"These kids want to go to school. The main obstacle? Paperwork" -AP

[DrLeftover]

...
In Atlanta, where Tameka lives, parents must present at least eight documents to enroll their children — twice as many as parents in New York City or Los Angeles. One of the documents — a complicated certificate evaluating a child’s dental health, vision, hearing and nutrition — is required by the state. Most of the others are Atlanta’s doing, including students' Social Security cards and an affidavit declaring residency that has to be notarized.

The district asks for proof of residency for existing students every year at some schools, and also before beginning sixth and ninth grades, to prevent students from attending schools outside of their neighborhoods or communities. The policy also allows the district to request proof the student still lives in the attendance zone after an extended absence or many tardy arrivals. Without that proof, families say their children have been disenrolled.

“They make it so damned hard,” says Kimberly Dukes, an Atlanta parent who co-founded an organization to help families advocate for their children.

These kids have missed nearly four years of school. Their main obstacle? Paperwork

Thousands of kids went missing from schools during the pandemic. For some who have tried to return, school paperwork has proved a daunting obstacle.

projects.apnews.com

 

[MrDawn]

That sucks. Maybe the state should lower their requirements.

 

[passenger]

That's just outrageous. I SO hate red tape & endless 'hoops'!

 

[riseabovethis]

Do they issue Social Security cards to kids 6 year old?

 

[Webster]

Do they issue Social Security cards to kids 6 year old?

Since 1964, Social Security assigns SSN's at birth.

 

[Webster]

These kids have missed nearly four years of school. Their main obstacle? Paperwork

Thousands of kids went missing from schools during the pandemic. For some who have tried to return, school paperwork has proved a daunting obstacle.

projects.apnews.com

*reads article blurb* I can understand asking for a birth certificate, SSN, proof of residency & state health certificate....but the rest? What?

 

[Reddington]

*reads article blurb* I can understand asking for a birth certificate, SSN, proof of residency & state health certificate....but the rest? What?

Exactly what I was going to say. The nutrition aspect is a fucking joke and I guarantee is a way for the government or schools to try and criticize parents who don't follow a certain nutritional lifestyle. While there is A LOT to unpack here, what it ultimately boils down to is

1. No one having a drop of empathy for this woman. Not a single person trying to help her.
2. This entire case is a cluster fuck of unanswered questions.

There's also this:

Suddenly, another tragedy of her partner’s death became painfully obvious. He was carrying all the family’s important documents in his backpack when he suffered his heart attack. The hospital that received him said it passed along the backpack and other possessions to another family member, Tameka says. But it was never found

First off, were they traveling? Why is a parent carrying all of the important documents around? Also, what family member? Was it confirmed the backpack was handed off to family? If yes, then the family member is pulling some bullshit. If there isn't another family member, then the hospital is lying and lost the backpack.

After a few hours, the elementary school called: Come pick up your son, they told her. He was no longer enrolled, they said.

Around lunchtime, the middle school called: Come get your daughter, they told her. She doesn't have a class schedule.

The fuck? I have so many questions and criticisms about both of these.

1. You can't do that shit. All of a sudden "Hey, your kid isn't enrolled anymore."
2. Not having a class schedule is a failure of the school, not the parent.

I also want to point out an inconsistency in this article.

Shawndrea Gay was told by her children’s school, which is located in an upper-income neighborhood, that her month-to-month lease was insufficient. Twice, investigators came to her studio apartment to verify that the family lived there. “They looked in the fridge to make sure there was food,” she says. “It was no joke.”

What fucking world are we living in where SCHOOLS are becoming enforcers of where you live? Holy shit dude. Under no circumstances would I be letting a school invade my home and verify I live here. Fuck yourselves.

Then, in summer 2022, the school unenrolled her children because their lease had expired. With Dukes’ help, Gay was able to get them back in school before classes started.

Do I even need to say it? Schools have no right having such power.