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Teachers, residents urge Rockingham schools to clarify protections for immigrant students
Summary
An ESL teacher and other public commenters asked the school board to issue clear guidance for staff on how to reassure and protect immigrant students amid federal immigration-enforcement activity and called for better translated permission-slip procedures to avoid excluding newcomer students from field trips.
Several public commenters used the board's public-comment period to urge Rockingham County Public Schools to adopt clearer guidance and communication practices to protect immigrant students and ensure equitable access to field trips.
Christina Burke, an ESL teacher at Wilbur Pence Middle School, told the board that her Intensive Newcomer Program students and their families are anxious about recent federal actions and asked the division to "develop and share a clear" plan for what staff can say to students and how the district will communicate with immigrant families, including translated permission slips that arrive in time for families to respond.
Burke cited a recent field-trip denial for several newcomer students because translated permission forms were not available quickly enough. "This situation highlights a bigger issue bout policies that do not take into account the needs of our English language learners," she said, urging the board to ensure policies are inclusive and flexible.
A second commenter, identified in the transcript as Michael, asked whether RCPS has a plan to protect students if immigration enforcement occurs locally and how student information would be handled. He cited a 2019 Mississippi workplace raid as an example of the potential local impact and urged the board to "show that they are committed to supporting RCPS students regardless of their immigration status."
Michael also asked board members to consider how public social-media posts by board members might affect immigrant students. The speakers requested that the board clarify policies and communications; the transcript records the public comments but does not record a formal immediate policy action in response. Board members acknowledged the concerns and said staff would follow up in two-by-two meetings and future discussions.
The board did not take a formal vote during the public-comment period; the items were recorded for later consideration and follow-up.
