Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/48466
A SCHOOL FOR HOMELESS STUDENTS Yeseina is a half hour late walking into her class at Monarch School in downtown San Diego. Her teacher, Stephen Keiley, looks concerned and not one bit annoyed. "Welcome," he says, smiling warmly. "Why are you late?" "I woke up late," replies the youngster. Keiley nods understandingly and asks if she has had breakfast. She tells him she has already eaten and settles down for a math lesson in the combination fourth- and fifth- grade class. Yeseina is homeless, and so are all of her classmates and students attending Monarch food and health care. Many have been exposed to violence and adult relatives with mental health or substance abuse problems. For them, the year-round K-12 school is a safe haven. "I love it here," says 14-year-old Noelle. "It ABOVE: Monarch math and science teacher Karen Daley helps Dezarae, a homeless student, figure out a math problem. School. So members of the Association of Edu- cators CTA/NEA who teach here are flexible. They know punctuality can be a challenge for students if they are sleeping in a shelter, motel room or car with their family. They may look like any other students, but those attending Monarch face obstacles unimaginable to most of us. They may lack feels like family. I feel comfortable here." Students may switch shelters or motels, but many find some stability at Monarch, a school that provides meals, showers, laundry facilities and a clothes closet. The school has partnerships with health care providers for vision and dental services, and a clinic is slated to open on cam- pus. Doors open at 6:30 a.m. since shelters close early, and many students stay until 5 or 6 p.m., when the shelters reopen. Fam- ily dinners are held two nights a week. Students are given free passes to take the trolley or bus to school from through- out San Diego County, and some travel many miles to get to school each day. It's worth it, say students, because Monarch is the closest thing to having a home. "The key word is services have after-school programs where kids can do homework, yoga and dance classes." The school was founded in 2001 and is They are living lives of trauma, and there is no soft- selling that. Stacy Bermingham that Monarch provides to students and their families," says high school math and science teacher Karen Daley, who began teaching at the school last January. "We have 'shopping day' here at the school where students can get toiletries including shampoo and con- ditioner or clothes that are nearly new. It's almost like having a store at school. We also located in a renovated warehouse. The popu- lation has grown by 75 percent since 2009 due to a worsening economy, and the school will be moving to a larger facility next year to meet rising demand. It is one of the few schools for homeless children in the nation. Federal law mandates that public schools allow home- less students to stay enrolled even when they leave the attendance boundaries so they are not segregated from other students. However, Monarch School was given a waiver and is allowed to serve only students who are homeless. If families find permanent housing, students can finish out the school year. Staff members say the alternative campus helps meet students' needs in ways that traditional schools may not, and stu- dents don't have to worry about being teased by other students about being home- less or dirty, having body odor, or wearing old clothes. Some students say that at other schools they were embarrassed to be living in motels and told other students they were on vacation. "The majority of the kids here are two to three grade levels behind," says Keiley, a Teacher of the Year in San Diego County. "They arrive here deficient in reading and math and other basics. They have had gaps in their education. Part of homelessness is moving around, and when you're transient, you're often If teachers suspect a student is homeless, they should contact their district's homeless liaison for assistance. IDENTIFYING HOMELESS STUDENTS All districts are required to have a homeless liaison, whose purpose is to ensure that children continue their schooling despite not having an address. (Source: Barbara Duffield, National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth) TALKING ABOUT HAVING TO MOVE OR STAYING IN DIFFERENT PLACES FALLING ASLEEP IN CLASS LOOKING UNWASHED ASKING TO BORROW FOOD FROM OTHER CHILDREN OR "FOOD HOARDING" WEARING THE SAME CLOTHING THROUGHOUT THE WEEK EXCESSIVE ABSENTEEISM DISCONNECTED TELEPHONE 14 California Educator / November 2011