Families across the country are sharing personal accounts of how bureaucratic hurdles and systemic barriers have delayed—or entirely blocked—access to education for loved ones, including cases where individuals were excluded from school enrollment for years. Some faced obstacles tied to legal status, while others encountered administrative delays that left them without educational opportunities until much later in life. The experiences highlight ongoing inequities in how education systems address the needs of vulnerable populations. Advocates say these stories underscore the need for policy changes to ensure all children and adults have timely access to learning.
Susan Popkin has a brother-in-law who was kept out of traditional education until high school. David Bateman has a brother-in-law who couldn’t enroll for the first 17 years of his life. These stories ...
