Do you think we have a "unique hardship" for an MCPS COSA/Transfer?

[Anonymous]

The adjoining elementary boundaries do have suitable rentals that I might be able to get into and afford once I'm on my feet (my mom is willing to be on the lease and has enough income to be approved), but there still aren't many. These all feed into the same middle school, so any COSA would only need to be for the next three years (my daughter's in 2nd grade).

Go ahead and rent one of these places. You don’t have to apply for a COSA until next year. With everything you have going on this is one of the last things you need to be worrying about.

[Anonymous]

If this man has no parental rights, this may be the right time to move FAR. Check with an attorney before you make further plans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Alhough it sucks I would say No. This is why homeless kids have to move schools all the time.

Actually, homeless kids don't have to move schools all the time. The federal McKinney-Vento Act says that they have the right to continue to attend the school that they were attending when they became homeless, with transportation provided by the district.

This is true--contact your child's school counselor, who can help you with the situation (with the PPW, but the counselor is a good start, since that person is always physically at the school). Your situation seems to qualify you for homeless status, which would mean you fill out a form, and bus transportation is provided (along with free lunch). I work in an MCPS ES and have dealt with displaced families many times. I also had a close friend whose house suffered storm damage and was inhabitable for 3 weeks while it was being repaired. Their homeowners insurance put them in an extended-stay hotel, and when she called her son's school to let them know he would be missing some days (she didn't have a car) the counselor let her know that he qualified as homeless because of it, and he was given a bus and got free lunch.

Also, even if you were given a lease tomorrow and moved right away, you can always get a COSA for the remainder of the school year for the current school, which would give you some time to get settled somewhere. There is not very much scrutiny for qualifications for this kind of COSA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - Principals have discretion when it comes to COSA approvals. Make an appointment or ask for a phone conversation so the Principal can help you with options. The Principal may even be able to help connect you with community services. Finally, the school needs to be aware that your ex does not have parental rights and cannot pick up your child from school. Update any emergency contact forms on file.

This all makes no senses. She is scared of her ex but been with her partner for 5 years and had no contact so she made her daughter scared, not daughter being scared as she probably doesn't remember him. In less his rights were terminated for adoption, which is rare to happen without a marriage, he does have parental rights. There may be a no contact order but he is still legally the parent. She sounds like a nut job if she is even for real.

Yeah, you are totally mis-reading OP. Partner of 5 years IS the abusive ex, and he is not the daughter's father. Now it all makes sense...

[Anonymous]

Wow! You folks have been so super helpful, thank you thank you! I was trying to figure out who handles student advocacy, and the PPW seems like it - thanks! And I will contact all the other suggested resources and apply for everything I possibly can. The principal and staff are amazing, it's a very small school, and I know they'd be helpful.

[Anonymous]

OP, if your school has a Linkages to Learning program, they can also be a resource for therapy for your DD, as well as resources for you in your time of crisis. They can help with housing, transportation, food, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Alhough it sucks I would say No. This is why homeless kids have to move schools all the time.

Actually, homeless kids don't have to move schools all the time. The federal McKinney-Vento Act says that they have the right to continue to attend the school that they were attending when they became homeless, with transportation provided by the district.

This. Forget COSA...not needed in your situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How would your daughter get to the out-of-zone school? You will need to work so can't drive her

That is false. Homeless students do NOT have to move. That is against the law and the ACLU sued MCPS over this very issue. MCPS lost and homeless students
can stay in their school even if their physical location changes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How would your daughter get to the out-of-zone school? You will need to work so can't drive her

That is false. Homeless students do NOT have to move. That is against the law and the ACLU sued MCPS over this very issue. MCPS lost and homeless students
can stay in their school even if their physical location changes.

Homeless as in they are living in a shelter and the school bus will pick up from a shelter but not from another housing situation as in that case the child isn't homeless. If mom and child move in with a friend, they are not homeless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How would your daughter get to the out-of-zone school? You will need to work so can't drive her

That is false. Homeless students do NOT have to move. That is against the law and the ACLU sued MCPS over this very issue. MCPS lost and homeless students
can stay in their school even if their physical location changes.

Homeless as in they are living in a shelter and the school bus will pick up from a shelter but not from another housing situation as in that case the child isn't homeless. If mom and child move in with a friend, they are not homeless.

Actually, the law is very clear that being “doubled up” with family or friends due to circumstances beyond your control meets criteria for homelessness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How would your daughter get to the out-of-zone school? You will need to work so can't drive her

That is false. Homeless students do NOT have to move. That is against the law and the ACLU sued MCPS over this very issue. MCPS lost and homeless students
can stay in their school even if their physical location changes.

Homeless as in they are living in a shelter and the school bus will pick up from a shelter but not from another housing situation as in that case the child isn't homeless. If mom and child move in with a friend, they are not homeless.

Actually, the law is very clear that being “doubled up” with family or friends due to circumstances beyond your control meets criteria for homelessness.

+1
MCPS Homeless Liaison Office: 240-740-451
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/info/enroll/homeless.aspx
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/info/enroll/HomelessStudentRights.pdf

It might be easiest for keeping your daughter in the same elementary to actually declare yourself "homeless" until you really get yourself sorted out into a proper place that you can actually afford to stay in.

Best Wishes.

[Anonymous]

Did you file a police report for theft?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Alhough it sucks I would say No. This is why homeless kids have to move schools all the time.

Absolutely untrue. Mcps has policies in place to support families who are homeless and help kids stay in their preferred school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How would your daughter get to the out-of-zone school? You will need to work so can't drive her

That is false. Homeless students do NOT have to move. That is against the law and the ACLU sued MCPS over this very issue. MCPS lost and homeless students
can stay in their school even if their physical location changes.

Homeless as in they are living in a shelter and the school bus will pick up from a shelter but not from another housing situation as in that case the child isn't homeless. If mom and child move in with a friend, they are not homeless.

Actually, the law is very clear that being “doubled up” with family or friends due to circumstances beyond your control meets criteria for homelessness.

It's amazing how many people who have no clue about homeless policy are up in here trying to talk out of their ass.

[Anonymous]

Landlord here. Realistically it will be about 12 weeks until you are evicted in MoCo. First the landlord has to take it to court (you'll get notice of this). You can show up if you like but not required. The court date is scheduled about 4 weeks out after date of filing.

Then court will rule you have to pay. You have a few days to do so. You'll get a notice of this. Then when you don't, landlord files with court for eviction (another few days). Once court orders eviction, landlord needs to schedule with Sheriff. They typically take 3-6 weeks to schedule it.

This is in MoCo. In VA it's a lot lot faster, but you wrote MCPS so I guess your'e in MoCo.