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On behalf of the entire TEA TEHCY Program and TNOYS team, we would like to extend our sincerest thanks for joining us at the 2022 TEHCY Program Summit!
It was so great to see education professionals and providers from across Texas come together both in person and virtually to help each other create connections and build bridges for Texas students experiencing homelessness. Now more than ever, it is so important for us to share knowledge, collaborate on best practices, and build an equitable and resilient community!
For those that were able to attend the in-person conference, we hope you had an opportunity to participate in enriching sessions, check out the vendors, and network with peers. Both in person and virtual attendees can revisit the PheedLoop event platform (desktop) or the PheedLoop Go app to view the session recordings, session materials, any messages you may have received from attendees or other speakers, and other resources on the platform.
Thank you to all who attended the McKinney-Vento 101 training on Tuesday, September 27th, 2022. We were incredibly grateful to have over 1,000 attendees from across the state! The recording and slideshow are now available on the TEA TEHCY webpage under the McKinney-Vento 101 Resources section.
In this training, TEA TEHCY Program staff provide an overview of the key requirements of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Attendees learn more about identification, enrollment, dispute resolution, and the roles and responsibilities of Local Education Agencies (LEAs) and McKinney-Vento Liaisons to support students experiencing homelessness.
November is National Homeless Youth Awareness Month
Texas schools identified nearly 94,000 children and youth experiencing homelessness in school year 2020-2021, and 15% of these students were living separate from their parent or guardian. Families and students experiencing homelessness are frequently caught in a cycle of poverty and instability. Whether they are sharing housing with another family, staying in a hotel, or sleeping in a place unfit for habitation, the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act utilizes a broad definition of homelessness in order for students to be eligible for support in school.
The McKinney-Vento Act was authorized in 1987 and re-authorized in 2015 by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Under the McKinney-Vento Act, LEAs must ensure that each child and youth experiencing homelessness has equal access to the same free, appropriate public education as other children and youths.
In honor of National Homeless Youth Awareness Month, the TEHCY Team encourages you to talk to your students and listen to their stories. Before we can begin to help, we must seek to understand. Providing a listening ear in a non-judgmental setting helps children and youth experiencing homelessness feel safe, seen, and heard.
In an effort to streamline and expedite the technical assistance process, effective November 2nd, 2022, TEA will no longer be utilizing the TEHCY Hotline (1-800-446-3142) for technical assistance questions related to the McKinney-Vento program. Each of the 20 Education Service Centers has a designated Regional McKinney-Vento Liaison who provides technical assistance and training to LEAs. District and campus staff should now reach out to their Regional McKinney-Vento Liaison for questions on the McKinney-Vento program. TEA collaborates with all 20 regional liaisons to provide updated and aligned information and guidance.
Parents, guardians, and students can contact their district or open-enrollment charter school McKinney-Vento Liaison with questions on the program. The contact information for the local liaison can be found on the district or open-enrollment charter school’s McKinney-Vento webpage, or on the TEA AskTED database.
 In instances, when TEA receives a technical assistance question directly from a district, campus, parent/guardian, or student, TEA will forward that request to the applicable Regional McKinney-Vento Liaison. The liaison will then respond to that request on behalf of TEA.
You can find an updated list of Regional McKinney-Vento Liaisons on the TEHCY webpage.
Additionally, each ESC hosts a TEHCY webpage with available community resources, training, and points of contact for the local McKinney-Vento program. The list of regional TEHCY webpages is also included on the TEA TEHCY webpage.
Inquiries
For questions regarding the statewide McKinney-Vento program, please email HomelessEducation@tea.texas.gov.
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