Teachers Find Themselves Trying to Address Students' Dire Mental Health Needs

Saturday, September 16th, 2023 -- 11:00 AM

(Natalie Eilbert, USA TODAY NETWORK - Wisconsin) For K-12 teachers this year, the start of school comes with a series of challenges, closing the academic gap chief among them.

But, according to Natalie Eilbert with USA TODAY NETOWRK - Wisconsin, before teachers can address the academic gap, one of the many fallouts of COVID-19, they'll first need to prioritize the historically high mental health needs of young people.

The majority of Wisconsin high schoolers, nearly 60%, self-reported experiencing depression, anxiety, self-harm or suicidal ideation in the past year. And an unprecedented number of youths are turning up in hospitals for attempting or contemplating suicide.

"We know that students who are mentally healthy experience better outcomes at school," said Libby Strunz, a school mental health consultant for the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

Put another way, you can't teach the Pythagorean theorem to someone whose brain is on fire, said Elizabeth Langteau, director of CESA 6 Allies in Mental Health Education, which works with 39 school districts across eight Wisconsin counties.

CESA 6, which stands for Cooperative Educational Service Agency, is one of 12 cooperatives in the state and covers Dodge, Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Outagamie, Washington, Waupaca, Waushara and Winnebago counties.

"No one is going to learn when their brains are not in a place where they can access the higher functions of their brain," Langteau said.

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