Reprint from edweek.org
By on July 27, 2018 5:07 PM
Elementary school principals say they are very worried about the rising numbers of students with emotional problems. They are concerned that more students have mental health needs. They also rank family poverty, school safety, and students’ lack of effective supervision at home as high on their list of anxieties about student well-being.
A new survey of elementary principals and assistant principals captured those top issues—which in many ways mirror the broader public mood in 2018. The survey’s results were published recently by the National Association of Elementary School Principals.
The once-per-decade survey, which has been conducted since 1928, provides a snapshot of the principalship—from tenure and job satisfaction to salary and professional-development.
It also shows trends of how the profession—and how principals view their job and challenges—has changed over time and through various education reforms.
Ten years ago, in the 2008 report, for example, students’ social-emotional needs did not rank among the top 10 student issues about which the majority of principals expressed “high” or “extreme” concern.
But this time around, the top 10 issues all reflected deep-seated worries about the well-being of children:
- Student mental health;
- Student poverty;
- Management of student behavior;
- Lack of effective adult supervision at home;
- Safety and security of students;
- Bullying through social media;
- Student homelessness;
- Emotional bullying;
- Child abuse; and
- Student stress over self-identity
