Date of Graduation

2017

Document Access

Project/Capstone - Global access

Degree Name

Master of Public Affairs (MoPA)

College/School

College of Arts and Sciences

Abstract

Executive Summary:

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act was passed in 1987 as the first landmark legislation to combat the national homelessness epidemic. Since its inception, the McKinney- Vento Act has been amended six different times. The McKinney-Vento Act has failed to address the causes of homelessness and provide adequate funding for public school districts across the country to meet the growing demands of the homeless youth population.

The San Francisco Unified School District is one of the public school districts that has been affected by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. This paper presents the inadequate funding and implementation of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act in San Francisco. One of the problems includes identifying certain homeless youth populations such as unaccompanied youth and preschool age students within the San Francisco Unified School District’s Families and Youth in Transition Program (FYIT). There is also no mandatory training for school administrators, staff, and teachers on the educational rights of homeless youth in the San Francisco Unified School District. Some homeless students feel there is a lack of emotional support from some of the school staff and administrators. SFUSD also does not have a McKinney-Vento Act Liaison that represents them.

The San Francisco Unified School District drafted a homeless educational policy in response to the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015, which amended the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. The City and County of San Francisco also needs to work with the San Francisco Unified School District to find solutions that would benefit all of the homeless youth populations.

Download

Share

COinS