Ever since the release of A Nation at Risk in 1983, schools have become a battleground for opposing views about how best to educate our children. Battle lines have formed around such contentious issues as whether parents should have the option of choosing charter schools rather than traditional public schools; whether teachers should be evaluated on the basis of the performance of their students on standardized tests; and whether adoption of a standard curriculum across the country will raise student performance on those tests.
All of these issues focus attention on schools without considering the lives of the students who attend them. But performing well in school requires a home life that is relatively free of stress, with nurturing parents who can provide the needed support and direction. And as we move down the economic ladder, these resources become ever more scarce.
A conservative estimate suggests that one in every five children live in families without the financial resources to allow their children these luxuries. And the results show up in the schools where children are expected to focus attention on teachers and learning. Unfortunately, students who live in these households are much less able to concentrate on schooling. Instead, they must cope with stressed parents who are too busy making ends meet to provide an environment conducive to academic development.
To increase these children's success, we need to invest in their families' mental health. Our growing understanding of the importance of emotional well-being is spurring interest in the promotion of mental health, rather than just the treatment of disorder.
[For more of this story, written by Dan Romer, go to http://thehill.com/blogs/pundi...-health-for-children]
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