Mar 22, 2018, Denver Post: Addressing the achievement gap in Denver Public Schools https://www.denverpost.com/2018/03/22/addressing-the-achievement-gap-in-denver-public-schools-2-letters/ By retired teacher… …In the last several years, the number of students with emotional/social and academic needs has increased significantly. Schools are demanding more academic progress while failing to meet the needs of students with behavioral issues, stressful home situations, and learning deficits. Although DPS has instituted the Whole Child initiative to try to address these issues, programs and supports have been implemented in very few schools.
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.