Jan 25, 2018, Emporia (KS) Gazette: USD 253 participates in social-emotional success study session http://www.emporiagazette.com/area_news/article_3d2aacf6-a2f3-525d-b71d-73eeea57c3c9.html Students, administrators and teachers from Emporia Public Schools, as well as members of the community, participated in a study session about social-emotional success during a meeting of the Board of Education Wednesday night at Emporia High School. … Social-emotional growth helps students manage and understand their emotions, make responsible decisions, set and achieve positive goals, establish and maintain positive relationships and feel and show empathy toward others. … “We’re looking at attitude and behavior; we’re looking at attendance and completion,” Harder said. “We’re looking at bullying prevention; we’re looking at character development.” Harder said between 14 - 20 percent of students experience a mental, emotional or behavioral disorder each year. One in five students will experience a mental health problem of mild impairment, while one in 10 will experience a severe impairment.
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.