Students in Seattle don't wait for a college degree or high school diploma to make a difference in their communities.
They are making a difference now.
Natalya McConnell, a high school senior, explains in an article in The Nation how she and a group of high school students recognized the needs of their schools and won by demanding better, even under adverse circumstances.
that much problem
Students across the country are facing a mental health crisis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 20% of children experience a mental health disorder each year, and nearly 20% of high school students report serious suicidal thoughts each year. For many children, school is their only opportunity to receive mental health services. The American School Counselor Association recommends a counselor-student ratio of 1:250, and ASCA reports that the national average for 2021-2022 is 1:408. Most children in America do not receive the mental health services they need.
Seattle is also struggling. According to the Seattle Times, the city's counselor-student ratio for 2022 is 1:375, a tighter ratio than the national average but still short of the ratio recommended by ASCA. The waiting list for students seeking mental health services was, as one Seattle counselor put it, “astronomical.”
When the Seattle Student Council, a group of middle and high school students fighting for student needs, asked for more counselors in 2022? Well, every teacher knows the answer they got from the city council.
“I’m sorry. We don’t have any money.”
Fortunately, the students did not accept this answer.
Seattle Students Demand Better
Last November, McConnell and the rest of Seattle's student body called for $20 million to add school counselors. They also demanded that the money come from Seattle's top companies.
Then they organized.
Students continued to show up. First, in the form of a petition. Then send us an email. And finally, attending town hall meetings in person, sometimes waiting for hours to testify. McConnell wrote that Rep. Kshama Sawant “provided us with advice on how to mobilize students and counselors, and she opened her office so we could create rally signs and prepare for public hearings.”
At the final public hearing, high school student C. Maker-Witucki warned lawmakers: .”
A $20 million “Amazon tax” to fund more counselors and mental health support roles passed 5-4.
Teacher: Take notes.
McConnell’s article serves as a testament to the power of student-led advocacy in affecting change. Clearly, the students themselves are inspiring. But teachers across the country should also be taking notes on other parts of this story.
Be like the teachers and people in mental health support roles in Seattle who have created an environment where students can voice their concerns and advocate for the resources they need.
Be like City Council member Kshama Sawant, who had enough faith in the students. them Give them the tools they need to make change and leverage your position of power to make sure their voices are heard.
Finally, we do our students a great disservice by talking about their ability to change only in the future. We often say, “Our students will change the world one day,” or “They will grow up to be leaders.” Stop using that language.
It already is. We just have to get out of their way.