Immigration Reform Is Education Reform

Here is another reason to pass the DREAM Act (or better), it helps all education, not just the kids who are in college.   - - Donna Poisl

FROM ALYSSA GRANACKI

Teaching in an area teeming with immigrant families, people often inquire how many of my students are undocumented. I typically side-step the question because it requires me to admit that I lie to my students. I lie whenever I stand in front of my seventh graders, and say: "Work hard and you can go to college anywhere you want and be anything you want to be." The truth is that their education, their career, their life will be influenced by immigration status.

As a part of Teach For America, I believe that the Achievement Gap can be closed. However, in addition to schools and teachers, immigration status is another pervasive component of the Achievement Gap. Teaching students from undocumented families has convinced me that we must consider the DREAM Act not only part of immigration reform, but also part of education reform.
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