America’s adolescents today are sadder, more anxious, and lonelier than previous generations. It’s a long-term trend that has reached crisis proportions, according to mental health professionals. Schools have stepped up in response, adding mental health services and classes designed to foster mental well-being. But they’ve been limited by inconsistent funding and a scarcity of mental health professionals. Teachers, meanwhile, are stressed and struggling with low morale. This virtual forum is based on recent reporting on these challenges and how schools have responded.
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Agenda
2:00pm ET
Welcome & Introduction
We’ll highlight key insights from recent reporting on student and staff mental health.
Matthew Stone is an assistant managing editor for Education Week.
2:10pm ET
Interactive Session: What We Know about Student and Teacher Well-being.
Staff writer Lauraine Langreo will share reflections from recent Ed Week Research Center surveys on student mental health and teacher morale, and takes the pulse of forum participants.
Lauraine Langreo is an Education Week staff writer, covering education technology and learning environments.
2:20pm ET
Industry Perspective: Teaching Skills for Social-Emotional Behavioral Health
Sponsor content provided by Boys Town
Many students are struggling to “do school” and schools are tasked with figuring out how to meet the high levels of need. This session will explore the role of predictability, structure, specificity, and teaching social and emotional skills to address the increasing mental and behavioral health needs in school.
Many students are struggling to “do school” and schools are tasked with figuring out how to meet the high levels of need. This session will explore the role of predictability, structure, specificity, and teaching social and emotional skills to address the increasing mental and behavioral health needs in school.
Courtney Dealy
Manager of National Training,
Boys Town
Courtney Dealy has worked in the field of education for over 21 years. She taught early childhood education, upper elementary, middle and high school students and currently works for Boys Town, training and consulting educators on how to create a positive learning environment that teaches students the social emotional and behavioral skills to be successful learners and humans. As a former teacher, foster parent, and in-home caregiver for children with disabilities, Courtney has extensive experience working with children who have behavioral challenges.
2:30pm ET
Panel Discussion: Tackling the Mental Health Crisis in Schools
We’ll speak with school leaders from districts both big and small, urban and rural, about what they have been able to do to address students’ surging mental health needs.
Jonathan Apostol
Principal,
Monett Middle School, MO
Dr. Jonathan Apostol has served in public education for 28 years. He was a math teacher for four years, an assistant principal for eight years, and currently serves as the middle school principal for Monett Middle School in Monett, Missouri. Dr. Apostol has a Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics from the University of Missouri-Columbia, Masters Degree in Education Administration from Missouri State University, and a Specialist and Doctorate Degree in Educational Leadership from Saint Louis University. Dr. Apostol has served as Middle Level Representative, Treasurer, and President for his state principals organization (Missouri Association of Secondary School Principals - MOASSP) and currently serves as the State Coordinator. With the district tragedy of three suicides in two years (middle school student, district superintendent, and middle school counselor), Dr. Apostol has focused more on student and staff mental health in his building and works collaboratively with his counseling team, teachers, families, and outside agencies to assist the middle school community.
Ben Carr
Principal,
Mountain View High School, WY
Ben Carr is principal of Mountain View High School in Mountain View, Wyoming. He is in his 28th year in education overall. Ben graduated from the University of Idaho and began his career as an English teacher and coach in Payette, Idaho and Lakeview, Oregon. Ben taught high school English and coached high school and middle school football, wrestling, and track for eight years. Ben has served as a high school assistant principal, elementary principal, and is now in his 15th year as a high school principal, all at Mountain View High School. Ben and his amazing wife, Dwan, and their three children, Kendall, Race, and Logan moved to Wyoming where he took the helm of MVHS.
Laura Erickson-Schroth
Chief Medical Officer,
The Jed Foundation (JED)
Dr. Laura Erickson-Schroth (she/they), Chief Medical Officer for The Jed Foundation (JED), is a psychiatrist committed to improving mental health through education and resource creation. She provides guidance on how individuals, families, schools, communities, media, and other youth-serving organizations can take actions to protect mental health and prevent suicide in teens and young adults, ensuring that all young people are being served in data-informed and culturally responsive ways.
3:15pm ET
Panel Discussion: Ensuring Teachers Don’t Forget Their Own Well-being
Teachers pour their hearts and souls into their jobs, often sacrificing their well-being. We’ll speak with people who have made it their priority to ensure teachers can be at their best by not neglecting themselves.
Madeline Will is a reporter for Education Week who covers the teaching profession.
Erika Collins-Frazier
Staff Health and Wellness Specialist,
Phoenix Union High School District
Dr. Erika Collins-Frazier is a seasoned mental health professional with over 15 years of unwavering dedication in the field of mental health counseling. She has mastered various therapeutic approaches, including crisis intervention, dialectal behavioral therapy (DBT), reality therapy, trauma therapy, solution-focused therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and the intricate nuances of complicated grief. Her expertise in these modalities allowed her to navigate the intricate tapestry of the human mind with sensitivity and insight, and her work has extended beyond clinical settings, as she has been an advocate for mental health awareness in the community.
Cailene Pisciotta
Staff Health and Wellness Specialist,
Phoenix Union High School District
Cailene Pisciotta, LPC, is a licensed professional counselor who believes in a strength-based and behavioral approach to helping all individuals see their potential and thrive. She received her BA in psychology at Saint Mary’s College in South Bend, Indiana, and a MA in clinical counseling with an emphasis on the treatment of addiction disorders at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. She has been practicing in the mental health field since 2010, serving a diverse population of clients and a wide range of mental health issues. Her training includes addiction treatment, strengths-based therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral therapy, and crisis prevention/intervention. Cailene is passionate about incorporating healthy mental health practices into education.
Alison Smith
Resilience Coach
Alison Smith is a resilience coach and the founder of The Thrive Designer. She is a former classroom teacher and now an ICF Professional Certified Coach who passionately serves educators and leaders to design more thriving lives. Since 2015, Alison has worked with hundreds of educators from around the world to develop the social-emotional coping skills that are key to managing teacher burnout and cultivating resilience and well-being. She is also the author of Drawing Your Line: Setting Boundaries Step by Step. Alison’s mission is to support and equip teachers to thrive in their classrooms and beyond.
3:45pm ET
Interactive session: Cellphone Bans and Students’ Mental Health
Staff writer Lauraine Langreo will discuss recent reporting on schools’ differing approaches to cellphones on campus and their connection to students’ mental health and will ask the audience to share their experiences.
Lauraine Langreo is an Education Week staff writer, covering education technology and learning environments.
3:55pm ET
Closing Thoughts
Hear the big takeaways from this virtual forum.
Matthew Stone is an assistant managing editor for Education Week.
