Education for Children and Youth

SCHOOL FOR CHILDREN Kindergarten (or Pre-K) to Grade 12

Maine Multicultural Center has established a solid relationship with the Bangor, Brewer, Orono and Old Town School departments, as well as other area schools.

All school districts have demonstrated a strong commitment to meeting the needs of the New Mainer children, developing relationships with families, and encouraging parents' involvement in their children’s education. The focus has been on providing a safe and supportive environment that allows immigrant children to grow, thrive and achieve their full potential. 

 

INTERPRETERS AND TRANSLATION

Schools are required by Civil Rights law to provide to both students and parents interpretation and translation of important meetings, vital documents, and important communications in order to create an inclusive environment and meaningful access to educational programs. All the schools listed above have worked hard to get excellent options in place and they generally provide them without being asked, but if your partner family needs an interpreter or a translation and that has not been offered one, please ask the school.

 

LITERACY LEVEL

If the parents in your partner family have any difficulties reading in their first language, please notify the school of this fact so that they can provide verbal accommodations for the parents. If you’re not sure about literacy level, a good place to start is to ask the parent about their own education – in particular, how many years of school they were able to complete in their home country.  In many countries school is not free, nor is there easy transportation to school, and adults may not have had the opportunity to go to school beyond 2nd, 3rd or 4th grade. You can also simply ask the parent: would you feel comfortable reading messages from the school in __________(Spanish, Arabic, or whatever their 1st language is) or would you prefer to get those messages in a spoken format that you can listen to on your phone?  The schools will do their best to accommodate if notified, but you should also teach any parents who don’t already know how to paste English text into a translator app which will not only translate that text into another language, but also speak it out loud. Almost every translation App can do this these days. Ask MMCC staff if you need more suggestions or guidance.

SCHOOL REGISTRATION BASICS

Families’ first interaction with the schools will typically be during the registration process.  If you are connected to a family during this process, you can help them to:

  1. Call the Superintendent’s office – or go in person - to figure out where and how to register their child for school. The registration process typically involves going to a designated school or office in person.  
  2. Let the school know what language(s) their family speaks – some schools will have an interpreter present for registration, some will use a phone interpretation service, some may rely on translator Apps, but in every situation, it is helpful for the schools to know language information as soon as possible
  3. Gather and collect the following items to bring with them (NOTE: if they do not have a certain item they should still go - the schools will find a solution!)
    1. each child’s birth certificate
    2. each child’s vaccination record
    3. 2 items to prove the town in which a family resides – e.g. mail or bill received at their address in the last few months (a letter from MMCC counts), lease, letter from a landlord or person they are subletting from/staying with (ideally one that is notarized), etc.

While these documents are requested and you may be told they are required, it is important to note that the top priority for all schools by law is to get students enrolled in school as quickly as possible and to remove any barriers to enrollment.  If a family cannot produce these documents, they should explain their specific situation to the school and the school will work with them to find a solution.

In the case of vaccines, the family has a 90-day window in which to complete any missing immunizations and the school can help them to connect to the Bangor Health Department to get missing vaccines if they are not connected there already.  During this 90-day window the child IS ALLOWED to attend school.

In the case of a missing birth certificate, the family should bring any other identification they have for that child to the school and ask the school how to proceed.

In the case of missing items that prove town residency, the schools have lots of flexibility on individual cases, although complicated situations may get referred all the way up to the Superintendent to resolve. The main goal here is to be sure families aren’t living in one town and trying to enroll their child in a different town, which is illegal.  As long as they are not doing that, the schools will find a solution.

It is also important to be aware of the McKinney-Vento Act which ensures that children who are homeless or inadequately housed have the same access to education of the same quality as all other children. So if a family is without housing, doubling up with another family, living in a shelter, living in shared housing where they don’t have a lease or written agreement or where the child/children need to share a room with their parents, living in housing without adequate heat or running water, or any other unusual situation, the family should be SURE to let both MMCC and the Schools know so that everyone can advocate appropriately for that family, get the children enrolled in school as quickly as possible, and be sure any extra services they are entitled to under McKinney-Vento are provided. For example, if a child is identified under the McKinney-Vento Act, and that family later finds better, more permanent housing in another town, the family has a CHOICE whether the child will transfer to the school in the new town mid-year or stay put in their first school. If they choose to stay put in their first school, that school MUST provide transportation to and from school from their new town for the rest of the year.

Remember, the goal of all school systems by law is to get children and youth enrolled in school as quickly as possible.  If, after the first registration visit, there is not a plan to get a child enrolled in school within a week, or at the very longest, within two weeks, please reach out to MMCC staff right away!

 

ENROLLMENT AGE

As long as they do not already have a high school diploma from another state or country, youth in Maine are allowed to attend high school up to the age of 20. If they turn 20 before July 1st of any given year, they are no longer eligible to enroll in public high school for that coming fall. 

Individuals who have passed the public high school age limit and do not yet have a high school diploma can obtain one in a couple of ways:

  • via Penobscot Job Corp (which is free for those with low income and which will enroll students up to age 24) - https://penobscot.jobcorps.gov/
  • via Adult Education (Riverside or Bangor) which is also free and will assist adults of any age to prepare for the HiSet = High School Equivalency Test (similar to the GED used in other states) – See “Education for Adults” section of this Manual for more details

 

HOW DO I KNOW IN WHICH SCHOOL TO ENROLL?

Most towns in our area only have one elementary school, one middle school and one high school, so those schools are easy.  

Bangor, however, is more complicated.  They have five schools for students in grades Pre-K to 3, two schools for grades 4-5, two middle schools (grades 6-8), and one high school. 

To know where to enroll, contact the Bangor Superintendent’s Office or the main office at any Bangor school, provide the address where a family is living and staff will tell you in which school each child needs to enroll. Be aware that families may have to go to several different schools to register all their children.  If this is too burdensome on the family, let the school office know and they will do their best to make arrangements to register all the children in one centralized visit.

 

ENROLLMENT MID-YEAR

Families who arrive towards the middle of the school year can feel especially disconnected. In order to help them feel a part of the school system, we recommend that volunteers facilitate that process by helping parents call the school to set a meeting with their child/children’s teachers and school staff as soon as possible.

 

MORE ENROLLMENT DETAILS

Language Survey – As part of their registration/enrollment paperwork, parents will be asked to complete a language survey about all the languages their child hears at home, speaks, reads, etc.  This page is very important since its purpose is to identify for the school any students who need to be screened for Multi Language Learner services. Without this page the school can still choose to screen a student’s English level, but it may not happen as quickly, and it may take longer for the student to get the services they need.

Child Pick-Up form – Parents should be given a paper to fill out, or a website link, where they can designate who has permission to pick their child up after school. They can list as many friends, family members and/or MMCC volunteers as they want on this form. If you are willing to be listed there, please let the parents know!  If you are not listed there, you will not be able to pick the child up from school even if the parents ask you to do so. Explain these details to the parents and then let them decide who, if anyone, they want to put on this form.  

Let them know that if they need to adjust this form (or any other permission form) later they can do so by reaching out to the school and asking for a new form.

Authorization to Release Information form – This is a more general form that a parent has a right to sign giving the school permission to speak with someone else about their child’s education. These forms are usually not provided at Intake/Registration unless a parent asks for one.  Without this form, the schools will NOT and CANNOT by law speak with MMCC volunteers or staff about the child’s education – for example, how the child is doing in math class or with their English acquisition, what happened on the playground today that sent the child home crying, what classes the counselor recommends they sign up for next year, etc.  If the parents want the schools to be able to speak to MMCC, and/or to an MMCC volunteer, directly they should ask for one of these Authorization forms and fill it out.

Bus Systems – Parents may or may not be used to the idea of school buses coming to pick their child up each morning and bringing them home after school each day. So be sure to ask the school for lots of details about the school bus system.  You will need to know the exact place where the child needs to be waiting for the bus each morning and at what time. Also, whether parents need to be waiting at the bus stop in the afternoon before the driver will let the child exit – this generally depends on the age of the child. Most schools in our area contract with Cyr Bus lines and you will very likely be referred there to get your questions answered, but be sure to ask the schools all the transportation questions and then to follow up with Cyr bus to be sure the family knows exactly how the bus system will work.

Emergency Contacts – Every school will give the parent an Emergency Contacts form to fill out.  If you are willing to be added to that list if the parent so desires, please let the parent know, since it can be helpful for the school to be able to contact a fluent English speaker in case of emergency. Once again, simply offer. It is the parent’s choice who to list.

Alert Systems – Every school has a text and phone alert system used in case of emergency (e.g. snow storm, bomb threat, etc). Many of these systems now deliver the Emergency Alerts in languages other than English – whatever language the parent chooses – so ask the school about that and be sure they have set the language correctly.  In many cases, parents can also choose to add a second adult to that Emergency Alert System if they desire, and it can be helpful to add their MMCC volunteer, since then you can more easily help them to understand any messages that scare or confuse them.  If they want to add you, they will likely have to ask the school to do so, since the schools rarely offer that option up front. In some cases, adding a non-parent may not be possible.

 

COMMUNICATION WITH THE SCHOOL / TRANSLATION APPS

In addition to the Emergency Alert Systems explained above, most schools also have a special system for communicating via text message with families who speak languages other than English.  The most common system is called Talking Points and there is an App the parent needs to install on their phone to make this work. Be sure to ask the school to take the time to sit and install their particular communication App (whatever it is called) with the family and to spend time practicing with them, since this is the primary way that all classroom teachers, ESOL teachers and administrators will communicate with the family.  You may need to encourage parents to text back any questions they have to the principal and teachers, since in many cultures this is not commonly done. Here it is encouraged and shows school staff that you are involved and care about your child’s education!

 

SERVICES FOR MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS – and all the lingo that goes with them!

Useful Abbreviations to know:

  • MLL or ML = Multilingual Learner
  • ESOL or ESL = English for Speakers of Other Languages
  • TESOL = Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
  • WIDA = Most common assessment of English proficiency level for Multilingual learners in Maine
  • ILAP = Individual Language Acquisition Plan = a plan a school must create for each ML student and must communicate to parents in a yearly ILAP meeting

In most school districts in our area, the top administrator in charge of Multilingual Learner Services (ML or MLL Services) is also the person in charge of Special Education and Chap 104 (gifted and talented) services.  They typically have a title like “Director of Pupil Services” or “Director of Special Services” or “Director of Special Education.”

Below this top administrator in the organizational chart is the Director/Coordinator of Multilingual Programs who leads MLL programming across all age levels in the district and is a position every district in the state is required to have. Below this Director or Coordinator position, there may or may not be other ESOL (English for Speakers of other Languages) teachers, mostly based on the size of the district.

Students identified as ML Learners by the Language Survey at registration, or by teachers or staff in any other way, must be given an English Language proficiency screener (this screener must be given within 30 days of enrollment if they are identified via the Language Survey at enrollment). Schools in our area typically use the WIDA assessment.  WIDA proficiency scores start at 1 (very beginning level) and go up to 6.

The state of Maine has provided guidelines for schools recommending how many “periods” of ESOL instruction students should get based on their WIDA score.  For scores in the 1-3 range, students should get 2 periods of ESOL instruction a day at minimum and for scores in the 3-4.5 range students should get 1 period a day at minimum.  A “period” is defined as the amount of time allocated to other core subjects – such as math or English Language Arts each day. Once students reach a score of 5 on the WIDA, direct ESOL instruction each day is not recommended, just periodic check-ins with the student.

Since these recommendations are guidelines, not law, not every school district in our area is fully meeting them, but most are trying hard to do so.  They can be useful to parents to know about if they feel that they need to advocate with a school district for more ESOL instruction for their child.  Parents also have the right to refuse ESOL instruction for their child, though it is not recommended and is rare for parents to want to do,unless their child is at the very top of the WIDA scale.

ILAP Plans - Once a child has been identified as needing ML services, there will be an Individualized Language Acquisition Plan (ILAP) developed for that child and a yearly ILAP meeting held when parents, teachers and the student (if the parent chooses to have the student present) will all meet together to discuss the plan, what is working well, what is not, what might be changed to improve the student’s learning, etc. A parent can ask for an ILAP meeting to be held at any time.  They do not have to wait for the school to call one.  And it is often a VERY helpful meeting for MMCC volunteers to attend along with the parent, if the parent so desires, since a lot of information gets communicated.  The school will always provide an interpreter for the parent and child if needed or requested, but that interpreter will not take notes, remind the parents that it’s OK to ask questions or make suggestions, etc. The MMCC volunteer can do those things and provide emotional support in what can be a scary situation for some parents depending on their own background with schools and education. You may also have useful feedback to share with the school team yourself if you have spent a lot of time interacting with the student outside of school.

 

OTHER SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE LOCAL SCHOOLS

Free breakfast and lunch – parents may or may not expect this in schools. Let them know it exists and be sure the student(s) knows how to access it.

School Nurses – every school has a nurse children can go to if they are feeling unwell during the day and who can administer medications if a child needs that during the school day.

Medical and Dental Care in the Schools – you can read more about this in the Medical section, but Bangor, Brewer and Old Town schools all have PCHC Medical Clinics within their schools where children can get their primary medical care. Bangor also has a PCHC dental clinic and Brewer and Orono run dental hygiene clinics regularly in their schools. Other schools may have dental programs as well.  The School Nurse can answer questions about what is available for medical and dental care in each school system. 

Sports Physicals - Middle and High Schools provide days for Sports Physicals right in the schools and it is worth asking about these dates as early as possible, since they are often free and much easier to get scheduled than with one’s primary care office.

School Counselors and School Social Workers – these wonderful people exist in all the schools in our area and are there to help students and their families with social-emotional issues, as well as problem solving any practical and physical needs students and families may have. Specific details on some practical programs are listed below, but what families most need to know is that school counselors and social workers are there in the schools to help with any issue they or their child aren’t sure how to get help with. 

Winter clothes banks – jackets, boots, gloves, hats, etc. available to any family who can’t afford them. They just need to ask.

School supplies – backpacks and classroom supplies provided to any child who needs them.

Extracurricular supplies – these can also often be provided upon request. For example, schools can provide a free instrument for a child who wants to play in the band, basketball shoes for a child who wants to join the team but can’t afford them, etc.

Parent or Family Welcome Teams – some schools in the area, like Orono, have been developing these lately and they can be a great way for parents to meet other parents and connect more to the school. In general, these programs have been designed with international families in mind and are sensitive to issues of language and culture.  Ask the school if they have one.

 

OTHER THINGS IT CAN BE HELPFUL TO COMMUNICATE TO FAMILIES

Your role – As an MMCC volunteer, you are there to accompany parents and serve as a cultural interpreter regarding US systems. Your role is to be there with them as they get comfortable communicating with the school and understanding the school system, but as much as possible you want them to communicate with the school and teachers themselves.  Let them know that when they have questions, they can always ask you and that you understand they may feel very overwhelmed and have a lot of other things that are a higher priority when they first arrive in the Bangor area, but as much as they are ready, your goal is to teach them how to communicate with and navigate the schools themselves and you believe they can do it!  

Calendars – Keeping track of when school vacations and especially half days happen is hard even for parents familiar with US culture and schedules! Helping parents learn how to check the online school calendars and how to set up a calendar on their phone (or on their wall) to keep track of all these half days and vacations is really helpful. It can also be a big cultural leap for families coming from communities where the American obsession with calendars and scheduling is not the norm. Having a sense of humor about the US obsession with calendars (attaching them to our watches in as many colors and with as many reminder beeps as possible!) can help.

Attendance – School is free in Maine beginning in kindergarten (and in some towns beginning in pre-K) through 12th grade.  School is Mandatory by law from ages 6 to 17.  Mandatory education does not exist in many countries around the world.  So be sure that parents understand that school attendance is required every day school is in session. If a child is sick or can’t attend for some other important reason (like a dentist or immigration appointment) the parent needs to call, text or email the school to let them know. If a parent doesn’t do that and the student misses too many days of school, the school will begin to call home and the family can eventually get in legal trouble if the absenteeism continues. So be sure families know how to notify the school if their child is sick or needs to absent. Most schools have an email or text message option as well as a phone call option

Meetings with/Messages from Teachers – Your child is not in trouble when the school invites you to a meeting.  This is normal here!  And it will likely happen several times a year at least.  They are also not in trouble if during that meeting, or in a message, a teacher mentions an area where they would like your child to improve (e.g. “it’s great that Sarah is developing friendships and improving her English, but it would be great is she would talk less with her friends during math teaching time”). In some cultures, if the teacher has a complaint about a student the appropriate and respectful parent response is to keep your child home from school - for a short time or indefinitely. We have seen situations in which a very well-meaning US teacher makes what they think is a practical, useful suggestion and parents perceive it as a message to withdraw their child from school. So this can be a very important cultural difference to interpret and clarify.

Vocational Education at UTC – Job training via United Technologies Center (UTC), through which students can receive job certificates before graduating from high school, can be appealing to many youth and families.  Students need to apply for this program and should begin talking to their school counselor about it by grade 10 if at all possible. This program allows students during their junior and/or senior year of high school to participate in vocational training programs for half the school day and traditional high school classes for the other half. Information can be found here: https://www.utc4me.org/

Extracurriculars - This concept is very unusual around the rest of the world. In most countries schools provide classroom education only. So it is helpful to explain the idea of extracurricular sports and activities, that they are FREE, that the large majority of US students participate in them, that they are an EXCELLENT way for students to learn English much faster (and to make American friends), and that for students who want to go to college they are very important for getting admitted to colleges.

Rides home after extracurriculars – Most schools do not provide bus services after extracurricular activities, or at least not after ones that end past 4pm.  They are often, however, willing to help find a parent whose child participates in that same extracurricular activity and who might be able to provide a ride home afterward. Ask if the school has an extracurricular bus that runs at 4pm or later, and contact the school counselor or sports coach / athletic director for ideas about how to get home after extracurriculars that run later.

Sports can start BEFORE school starts in August or September – This can be an especially surprising thing to parents and youth and some schools do a better job communicating it than others.  This mostly happens at the High School level.  But even at the Middle School level, sport try-outs can be on the very first few days of school and if a student isn’t prepared for that and misses the try-outs, they can lose their chance to participate in a fall sport. Since soccer is the favorite sport of many immigrant youth, it can be especially sad if they miss fall try-outs, so help the family consult the school website over the summer, or contact the school office, to find out for sure when try-outs will be and be prepared to attend.

 

Lastly, please also consult Screen #8 of the Independent Living Checklist for a list of important school-related skills for families to develop.