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District 28 CEC asks for expanded "Know Your Rights" outreach and protections for students
Summary
The CEC passed a resolution urging the New York City public school system to strengthen multilingual ‘Know Your Rights’ trainings, town halls and printed guidance to protect students and families amid immigration concerns.
The Community Education Council for New York City Geographic District #28 passed a resolution asking the New York City public schools to expand multilingual "Know Your Rights" trainings, town halls and printed and online resources for students, staff and families.
Why it matters: Council members and community speakers said fear about immigration enforcement is driving some families to keep children home. The CEC resolution seeks clearer, consistent guidance and building-level safety teams so school staff and families know how to respond if immigration agents appear at or near school sites.
Resolution text and scope
The resolution requests: multilingual Know-Your-Rights training and town halls; printed and online resources for schools, families and staff; designation of building-level safety teams with clear protocols; and continued, explicit messaging from the chancellor’s office and DOE central that schools are welcoming and protective environments.
Council discussion and vote
Council members and public speakers described personal or community experiences that shaped their support for the measure. “While this resolution is a bit expansive, it does hint to a lot of things that are not always in the school system,” said one council member during discussion. A roll-call vote followed; the president announced that the resolution passed but was “not unanimously passed.” The meeting record shows a series of affirmative roll-call responses during the vote.
Nut graf: The resolution asks DOE central to strengthen communications and community-facing training about immigration encounters so families feel safe sending children to school and so building staff have clear protocols.
Next steps and context
Council leaders said they would forward the resolution to higher-level bodies and emphasize continued outreach to newcomer families. The Panel for Educational Policy (PEP) and other city offices have discussed related guidance; CEC members praised parallel actions by PEP and the borough president’s office. The CEC requested DOE central keep district leaders and principals informed of any changes to guidance.
Ending: The CEC requested multilingual outreach and building-level planning and urged the DOE to maintain clear, consistent public messaging to minimize confusion and fear among families.
