Summary
After nearly two years of pandemic learning, Educators for Excellence asked teachers a variety of questions about their students’ mental health and what policy-makers can do to better support teachers in meeting their needs.
CASEL partnered with Educators for Excellence to outline the relevant findings from “Voices from the Classroom 2022” pertaining to teachers’ perspectives on SEL and highlight ways leaders at all levels of the system can support students and teachers socially and emotionally. Some key findings include:
- 79% of teachers say the mental health of their students is worse than before the pandemic.
- 70% of teachers report that shortages of social-emotional support staff (e.g., counselors, social workers, therapists) are a serious problem.
- 83% of teachers believe it is important for federal funding to be used for increasing the number of school psychologists, counselors, nurses, social workers, and other health professionals.
- 36% of teachers report they are encouraged to incorporate SEL lessons into their curricula.
