October - Sherburne-Earlville Central School District

Notice of Rights Relating to Homeless Students and YouthPursuant to McKinney-Vento 42 USC §11434a(2)and Education Law §3209(1)(a), a homeless child isdefined as a child who does not have a fixed, regular,and adequate nighttime residence or whose primarynighttime location is in a public or private shelter designatedto provide temporary living accommodations,or a place not designed for, or ordinarily used as aregular sleeping accommodations for human beings.This definition includes a child who is:• Sharing the housing of other persons due to lossof housing, economic hardship or similar reason(sometimes referred to as double-up);• Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks or campinggrounds due to the lack of alternative adequateaccommodations;• Living in a car, park, public space, abandonedbuilding, substandard housing, bus or train stationsor similar settings;• Abandoned in hospitals;• Awaiting foster care placement; or• A migratory child who qualifies as homelessbecause he or she is living in circumstancesdescribed above.An unaccompanied youth is a homeless child forwhom no parent or person in parental relation isavailable (8 NYCRR §100.2 (x) (1)(vi).Homeless students and their families have rightsspecifically granted to them under State and FederalLaw in order to assist the education of those students.Those rights include:• The right to choose to attend either the schooldistrict of attendance before the student becamehomeless, or the school district where the studentis currently living, or certain other schools where aregional placement plan exists;• The homeless child or youth may not generally berequired to attend a separate school for the homelessor otherwise segregated solely due to homelessness;• Homeless children and youths shall be providedservices comparable to the services offered to otherstudents in the school selected, including transportationservices, educational services for which thechild or youth meets eligibility criteria, programsfor vocational and technical education, programs forgifted and talented students, and school nutritionprograms;• The right to a written explanation regarding a schooldistrict’s decision relating to school selection orenrollment and the statement of the right to appealsuch decision;• The local school district must appoint a homelessliaison to assist in providing such rights and furtherinformation.The New York State Coordinator for Education ofHomeless Children and Youth is also available to provideassistance in exercising a student’s rights underthese provisions.If you have questions about being homeless, pleasecontact our Homeless Liaison Gayle Hellert, at 674-7300.Staff QualificationsElementary and Middle SchoolIn compliance with provisions of the No Child LeftBehind Act of 2001, I wish to inform you that, becausethe Elementary and Middle Schools receive Title I federalfunding, you have the right to request informationregarding the professional qualifications of your child’sclassroom teacher(s). Specifically included is your rightto know the following:• Whether the teacher has met State qualification andlicensing criteria for the grade levels and subjectareas in which the teacher provides instruction;• Whether the teacher is teaching under emergencyor other provisional status through which Statequalifications or licensing criteria have been waived;• The baccalaureate degree major of the teacher andany other graduate certification or degree held bythe teacher, and field of discipline of the certificationor degree; and• Whether your child is provided services by paraprofessionals,and if so, their qualifications.Should you wish to exercise your right to obtain theabove information about your child’s teacher pleasecontact the office of the Superintendent of Schools inwriting at the following address to make your request.Gayle H. Hellert, Superintendent, Sherburne-EarlvilleCentral School District, 15 School Street, Sherburne, NY13460Should you have any questions concerning theabove, please do not hesitate to call 607-674-7300.4 THE Maroon AND White