Chicago Public Schools Human Resources Department Drops the Ball

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, a band director faces deportation over a broken promise by Chicago Public School officials. Anand Raj Sukumaran, arrived from Malaysia five years ago, and attended on a full scholarship and earned a B.A. in music from Michigan State in 2006 .

Last summer he was assured by the human resource department of CPS to take a position they thought he was well qualified for, assuring him that they would help him get a work visa. Sukumaran worked on a one-year visa granted to recent graduates at Chicago's Peterson Elementary School. During this past school year, he revived a struggling music program, along with reconditioning all the instruments he encouraged students to participate, restarted two bands, planned to add jazz and rock ensembles, and won the support of students, parents and teachers.

Throughout the year Sukumaran and administrators at the school pressed the CPS's human resource department, who met with him several times, but then abruptly stopped returning his calls. Just five days before his visa expired, CPS e-mailed him a notice that they had not secured a visa for him, which shocked not only Sukumaran but school officials as well as they had been assured that there was no problem. But apparently the CPS had missed the deadline for work visa, and said he was not eligible for one or a more temporary "exchange visitor program" visa.

If the CPS is unable to do anything, Sukumaran must leave the USA by August. For now, because his job ended on May 30, 2007, he continues to work for free, he didn't want to abandon his students.

The Chicago Sun-Times reports that CPS spokesman Mike Vaughn said "(A human resource staffer) did apparently make some commitments to helping him but unfortunately didn't understand the full complexity of visa applications, obviously we regret what happened and we're doing everything we can to try to make it right.''

Kate Grossman, Education Reporter

Band leader stuck in bind

VISA SNAFU | Despite CPS hiring promises, beloved director now faces deportation http://www.suntimes.com/news/418977,CST-NWS-band08.article