Miranda be eligible to play basketball at Oak High? • How would you work with your district to create the changes that are needed so situations like this can be responded to appropriately for all students who experience them?

19. Situations/Dilemmas Work as a group: Identify the youth’s needs, Identify the challenges in meeting those needs Identify resources Identify the: ethical principles ethical issues or concerns ethical practices