Parents grade public schools on how well they emotionally support children with problems

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In the latest national poll on children’s health from the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, parents got a chance to rate how well public schools support children with behavioral, emotional or family problems. Most schools didn’t get top marks.

The report highlight: ‘About one-third of parents give primary schools an ‘A’ for providing support for kids with behavioral, emotional or family problems; less than one-quarter of parents give secondary schools an ‘A’.’

In other words, about two-thirds of primary schools and three-fourths of secondary schools were found wanting in some fashion. On the bright side, only a fraction were given an ‘F.’

Here’s the report.

It concludes: ‘In the current economic climate, some stakeholders argue that school funds should be restricted to instructional services. However, drastic cuts to student support services may, in the end, work against instructional objectives, if behavioral or emotional problems interfere with children’s ability to learn.’

Still unclear is just how teachers and administrators would grade parents on the same ‘emotionally supportive of kids’ scale.

-- Tami Dennis