I must be honest with parents with children in the public education system. Yes, academic success is important, but from my tenure in education, I can tell you that students’ social and emotional wellness is equally as important, if not more.

Students’ behaviors while matriculating through school will show up in adulthood; we want those behaviors to be healthy.

I’m challenging parents across Indiana and the nation to focus on ensuring their school-aged children have appropriate social and emotional wellness.

According to the World Health Organization, youth and young adults between the ages of 12 and 29 are increasingly being engaged in violence.

Some parents believe teasing and bullying are simply part of a normal childhood. However, we also know that teasing and bullying can cause huge gaps in our youth’s social and emotional wellness and development.

Don’t be shocked, but some people don’t view teasing and bullying as violence against another; but indeed, it is and does lead to violence.

Over the last few decades, the impact of the “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” belief has been a huge barrier to creating safe spaces for students who are being bullied or harmed.

Words do and can hurt us! We must stop teaching our children and youth to silence their voices, not to cry, and not to “snitch” on someone when they are hurting you, doing harm, or doing wrong.

Working with parents and families this past school year allowed me to see what’s happening at home, in our communities, and through social media and the common and top concerns parents have.

Many teachers are on the frontlines of helping ease the fear of parents and families by working to ensure that learning spaces are safe physically, emotionally, socially, and mentally for all children.

We need more student support staff and educators who can efficiently provide our students’ health and wellness needs. Keeping students safe physically isn’t just protecting them with the presence of officers with guns. We need to protect the whole child, including their health and wellness.

Pre-pandemic, we had a crisis on our hands in public schools with bullying, not just bullying happening while students are in school but the continuation out of school through cyberbullying.

Too many of our schools have counselors focusing on getting students prepared for college and passing high-stakes tests when they should be helping students maintain sound emotional and social wellness so they can do all those things and more.

I’m encouraging parents who are able to:

• join local organizations fighting for educational equity
• connect with social-emotional learning-centered coalitions, associations and organizations to gain research
• volunteer and collaborate with various communities in your area
• get students engaged in sharing their stories and advocating for themselves

Learn more about SEL and health literacy by registering for the upcoming National Parents Union town hall discussion on Social Emotional Learning and Health Literacy with practitioners, parents, policy makers and students, which will be held virtually on Tuesday, August, 29, 2023, 6:30 p.m. EST, using this link: https://streamyard.com/watch/PjeR427nmiZC.