Being an adult is stressful, but being a kid should be fun – a time of innocence, freedom, and few worries. That’s not the case for many kids these days, however:
In a recent poll that asked tens of thousands of high school students how often they feel stressed, nearly 45% said “all the time,” citing relationships and teachers as the primary reasons why. “How often are you stressed,” was one of the four questions asked in the stress and mental health awareness poll hosted by the social network After School.
When asked what resources they use to help manage their stress, teens responded that online apps and resources were their most likely source of help (44.04%), while only 2.54% utilize resources made available by the school.
The poll, created to raise teens’ awareness of mental health issues and available resources, was developed as part of After School’s annual Social Media Safety in Schools conference. The event, held January 17 in San Francisco, brought together 50 students, mental health experts, and social media company representatives to explore ways to use technology to help reduce suicide rates and improve teen mental health.
Wouldn’t it be nice if these kids had some educational options other than their local, ZIP code-mandated government schools with their stress-inducing teachers? They could, if many of those same teachers didn’t care more about themselves and their paychecks than they do about the kids’ well-being.
SOURCE: GlobeNewswire.com
IN THIS ISSUE:
- MEMPHIS: The Memphis, Tennessee school district is trying to avoid a state takeover.
- DENVER: Some Denver, Colorado schools are interested in operating more like charters.
- ILLINOIS: Democrats in Illinois are trying to kill a school choice bill.
- CHARTERS: The unionization of charter schools is decreasing, data shows.
Common Core and Curriculum Watch
- COMMON CORE: The new Incredibles 2 movie contains a veiled reference to Common Core, Shane Vander Hart reports.
- ILLINOIS: Illinois is looking to “transform” its state standardized test.
- CALIFORNIA: California’s courts ready for a teachers union opt-out case.
- GUNS: A Columbine school shooting survivor is pushing for legislation to arm teachers.
- AP: More students than ever are taking advanced placement tests, data shows.
- WEST VIRGINIA: West Virginia teachers announce their plan for a two-day strike.
Teresa Mull is a policy advisor for education and an editor at The Heartland Institute.
