Board backs stance opposing family separations

The Kingston Board of Education has endorsed a New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA) statement that objects to President Donald Trump’s now-rescinded policy of separating migrant children their from parents at the U.S.-Mexico border.

The Kingston board took the action at a meeting Thursday during which Trustee Suzanne Jordan said Trump’s policy ran counter to the mission of schools, which try to make lives better for young people.

“Especially when we are putting so much energy and effort into improving the social, emotional health of our students, I think it’s worth acknowledging that’s true for all children,” she said. “So I’m happy that NYSSBA finally took a stand.”

The state association position is that the “practice of removing children from their families at the U.S.Mexico border, traumatizing the children and their parents, must end.” It also acknowledges, though, that Trump apparently recognized the policy was politically unpopular.

“We are encouraged to hear that President Trump has signed an executive order intended to stop this horrible practice, and we hope that a more lasting, humane solution can be reached,” the statement reads. “These family separations violate the values and principles on which America was founded and shocked the conscious of all who care about children and their futures. Educators know all too well the lasting damage early trauma can do to a child’s mental, physical, social and emotional health.”

Kingston board member James Shaughnessy said he was impressed that the association took a position on the Trump policy.

“I think it’s very socially responsible for NYSSBA to do this,” he said. “I really do think, over the last one or two years, that NYSSBA as an organization has become more socially conscious in the way its representing the school districts of the state.”

A federal court in California on June 26 ordered that children under 5 years old who were separated under the Trump policy be reunited with their families within 14 days, while all other separated children be reunified within 30 days. A status hearing in the case was scheduled for Friday.

Published reports this week quoted U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar as stating there were “under 3,000” immigrant children who were separated from their parents and that none had been reunited in response to the court order.