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The narrative about reopening schools because of the tragic suicides of students leaves out the complexity that young people were already suffering from untreated mental health issues. Both my virtual and in person students are suffering deeply.
The answer isn't to open schools when it's not safe. The answer is to ensure that when schools open, safety is a priority for students, teachers, and the community at large. Children are losing parents and grandparents. They're witnessing death and despair on a large scale.
Young people have had their foundational understanding of right and wrong rocked. They have had their existing traumas compounded by failed leadership during the pandemic and by witnessing mass police brutality and threats to democracy.
The answer is funding mental health advocates and experts in schools. The answer is providing social programs so their parents can pay their bills, get treatment for their own mental health and addiction issues.
I've been teaching middle and high school for the past 6 years and have seen how the education system failed them long before the pandemic. Yes, children need help now. But they also needed help before. And their suffering will not simply end when they set foot on campus.
