UC pushed to break legal ground by hiring immigrant students without work permits
This article is more than 11 years old
This article is more than 11 years old
The state of Washington’s board of education is proposing the state’s first-ever policy statement on immigrant student teachers, requiring all new teachers to have work permits and potentially criminalizing the teaching of immigrant students to US citizens.
The board of education voted unanimously on Thursday to hire immigrant students into the class of 2013 without the need for a work permit or other authorization such as an I-20.
The policy is intended to comply with the requirements of the landmark Brown v Board of Education decisions, a landmark US supreme court ruling that declared segregated schools unconstitutional.
The policy also faces opposition from school boards in California and New York, who say it amounts to discrimination against students legally in this country and violates US immigration law.
“The district will provide the support and leadership necessary to ensure that all our students are prepared for success in their school environment,” Superintendent John King said in making the decision.
“Our district also has a responsibility to support and enhance the legal status of our immigrant students in this country.”
The change to state law would mean that teachers who currently taught immigrant students would lose their job unless they can prove they have a work permit and were legally authorized to teach the students.
Some immigrant students are already legally in this country.
Some schools, such as Los Angeles Unified, have been making the move, but a study published earlier this year found that more than half of schools have not yet implemented similar programs.
The policy is not intended to replace the teacher certification tests required in Washington state because it was created by adding some of the provisions to the state’s Teacher Certification and Licensing Act. The state is likely to begin teaching a certification test of students who are now being taught.
The law also establishes the Department of Licensing as a separate agency from the Department of Education and gives it the right to take any steps necessary to ensure that all students in Washington are legally allowed to study in Washington schools.
The Department of Licensing is responsible for collecting information on students and making an educated determination about whether or not they