By RILEY BROWN
Sheridan High School Student
Editor’s Note: The Sheridan Student Column is brought to readers by Sheridan High School’s 10th grade English class, taught by Abby Williams.
For roughly half of the year, students are legally required to attend school. As most Americans belong to the middle class, they cannot afford to send their children to a private school. Instead, they go to a public school.
Don’t be fooled: Hollywood’s representation of an average public high school in America is laughably inaccurate. Trying to balance homework, a social life, sports, homework and outside-of-school activities is something Hollywood glosses over for a more picturesque portrayal of high school.
One thing that both schools and Hollywood do not realize is that each individual student is just that, an individual. No two students are the same, but the convenience of a one-size-fits-all system does not require much effort to maintain. Adapting the system to best suit the students’ needs, on the other hand, requires effort on behalf of the students themselves, the teachers and the administration.
Another subject that the U.S. falls under scrutiny for is the topic of mental health in schools. One problem that prohibits a sustainable support system for students with mental health disorders is the lack of resources. Namely, the two main shortages of resources are money and the availability of school counselors and other mental health professionals. According to nea.org, “The American School Counselor Association calls for a 250-to-1 ratio of students-to-counselor, but only three states – New Hampshire, Vermont, and Wyoming – meet it.”
The awareness and erasing of stigma surrounding mental health is not commonplace in American public schools. Out of the 50 states, only three of them meet this recommended guideline. To be more specific, the national average happens to be one counselor per 482 students.
Most teachers are not equipped to help students who suffer from mental health disorders. In fact, the school system seems to discourage students who need help from asking for it. Students are too busy drowning in the homework they get assigned every day to ask to go to the counselor. All that matters is how well each student does in school, as it determines the outcome of their future, so everything else gets put on the backburner. The education system does not value its students: The main concern is the grades they get. Students who cannot keep up with the fast-paced curriculum are deemed lazy and failures. However, the only failure here is the system itself.
Teachers are also neglected by the school system. There is a shortage of people willing to educate the youth. Looking at their annual salary, it is no surprise that they are discouraged from entering the field of education. According to nea.org, the national average of a new teacher’s salary as of the 2017-18 school year is $39,249. Living on a salary less than $40,000 a year can cause financial distress on teachers. Some teachers must work more than one job at a time in order to make ends meet.
Here in Indiana, the average salary of a teacher just starting their job, as of 2017-18, is $35,943. That number is $3,306 below the national average. Dividing $35,943 by 180 days results in an approximate pay of $200 each day.
Teachers arrive at work before school starts and leave after school ends. A school day for students consists of seven hours. Teachers work anywhere from seven to 10 hours each school day. Some teachers also work unpaid on the weekends. On top of everything else, teachers must deal with personal problems without letting those issues interfere from educating their students.
There are many things that need to be fixed in the American public-school education system. These problems cannot be solved easily, as several groups of people must come together to find a solution.
The government must increase public school funding for the accessibility of mental health resources to be available. The Board of Education must change the curriculum to be best suited to all students. School officials must come to an agreement for a reasonable and fair salary. The availability of resources and accommodation of more mental health professionals need to be increased.
The well-being of students across the United States will deteriorate continually if these changes are not made.