Feb 19, 2018, Allentown (PA) Morning Call: Allentown Schools to hold public forum on safety in the wake of Parkland shooting http://www.mcall.com/news/local/mc-nws-allentown-school-safety-forum-20180219-story.html Tretter advocated hiring more staff, such as security guards and counselors, to promote physical safety measures and support students who are grappling with trauma or mental and emotional health needs. “With the ranks of our counseling folks, we could have 10 times what we have and it might not be enough,” she said. “I truly believe those are places were we should have more. We should be able to give the kids the support that they need like that.” Tretter echoed other education experts in the Lehigh Valley, who also called for recognizing and treating students with emotional and mental health issues in the wake of the Florida shooting. …
Childhood Lost
Children today are noticeably different from previous generations, and the proof is in the news coverage we see every day. This site shows you what’s happening in schools around the world. Children are increasingly disabled and chronically ill, and the education system has to accommodate them. Things we've long associated with autism, like sensory issues, repetitive behaviors, anxiety and lack of social skills, are now problems affecting mainstream students. Blame is predictably placed on bad parenting (otherwise known as trauma from home).
Addressing mental health needs is as important as academics for modern educators. This is an unrecognized disaster. The stories here are about children who can’t learn or behave like children have always been expected to. What childhood has become is a chilling portent for the future of mankind.