Scenarios
Unaccompanied Youth Issues and
Ethics
Scenario One: Jeremy
Jeremy, 15, recently showed up with his friend, Billy, at
Vento High School, where you are the Principal. He
explained to you that he was staying with Billy for
awhile, and wanted to go to this school instead of the
school he was attending, McKinney High, which is in a
different district. After some pressing, he explained that
he had been kicked out of his home by his mom and
stepfather. He said they knew where he was and “didn’t
care.”
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Jeremy
• Is Jeremy “homeless” under McKinney- Vento? Why or Why
not?
• What school(s) is Jeremy eligible to attend?
• How does the McKinney-Vento Act pertain to this situation?
What services is Jeremy eligible for?
• Is there any responsibility in district policy or state or federal law
to report Jeremy’s whereabouts?
• To whom are you supposed to report him and when?
• Does it make a difference if he tells you his mom hits him?
• What would be your responsibility if Jeremy’s parents contacted
you and told you that he had left home without permission?
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Jeremy
• What if Jeremy’s parents say they have reported him as a
runaway, and they want him home? They ask you not to enroll
him? How would you handle this?
• How would you code Jeremy in PEIMS? If his parents do not
want him identified as homeless would you then not code him,
or change his code?
• What if he was staying with a friend without the friend’s parental
permission?
• What would you do to support this young person? What
strategies would you use and what resources would tap?
• How would you work with your district to create the changes that
are needed so situations like this can be responded to
appropriately for all students who experience them?
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Situations/Dilemmas
Work as a group:
Identify the youth’s needs,
Identify the challenges in meeting those needs
Identify resources
Identify the:
ethical principles
ethical issues or concerns
ethical practices
Scenario Two: Antwan
Antwan is a 14 year old first time 9th grader who has
attended school for most of his life in the largest urban
school district in the city (district of origin). He has been
served in Special Education classrooms and has an IEP
that just expired.
His mother, legal guardian, has a significant history of
drug abuse and has been missing for most of the
summer. Antwan resided with various family members
throughout the summer, and two weeks into the new
school year finally ends up with a family member, Aunt,
who seems willing to provide some stability. She
resides in a bordering district (district of residence).
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Scenario Two: Antwan
She has attempted to enroll Antwan in the 9th grade at the local high
school but has been denied due to lack of custody. Aunt does not know
where Antwan’s legal guardian, Mother, is at this time and no other
family members have had contact with her for weeks. Aunt is not sure
if she is willing, or able, to take custody of Antwan at this time, but
wants him to attend school.
She has been told by the district in which she resides that she will have
to file for custody of Antwan before they will enroll him in school and
show them paperwork with a court date. They have also indicated that
she will need to have an updated IEP before Antwan can actually begin
attending school.
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Scenario Two Antwan
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Is Antwan “homeless” under McKinney- Vento? Why or Why not?
Which school is Antwan eligible to attend?
How does the McKinney-Vento Act pertain to this situation?
What services is Antwan eligible for?
What IDEA provisions apply to Antwan’s situation?
Can the school require the Aunt to get legal guardianship?
What might be the impediments to the Aunt being able to get
guardianship?
• Are there any kinship services that might be available to the aunt?
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Scenario Two: Antwan
• Would you need to report the situation if Antwan tells you his mother
was abusive, even though he is safe with his non-abusive aunt
now?
• What would be your responsibility if Antwan’s mother contacted you
and told you that she had not given permission for Antwan to live
with his aunt?
• What would you do to support this young person? What strategies
would you use and what resources would you tap?
• How would you work with your district to create the changes that are
needed so situations like this can be responded to appropriately for
all students who experience them?
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Situations/Dilemmas
Work as a group:
Identify the youth’s needs,
Identify the challenges in meeting those needs
Identify resources
Identify the:
ethical principles
ethical issues or concerns
ethical practices
Scenario 3: Tina
Alice has a friend, Judy, who has been keeping her
granddaughter, Tina, age 15, while her son is
incarcerated. Alice’s friend has a medical issue requiring
her hospitalization. Judy asks Alice to take the child in
while she is hospitalized. Alice takes the child to the high
school near her home to enroll her.
The registrar tells Alice she will have to return when the
Administrator is there to fill out the “homeless”
paperwork. She gives Alice a guardianship form to get her
friend’s son to sign. It also has to be notarized.
Alice explains that her friend’s son is incarcerated some
distance away. Alice cannot go get his signature. She
cannot take off work to come in another day to sign
paperwork.
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Scenario 3: Tina
The registrar tells her Alice she has no choice she will
simply have to return in three days to meet with the
administrator. Alice calls three days later only to find that
the administrator is not expected in that day, and the
receptionist doesn’t know for sure when he will be in. She
tells Alice to call daily, and reasserts that only this
administrator can do the paperwork with Alice. She also
inquires as to whether Alice has gotten the guardianship
paper signed by her son.
Is Tina MV eligible?
Is Tina Unaccompanied?
What barriers can you identify in this situation?
How should they be remedied?
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Situations/Dilemmas
Work as a group:
Identify the youth’s needs,
Identify the challenges in meeting those needs
Identify resources
Identify the:
ethical principles
ethical issues or concerns
ethical practices
Scenario Four: Miranda
Miranda, who is 17 years old, arrives at Oak High
School in early November seeking to enroll in
school. She informs you, the school district
homeless liaison, that she left home four months
ago because she just couldn’t stay there anymore.
She is reluctant to share any other information
about why she no longer wants to live with her
mother, who is her custodial parent. She informs
you that her father died 5 years ago.
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Scenario 4 : Miranda
Miranda has been sleeping on the couch of a
friend who resides in your district and within the
attendance zone of Oak High School. Before
Miranda’s name reached your desk, the
registrar called her mother who informed the
school that Miranda could come home anytime
she wants. However, the mother didn’t really
seem to care if Miranda lived at home or not—
she doesn’t really plan to do anything about the
fact that Miranda left. Miranda is steadfast
about not going home and about enrolling in
Oak High.
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Scenario 4: Miranda
She only needs two more semesters of credit to
graduate. Unfortunately, she has barely attended
classes since the school year began two months
ago. She says she intended to continue in her
school of origin, but she was unaware of her
McKinney-Vento rights and thought she had to use
public transportation to get there. Somehow she
just never had the money so was only present for
7 days this semester.
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Miranda
• Is Miranda “homeless” under McKinney- Vento? Why or Why not?
• How does the McKinney-Vento Act pertain to this situation? What
services is Miranda eligible for?
• Is there any responsibility in district policy or state or federal law to
report Miranda’s whereabouts?
• To whom are you supposed to report her and when?
• Does it make a difference if she tells you her mom hits her?
• What would be your responsibility if Miranda’s parents contacted
you and told you that she had run away without permission?
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Miranda
• What if she was staying with a friend without the friend’s
parental permission?
• What would you do to support this young person? What
strategies would you use and what resources would tap?
• Would Miranda be eligible to play basketball at Oak
High?
• How would you work with your district to create the
changes that are needed so situations like this can be
responded to appropriately for all students who
experience them?
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Situations/Dilemmas
Work as a group:
Identify the youth’s needs,
Identify the challenges in meeting those needs
Identify resources
Identify the:
ethical principles
ethical issues or concerns
ethical practices