In order to
educate children today, we have to meet the needs of the whole child. In
Hattiesburg Public Schools we have formed many partnerships to address the
needs of our children, both in the classroom and elsewhere, to help them be
better able to learn. These partnerships help bridge the gaps related to mental
health, physical well-being, social and emotional development, dental health
and basic needs such as food, clothing and shelter. These needs must be met or
addressed in order for teaching and learning to take place.
In education, we
operate in a world that is heavily tested and measured by scores and outcomes.
This often can lead people to think only of a school and students in terms of
their scores. But, if we want our students to perform well and maintain a high
score, we must first tackle the obstacles that exist in their lives that hinder
learning. In order to do that I have recently changed the focus of our school
counselors, so that they can help connect some of the various support available
in the schools and the community to the students who need that service and
support. Our counselors had previously been used as test coordinators, among
other things, for schools, but no longer! I want our counselors to be able to focus
on serving children and their many needs. Their excitement and enthusiasm
at this new change tells me they agree. When students are healthy and feel good
about themselves, their focus can be on learning and great things can
happen in the classroom.
James Q. Bacchus
THANK YOU!!! As a long time teacher and counselor, I find it extremely encouraging to hear our leader express this view. I've always advocated the belief that if a child's needs are met first, the improvement in their scores will follow.
ReplyDeleteAwesome!
ReplyDeleteI wish we could have school based social workers also.
ReplyDelete