Ed Week has an article here describing a
Race to the Top initiative that gives grants to school districts who pair with
outside agencies to provide student support services.
I really like the idea of
school/community partnerships. But I am
distressed to see federal grants go to agencies providing services that should
be provided to children within the schools.
It’s much more effective to have
support services be part of the school community, and provided by school staff. I often had students who had refused outside
counseling but would agree to meet with the school social worker. They knew him. He was available all the time. I often walked my students up to the
counseling center and waited while they met him. When I had a student in crisis, I could
immediately get a counselor to my classroom.
Community groups could help train
teachers and counselors, and provide resources for them. But the first line of treatment for students
needs to be right in the school, and available all the time.
That is exactly right. I could imagine a decent school that was essentially just a library staffed with social workers. For most of my students who are having trouble in school, the trouble stems not from anything academic, but from personal or family issues. Our social workers are invaluable, and we could use more of them.
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