The COVID-19 pandemic may be fading in the rearview mirror for many, but the “new normal” introduced (or exposed) several devastating realities. Our nation’s youth, particularly Black students and students from low-income backgrounds, are facing heightened instances of trauma, yet critical mental health resources remain scarce.
In 2021, 37% of students in grades 9-12 reported experiencing poor mental health; 1 in 5 were seriously considering suicide, and 1 in 10 attempted suicide. With suicide being the second leading cause of death for Black children ages 10-19, it’s time to sound the alarm.
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Make no mistake: Student mental health has been neglected across low-income and communities of color long before the pandemic. But schools are often a young person’s first line of defense. And yet, only about half of US schools provide mental health assessments, and just 42% provide treatment.
There’s plenty schools can, and should, do to address this issue as part of overall support for students’ social, emotional, and academic well-being — from offering one-on-one therapy and universal mental health screenings to ensuring a safe and supportive learning environment with an inclusive curriculum that keeps them engaged. Even amid all sorts of societal challenges, Black children need every opportunity to thrive.
In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, it’s important to highlight not only this current crisis but also how certain states, school districts, and schools are responding to it to help students. Fortunately, several Black female superintendents across the country are making a difference in their students’ lives.
Black female superintendents are uniquely equipped to lead.
For example, under the leadership of Dr. Tiffany Anderson, schools in Topeka, Kansas have created a nationally recognized approach that uses universal health screenings, individualized supports, and community partnerships to help students. She has also written a book, out later this month, that centers family and community partnership, “Building Parent Capacity in High-Poverty Schools.”
Metro Nashville Schools Superintendent Dr. Adrienne Battle wrote a song, “Every Student Known,” recorded by Grammy-winning gospel singer CeCe Winans, to ensure all students in her district feel seen and valued, and held a district-wide event to promote student connection.
Black female superintendents like Dr. Anderson and Dr. Battle — who represent just 1.5% of school district leaders — have decades of experience addressing both the educational concerns and cultural challenges that students of color face every day. Black female superintendents are uniquely equipped to lead because of their own experiences of overcoming the larger societal ills of racism, classism, and sexism.
As an example, Dr. Tahira Dupree-Chase was told as a high school student that college wasn’t an option for her; she’s since risen to become superintendent of Westbury Union School District in Long Island, New York. Her first order of business was to build an educational system that “enhance(es) student outcomes, educational quality, and community engagement.”
Black female superintendents are getting results for students in academics, too. Dr. LaTanya D. McDade instituted a plan in the Prince William County school district in Virginia that supported students in beat state averages in four out of five tested subjects on state exams. And Nashville’s Dr. Battle oversaw a system of academic supports for students after the pandemic, leading the district to be among the top 10 in academic recovery in both reading and math.
It’s important to honor these leaders’ excellent work and share how they’re helping shape the minds of our nation’s future leaders. That’s why EdTrust, AASA, the School Superintendents Association, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) are hosting a virtual panel discussion, “Superintendents of Color Leading With Excellence,” with Superintendents Dupree-Chase, McDade, Battle, and Anderson, along with students, advocates, and others, in a free livestreamed event on Thursday, May 23, at 6 p.m. EST. You can register here.
Please join us as we lift up these important leaders and their vital work in supporting all aspects of students’ development. They’re representing — and fostering — Black excellence.
Augustus Mays is EdTrust’s vice president for partnerships and engagement. He previously worked at WestEd and Knowledge Alliance. He holds an MPA from the University of Oklahoma and a BA in political science from Virginia Commonwealth University.
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