June 5, 2018, Annapolis Capital Gazette: As budget decision looms, Anne Arundel council seeks more teachers http://www.capitalgazette.com/news/government/ac-cn-audit-comments-0606-story.html A primary concern of the council is hiring more teachers to reduce class sizes throughout Anne Arundel County Public School System. Both Democrats and Republicans have agreed they want to hire more teachers, but the scope of that hiring and what targets for cuts will differ among individual councilmen. … Several high-profile school shootings — including one in Maryland — has prompted calls for counselors, psychologists and other mental health professionals. Educators and parents are hopeful these staff members could preemptively prevent violence. This tactic — which has been part of a national call — has been criticized by some as laying school violence at the feet of students with mental illness.
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.