Step-by-Step Strategies for Sticky Scenarios

Christina Dukes, Federal Liaison

National Center for Homeless Education

cdukes@serve.org

Pam Kies-Lowe, State Coordinator for Homeless Education

Michigan Department of Education

kies-lowep@michigan.gov

The Concept

To work through complex

scenarios focusing both on

PROCESS

and

PRODUCT

Scenario 1

The People

Cher Gussey and her 8 children:

3 in elementary school

2 in middle school

3 in high school

The Time of Year

August

(the beginning of the school year)

The Living Arrangement

Since becoming homeless 15 months ago,

Ms. Gussey and her children have stayed

temporarily in the homes of various friends and

relatives, mostly in the Horizon School District,

but have recently moved in with grandma in

her 2-bedroom apartment in the neighboring

Sunset School District. Ms. Gussey has turned

down Section 8 housing options sufficient to

accommodate her family on 3 occasions

because the options are in communities

where she does not want to live.

The Issue

Ms. Gussey wants her children to continue attending

their schools of origin in the Horizon District. You are

the local liaison in the Horizon District and are willing to

accommodate Ms. Gussey’s wishes regarding school

selection for her children and collaborate with the

Sunset District to provide transportation. The local

liaison from the Sunset District emails you and

explains that her district will not contribute to the

transportation costs of the Gussey children and that

her Superintendent is questioning whether the

Gussey children should still be considered homeless

since Mom has turned down Section 8 options on

multiple occasions.

The Process

• What key points of information do you have?

• What additional information, if any, do you need?

• What are the key issues to resolve? (e.g.

eligibility, school selection, transportation, services, other?)

• Do you need to consult with anyone else?

• What is your proposed solution?

• Did you learn any key lessons? Is there anything

you can do to prevent a similar issue in the

future?

Scenario 2

The People

Charlene Jameson and her son, Andrew

The Time of Year

January

(just after the return from winter break)

The Living Arrangement

Charlene Winston is a single mom with one son, Andrew. They live in Dearborn, MI, where Andrew

attends Fordson High School. After a run-in with

the law, Charlene is ordered by the court to enter

a dual diagnosis rehabilitation center for a

minimum of 90 days. In the meantime, Andrew is

staying with his grandparents in their 55-and-over

community in Westland, about 5 miles away.

Andrew’s grandparents live on a fixed income

and are concerned about getting in trouble for

having Andrew staying with them.

The Issue

Andrew goes to enroll in the school near where his grandparents live, but they tell him he needs

a guardian to sign his enrollment paperwork.

Andrew’s grandparents don’t want to sign the

paperwork because they aren’t his legal

guardians and they don’t want to

acknowledge on any kind of written

documentation that Andrew is staying with them. Andrew calls his track coach at Fordson High

School. His coach recommends that he call you,

the local liaison in Dearborn.

The Process

• What key points of information do you have?

• What additional information, if any, do you need?

• What are the key issues to resolve? (e.g.

eligibility, school selection, transportation, services, other?)

• Do you need to consult with anyone else?

• What is your proposed solution?

• Did you learn any key lessons? Is there anything

you can do to prevent a similar issue in the

future?

Questions?

Scenario 3 (if time allows)

The People

Maria and her two children,

Sam and Julia

The Time of Year

November

(just before Thanksgiving)

The Living Arrangement

Maria and her children live in Detroit. Sam,

a 3rd grader, and Julia, a 1st grader, attend

Walton Academy, a local charter school.

After losing her job, Maria cannot pay rent

on her apartment near the school, gets

evicted, and is forced to move in with a

friend and her children who live in Southfield.

The Issue

Maria had been driving her children to school

while she worked since the school does not

provide transportation to its students. Without

her job she can no longer afford gas for the

trips, and her friend does not have a car. The

kids have missed a week of school already.

She is afraid that she will lose custody of her

children if she asks the school for help.

The Process

• What key points of information do you have?

• What additional information, if any, do you

need?

• What are the key issues to resolve? (e.g.

eligibility, school selection, transportation,

services, other?)

• Do you need to consult with anyone else?

• What is your proposed solution?

• Did you learn any key lessons? Is there anything you can do to prevent a similar issue in the

future?

Questions?

Local Liaison Resources • NCHE Local Liaison Corner,

www.serve.org/nche/ll/ll.php

• Homeless Liaison Toolkit, 2013

• Homeless Education Issue Briefs

• Resource Library by Topic

• Webinars – Live and Self-Paced

• List of NCHE Products & Order Form

• Listserv & Helpline

• National and State-Specific Data

• MDE McKinney-Vento Resources, www.michigan.gov/homeless