Dallas ISD to stand united with “Dreamers”

In an effort to ease the uncertainty that many families throughout the county, including those in Dallas ISD, face due to the recent changes to the DACA (Deferred Action Childhood Act), Dallas ISD launched dallasisd.org/daca, a web page with resources, and information for those who are impacted.

“I’ve had a lot of questions from the community about what will happen to them if DACA goes away,” said Superintendent Michael Hinojosa during a presentation of the resources page to the Board of Trustees. I tell them “do not panic!”

Hinojosa stated that if the federal government does not approve a plan for individuals under DACA, many school districts would be impacted in multiple ways.

While Dallas ISD does not track the number of undocumented students, the district has around 70,000 English Language Learners (not all under DACA). Meanwhile, the district has 78 employees under DACA, 36 of them are teachers.

“Their contributions, both in and outside the classroom, are vital to prepare our students to become future leaders,” said Superintendent Hinojosa in a letter included on the web page. “As Congress makes a decision on the future of DACA, our attorneys will continue working to determine how we can best support these valuable employees.”

The page, which is in English and Spanish, includes frequently asked questions to help school staff address questions from their specific community. A list of community organizations, which provide immigration services is also included, as well as a list of scholarship opportunities for undocumented students and personal stories.