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I, as a single teacher, cannot make budget or staffing decisions. My role is to present my case to the board and inform the public of the need for more mental health personal.

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To support my case, support from the public is a must. In order to reach the public on this issue, I will submit an article to the local news paper talking about the benefits of added mental health professionals along with date/location of the Board of Education meeting where I will give my presentation. This way, parents will be able to show up to the meeting and offer support and/or ask questions relating to the topic.

In addition, I plan to post on different online community forums to look for parents who have children that were helped by current services or were unable to receive adequate help due to a lack of available personal to help bolster my presentation.

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As outlined on the website for Murray's Board of Education, the best way to make my case would be to request to give a presentation over the issue at a board meeting.
For this presentation, I will start by reviewing the research articles listed earlier that establish that students mental health needs are increasing and the effects these issues have on academic performance. After the research review, I will my plan to address the issues (i.e. reduce the student to mental health professional ratio in each building). I will then end it with testimonial from the guidance councilors already employed in our building about the benefits of additional staff and how it will effect their impact on students.

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The Board of Education meeting the second Thursday of the month every month. In order to have presentation considered, I will need to submit everything to the Superintendent ten days before the date of the next meeting.
All meeting dates are stored in this Google Drive folder.

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Email is the best way to contact the Superintendent concerning setting up a time for me to present my advocacy presentation to the board of education. The public and district employees can summit items for consideration (including requests to present) ten calendar days prior to a board meeting. The way stated to do this is to either call the number (270) 753-4363 or email the Superintendent directly.

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Often times, the source of behavior issues in students stems from unaddressed mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, ADHD, PTSD, etc. While teachers are there to support students both academically and emotionally, they are not therapists. They lack the training, time, and resources necessary to help students who suffer from mental health issues in the way they need.
With that said, more and more students are crisis and need the support of a professional to truly flourish. It is undeniably that we need more mental health professionals in school to support these kids.

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References

DeSocio, J., & Hootman, J. (2004, August). Children’s Mental Health and School Success. The Journal of School Nursing, 20(4), 189 - 196. https://journals-sagepub-com.ezproxy.waterfield.murraystate.edu/doi/epub/10.1177/10598405040200040201

Slomski, A. (2012, July 18). Chronic Mental Health Issues in Children Now Loom Larger Than Physical Problems. Medical News & Perspectives, 308(3), 223 - 225. 10.1001

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Ultimately, it is the Board of Education and the Superintendent who would be able to approve spending part of the budget to increase the number of mental health professionals. For Independent, those people are Coy Samons, Superintendent, Robyn Pizzo, Board Member, Gina Winchester, Board Member, Adam Seiber, Board Member, Dr. Richard Crouch, Chairman, Shawn Smee, Vice-Chairman.

Building a personal relationship will involve setting up meetings with these stakeholders to personally talk about their views on the subject of my advocacy project and attending board meetings when they occur. In addition, forming a relationship with the current mental health professionals will be invaluable as they can offer support and input into my presentation when the time comes to present it.

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A) Parents (non-teachers)

Better Discipline in schools (x1): Consistent consequences for students who disrupt the classroom and prevent other students from learning.

Free School Lunch (x1): Every student should have access to a free lunch when attending school.

Better communication from the school on available resources (x2): These parents felt that, while there were a lot of resources available, the school did not do a good job of informing parents of these resources.

B) Teachers

Better Discipline in schools (x2): Consistent consequences for students who disrupt the classroom and prevent other students from learning.

Salary (x1)

Class Size (x1): Class sizes should really be capped at 24 for successful leaning.

Mental Health Professionals (x1): Many students are in crises and are having issues teachers are not prepared to deal with. We need more mental health professionals in school to support these kids.

More Aids (x1): With classes with a high number of high needs kids, aids are invaluable for making those classes work.

C) Specialists/Admin

Mental Health Professionals (x2): Many students are in crises and are having issues teachers are not prepared to deal with. We need more mental health professionals in school to support these kids.

Mandatory Socioemotional Classes(x2): Students need to be taught the soft skills necessary to function outside of their home.

More Aids/Resources (x1)

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My stance is that an increase in school mental health professionals will lead to better academic outcomes for students who struggle with mental health problems. Normal classroom teachers are not trained to deal with complex issues such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, behavior disorders, etc. and so more support in this area is good for both students and teachers.

While the state's standard for school councilors/mental health professionals is 1 for every 250 students, I strongly believe this should be closer 1 per every 120 to 100 students. It is not an exaggeration to say that students are in a mental health crisis with more students facing more problems then they did 10 or 15 years ago.

To communicate these problems and receive support, the goal is to hold meetings school stockholders (sight based conceal, parent representatives, high school admin team, board office members, and the board of education) to discuss the benefits of adding more mental health staff and the impact it could have on the student populous.

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In my district, Murray Independent, we have two guidance counselors in the high school as well as one therapist who provides counseling to students. While these staff members are fantastic, they are spread too thin to for the number of students who need advanced help.

As of 2023, the prediction is that Murray Independent will see around a 10 percent increase in enrollment in the next few years. This means that the population of the high school will increase from 484 to around 534 in a few years. This is likely to put a strain on already existing resources relating to mental health.

The state of Kentucky dictates that schools should have 1 school counselor/mental health professional per 250 students which is in line with the national standard. Fortunately, Murray meets this standard with a current ratio of 1 mental health support staff member per 161 students and a predicted 1 to 178 ratio in the next few years.

Murray spends around $12, 392 per student which is higher than the average for the state of Kentucky ($11,397). Nationally, however, the average amount spent per student is $$13,494. Murray receives a budget of 26 million dollars per year.

Murray Independent is partnered with Mountain Comprehensive Care Center which allows Murray to employ one theorist at the high school. Murray also employs a program called SEL (Social and Emotional Learning) within all schools which focuses on helping students develop social emotional skills.

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I want to talk to my district on the importance of including more mental health professionals to support students struggling with depression, behavior disorders, anxiety, etc.
As discussed earlier on this Padlet, mental health issues are an ever increasing concern for students. Teachers are not trained in how to best treat someone struggling with one of these issues nor should it be expected that teachers double as therapists on top of their normal duties.
There is a clear need for more mental health professionals in school.

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Children’s Mental Health and School Success
In America, around 10% of students are afflicted with a Disruptive Behavior Disorder. Disruptive Behavior Disorders include Attention Deficit Disorders, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and Conductive Disorder. Children diagnosed with these issues run the very real risk of following behind in school, dropping out, and possible even getting in trouble with the law. For children in the criminal justice system, 75% of males and 67% of females have some underlying mental health issue.
In addition, 30% of students show signs of depression with 7% of students showing symptoms for moderate to severe depression. Students with depression often struggle to pay attention, stay awake in class, and/or maintain their grades. This type of mental health issue is also more likely to be overlooked by teachers than children with Disruptive Disorders.

Chronic Mental Health Issues in Children Now Loom Larger Than Physical Problems
As the title of this article indicates, mental health issues are now more prevalent than physical disabilities in children. Parents often recognize mental health related issues in their children by 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 years of age. Oftentimes, however, students are not provided special education services until they are 8 1/2 years old when issues they are having can no longer be ignored.
Metal Health issues can also have a profound effect on the children as they become adults. Adults with childhood mental health issues work on average 7 fewer weeks per year than those with physical disabilities from childhood. In addition, affects of mental health issues can lead to on average a 37% decline in family income.