Tisha R' Tallman MALDEF Mexican American Legal Defense

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Tisha R. TallmanMALDEFMexican American Legal
Defense Educational FundSoutheast Regional
CounselAtlanta, GA(678) 559-1071Toll free
(877) 4 MALDEF
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10 Story Ideas Our Latino Children and
Education

• University of Georgia
• Journalist Conference
• Atlanta, Georgia
• November 16, 2005

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Some Data. . .
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Statistics --- National

• 1.3 million undocumented children
• 3 million United States born children with
  undocumented parents

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Georgia

• Estimated population of undocumented children in
  Georgia unknown

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Statistics --- Georgia

• In the 2004-2005 academic year, there are
  approximately 50.6 students of color from PK
  12th Grade

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Latino student population in Georgia

• Latino students accounted for 5.5 of the total
  enrollment in grades K-12 in the 2001-2002 school
  year.
• Currently, there are approximately 120,505 Latino
  Students enrolled in Georgia schools.

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Georgia Children and English Proficiency

• Georgia schools enrolled 59,126 students with
  limited English proficiency in the 2003-2004
  school year.
• Georgia schools experienced a growth of
  approximately 400 between 1993 and 2003.

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Issues

• K 12 Access and Drop-Outs/Push-Outs
• Post-Secondary Access and Affordability

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K 12 Access

• Plyler v. Doe
• HR 256 and other PAN-like initiatives

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Plyler v. Doe

• Access to education is guaranteed for all
  students K 12 without regard to immigration
  status

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State Legislation/Initiatives

• Historical background Proposition 187,
  Proposition 200
• HR 256 and other PAN-like initiatives

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K 12 Drop-Outs/Push-Outs
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Graduate Rates

• Latino student graduation rates nationally is
  approximately 53.
• Georgias Latino student gradation rate is 43
• Georgias graduation rate is 58.
• Southern regions graduation rate is 65.

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Drop-Outs- Some Causes

• Testing
• Inadequate or non-existent ELL services for LEP
  students
• Discrimination
• Lack of leadership

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Testing

• Grades 3, 5, to begin 8 Latino youth were
  overrepresented among retained students in
  2001-2002 school year.
• Graduation Exit exams

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Inadequate or Non-existent ELL Services

• Type of services provided
• Funding structures
• Testing

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Discrimination

• Based on race, ethnicity, perceived immigration
  status, language, national origin

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Lack of Leadership/Knowledge
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Post-Secondary Access

• The Virginia Example
• EAE v. Merten
• State Legislation SB 171

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Post-Secondary Affordability

• Federal Illegal Immigration Reform and
  Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (IIRAIRA)
  (eliminates in-state tuition to undocumented
  students if not provided to out of state students
  also)
• Federal (108th Congress) DREAM Act
• State 9 states (TX, CA, UT, WA, NY, OK, IL, KS,
  NM) pending negative and positive legislation
• Administrative (GA presidential waiver)

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Affordability - Challenged

• Pan-like initiatives that would deny access, GA
  SB 171
• Kansas lawsuit

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Other Considerations . . .

• Comprehensive Immigration Reform

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