Last week was National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week. Every day, about 20 percent of students entering classrooms across the nation are struggling with mental health challenges. Seventeen percent of high school students report they have seriously considered suicide in the past 12 months. Students who have experienced traumas, such as witnessing family violence or the traumatic loss of a loved one, may appear distracted, unfocused, withdrawn or moody. These students are often labeled “problem students” before schools have a chance to understand what is behind their learning struggles.
