Top challenges in more than half of the country鈥檚 schools were students being unprepared or disruptive in the classroom, according to the Department of Education鈥檚 research arm in . 

For 40-45% of schools, student learning and staff morale was also limited by students鈥� 鈥渢rouble鈥� working with partners or in groups and use of cell phones, laptops, or other tech when not permitted. In 75% of schools, students鈥� 鈥渓ack of focus鈥� moderately or severely negatively impacted learning and staff morale. 

Fighting and bullying were also pervasive: In about one in five schools, physical fights occurred about once a month, while weapons were confiscated at 45% of schools. Thirty percent report cyberbullying is a weekly occurrence; for 11%, it is daily.

Researchers say while overall, key adverse student behaviors have been on a downswing compared to prior generations, such as illicit drug use, violent crime and teen birth rates, several forces are compounding for students and impacting their wellbeing: High rates of trauma, a fraught political climate, and feeling they are being left behind, or unseen in school.

鈥淟ook what these students have gone through 鈥� not only the pandemic, through wars. Through a tumultuous, divisive political environment in the last six or seven years that’s only intensifying between right and left, between Black and white, between immigrant and non-immigrant. [Those separations] are filtering into schools and classes, perhaps with an awareness that we have not had before,鈥� said Ron Astor, UCLA professor of social welfare and expert on bullying, school violence and culture. 

Students are also witnessing state legislatures and local school boards limit what classrooms can and cannot teach, leading them to question whether they belong in their school, he said. The atmosphere is impacting families across the political divide: 鈥淚f parents and society see the school as teaching the wrong thing, doing the wrong thing, if you’re not reflected in that school 鈥� that’s going to impact your attention, too.鈥� 

From coast to coast, districts are weighing phone bans amid rising concerns about bullying and distractions. But some researchers say solely nixing phones without boosting mental health supports or addressing overall school culture wouldn鈥檛 curb the negative attitudes students may be forming about school and the purpose of their education. 

Astor said some young people are experiencing conditions like ADHD, depression and PTSD, which can manifest in dissociation. Lack of focus can also stem from feeling irrelevance, either that the subject matter is not important to their future or that some part of who they are is not represented at school.

Framing students鈥� inability to focus as the cause for delay in learning recovery, 鈥渋gnores the fact of why they’re maybe not motivated, why they’re not connected as they should be, why they don’t see themselves in the curriculum,鈥� he added. 鈥淲hy, when they did see themselves, they’re being taken out or not allowed to say or do things because they’re part of an oppressed group,鈥� referencing book bans, history challenges, and restrictions on diversity, equity and inclusion curricula and positions. 

Astor and Johanna Lacoe, research director with the California Policy Lab, point to several ways school leaders can address these behavioral concerns: stronger classroom management training for teachers and keeping counselor, nurse, psychologist and social worker roles filled. 

鈥淵oung people who are in the classroom and who are behind, frustrated and struggling are just so much more likely to check out,鈥� said Lacoe, a commissioner on San Francisco鈥檚 Juvenile Probation Commission. 鈥淔or a teacher with 33 kids, who has maybe not that much experience managing a classroom, to teach to the range of abilities that present themselves with no support, is what we’re currently asking teachers to do.鈥�

How schools handle disciplinary action after cyberbullying, violent behavior, and disruptions can greatly impact student perceptions of school. Lacoe pointed to several models that help students feel belonging after an incident such as in lieu of suspensions for low-level infractions, particularly as school leaders鈥� concerns about chronic absenteeism grow.  

In the , schools provide services such as healthcare, behavioral and housing support to children and families.

There are models at work where, 鈥測ou’re always telling a student that they belong here even in the time of this [adverse] behavior 鈥� that they can make right what happened through a process, inclusive of the people involved,鈥� Lacoe said. 鈥淵ou can figure out a way to resolve it that works for everyone and if possible, keeps the young person engaged at school.鈥�

The vast majority of school leaders surveyed in late May by the National Center for Education Statistics – over 80% – agree the pandemic鈥檚 impacts are still lingering, negatively impacting the behavioral and socioemotional development of their students. At least 90% of public schools reported offerings for students since 2021. 

Students, including Astor鈥檚 own undergraduates, are asking, 鈥溾�榃here do I fit in this world? How do I fit in society?鈥� … I think all of this impacts your ability to focus and your attention, including your motivation.鈥�

Elena Chin, a former school counselor at a Department of Education elementary school in Queens for 23 years, founded the group after feeling increasingly alarmed by COVID closures, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and required diversity and equity workshops which she felt framed staff as 鈥渨hite supremacists.鈥� 

鈥淲hat we hope to accomplish is minimize it before it even starts and is full blown into the schools,鈥� Chin said. 鈥淩aise awareness. Get a parent at every school board meeting to watchdog. We can’t normalize this stuff.鈥�

Meeting by Zoom for about six months, the new Queens, New York chapter is following the same agenda as the organization, hoping to accomplish what some of the 285 other chapters already have: Limit or remove books and content featuring LGBTQ+ identities, racism and sex, which they believe can harm children. 

Some education experts were doubtful the New York City chapter will find much support in the overwhelmingly blue metropolis, but acknowledged people have always been in the city. Other parent groups with similarly conservative ideals have already gained a foothold locally.

Across the country, Moms for Liberty 鈥� making the Queens launch unsurprising to Michigan State researcher Rebecca Jacobsen, who鈥檚 been tracking the groups鈥� presence at school board meetings nationwide. 

鈥淭heir explicit mission says to represent voices that feel unheard. So in some ways, a really strong liberal location might lead to a small group of parents feeling like they don’t have a voice,鈥� Jacobsen said. 鈥淢oms for Liberty has stepped in and said, 鈥榳e’re here to represent you.鈥� And that’s a powerful feeling.鈥� 

Chin was particularly concerned by the use of preferred pronouns, the number of children who told her they were gay, and the fact that she . 

鈥淲e’re telling children, you can tell me [you鈥檙e gay], and not your parents. That sounds like grooming to me,鈥� Chin said. 

As a term, 鈥済rooming鈥� has often been appropriated by conservatives to describe LGBTQ+ inclusion 鈥� a trend experts say minimizes real threats of child sexual abuse and vilifies queer people. 

Chin believes the number of children claiming they were gay and posters celebrating diversity was a 鈥渟ocial contagion鈥� at P.S. 64, for kids she said were just looking for more acceptance or to fit in with friends. 

Gender Queer was the only title Chin referenced in an interview with 蜜桃影视. The memoir, which won two American Library Association awards, the Alex for young readers and the Stonewall for nonfiction, has become a around the country for parents and politicians looking to ban school discussions about gender identity. 

In setting up the New York chapter, Chin has met roadblocks when attempting to open a bank account and finding a venue for in-person meetings. Two major banks declined her request. Only a third accepted, a smaller, local one which she declined to name. 

About 20 adults have 鈥渏oined the movement鈥� since April, Chin said. Outside of Queens, four members of the new Moms for Liberty chapter are from Brooklyn and one is from the Bronx. Every major racial group is represented. 

Yet not all are parents: Many are retirees, grandparents who 鈥渃an have a voice without fear,鈥� said Chin, who believes more parents with children in the city鈥檚 schools are staying away. 

鈥淢any people are fearing for their jobs, fearing the association,鈥� she said, 鈥溾�� and they fear retaliation against their kids.鈥�

She is currently searching for a local location to screen an anti-trans documentary. The chapter plans to organize to oppose . While New York City goes beyond current state requirements to offer sex ed to its middle and high schoolers, the expansion would bring modified lessons to K-6 graders.

The group will also challenge curricula with an 鈥渁nti-American message,鈥� she said, that might make some children believe they are 鈥渧ictims鈥� and others 鈥渙ppressors.鈥� 

Because the city鈥檚 schools are not governed by traditional school boards, where other chapters have exercised power to oust superintendents, the Queens chapter will advocate through media, political connections and gaining membership.

鈥淭hat’s really my goal. To get people motivated everywhere,鈥� Chin said. 鈥淚 would love to see a chapter in every borough, minimally.鈥� 

Moms for Liberty has been characterized , which Chin said is, 鈥渘ot a bad thing at all.鈥� 

Even after the characterization, more members have joined nationally, Chin claimed. 鈥淪o just twirl away,鈥� she said. A spokesperson for Moms for Liberty鈥檚 national arm confirmed the group 鈥渟aw a bump in membership and chapter openings,鈥� after the SPLC鈥檚 hate group distinction in June 2023.

Maya Henson Carey, a research analyst with SPLC, said the organization鈥檚 rhetoric and work disproportionately hurts Black, brown and LGBTQ+ students, already some of the nation鈥檚 most vulnerable student populations. 

鈥淏y taking out books and parts of history that reflect who they are, they’re really seeking to erase their identities from public spaces and the classroom,鈥� Henson Carey said. 

Though about 76% of New York City voted for President Joe Biden in the last election, have always thrived, particularly in parts of Queens, Staten Island and southern Brooklyn. It’s those pockets where Chin has already found support.

But some experts doubt the group鈥檚 conservative agenda will find much of a home in the city at large.

鈥淲hen they get into the issue of book banning and attitudes towards gay and trans people, it’ll resonate with some folks, but I think the outcry against them will be very strong,鈥� said Joseph Viteritti, public policy and education scholar at Hunter College. 

鈥淚f they’re going to lead with that kind of stuff, they’re going to realize very soon that we’re not Florida here,鈥� added Viteritti, who served as a senior advisor to schools chiefs in New York City, Boston and San Francisco.

Yet already this year, parents of all races preferring more conservative education policies have made waves in the city, including in lower , a historically liberal block of neighborhoods. 

Via , conservative have found more power 鈥� 40% of candidates endorsed by Parent Leaders for Accelerated Curriculum and Education were elected this cycle. Only 2% of public school parents voted in the election, according to . 

PLACE, while not affiliated with the Queens Moms for Liberty chapter, shares some similar values. Particularly in wanting to preserve and expand merit-based admissions policies to the city鈥檚 most coveted schools 鈥� a practice research suggests reinforces racial imbalances. 

鈥淚 know that the things [Moms for Liberty] are talking about are things that I hear parents here in New York talking about all the time,鈥� said Maud Maron, co-president of PLACE and community education council member in lower Manhattan鈥檚 District 2. 

In a dramatic reversal, the district, where seven of 10 community council members were PLACE-endorsed, has just announced it . 

Parents often say, 鈥業’m 100% there, I just can’t tweet under my own name,鈥� or 鈥業 just can’t say it, because of work ramifications,鈥� Maron said.

For scholars who track Moms for Liberty鈥檚 work, despite hesitance or fear parents may feel in aligning with the organization, it鈥檚 clear small networks of parents are effective and organized at making their voices heard, sharing strategies via social media from coast to coast. 

As a result, New Yorkers may soon see the same language and challenges levied in Florida once the Queens chapter begins to act on its agenda.

鈥淲e would have thought, wow, those are really different,鈥� Jacobsen said, referencing the Queens launch and other regions that would have seemed unlikely. 

鈥�… That’s really what’s different today,鈥� she said, 鈥渢he ability to very quickly move the same message to really disparate places.鈥�

For five months during her freshman year, Tuli Hannan called New York City mental health providers in her mother鈥檚 insurance network after outreach to her school guidance counselor fell flat. In 2016, most therapists she contacted near her Queens home looked to put her on a six-month or longer wait list.

Hannan, who grappled with the will to live at that time, ultimately found a therapist she felt comfortable with at the end of her sophomore year, more than two years after she identified a need for support. Though her search began long before the traumas associated with COVID-19, large numbers of young New Yorkers are facing the same difficulty in accessing mental health support at a time when demand is intensifying.

鈥淵ou don鈥檛 know where to narrow it down, you feel so lost,鈥� Hannan said. 鈥淏eing the person that鈥檚 struggling, you have to keep a stable mind and the patience to look for these services.鈥�

The process led her to become an advocate for expanded mental health support in NYC, where a plethora of services 鈥� from community-based organizations, hotlines, in-school clinics and private professionals 鈥� left her spiraling and continues to confound her peers, who will return to classrooms next week.

A February 2021 survey of about 1,300 New York City youth, aged 14-24, found that who sought mental health support received it. Across the city, 35 percent of young people surveyed expressed a want or need for services; in the Bronx, half of youth surveyed wanted access.

鈥淧eople my age, my friends, they normalize the fact that we won鈥檛 get the help that we need,鈥� said Hannan, who worked with the Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York on the “Voicing Our Future” survey while she was a student at Information Technology High School.

New York鈥檚 School Response Clinicians, a group of 85 social workers helping students in crisis to lessen 911 and emergency room outreach, , up from 242 students from July through September.

The data from NYC mirror mental health stories across age groups nationally 鈥� from elementary schoolers to . That the pandemic is exacerbating a pre-existing youth mental health crisis is by now well documented.

At least 28 states have pledged to bolster social-emotional and mental health support with pandemic relief funding. Oklahoma, for instance, of licensed mental health professionals. And since 2020, seven more states now allow mental health days as from school.

To help support the 26 New York City neighborhoods most deeply affected by the pandemic, the city鈥檚 Department of Education partnered with to establish more mental health clinics in schools.

The DOE has hired at least as a part of its $635 million academic recovery plan. In the city鈥檚 2022 budget, . No line items reference youth mental health specifically. This could be a red flag in an already-murky support area 鈥� many providers fit under the same umbrella of 鈥渕ental health services,鈥� though not all provide services to adolescents.

Jennifer March is executive director of Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York, the nonprofit advocacy group which specializes in research and conducted the February youth mental health survey. March has led campaigns to improve young New Yorkers’ well-being and is .

鈥淲hile the recent New York City FY22 approved budget takes tremendous steps in New York鈥檚 recovery, the level of suffering and trauma the city鈥檚 children and families have experienced requires further action to address. The lack of specificity on how the city will ensure access to critical behavioral health supports and how public dollars will be spent to address long-standing racial disparities in access to child mental health care is deeply concerning,鈥� March wrote in an email to 蜜桃影视.

Looking for help and finding the internet wormhole

For students and families looking for mental health support, the first question becomes: Where do I start? In the internet age, they鈥檙e likely to find four sites in a quick search: the DOE鈥檚 , the for accessing supports at home, the Department of Health鈥檚 and , the confidential 24/7 text, chat and call hotline.

The sites link to each other frequently 鈥� the first section of the DOE鈥檚 page, for example, lists how to contact NYC Well for immediate assistance, and the Office of Community Mental Health site refers anyone looking to support a young person to the DOE. Yet the relationship between the agencies, and which mental health professional might exist at yours or your child鈥檚 school, are unclear without spending hours of research or calling a school directly.

The stigma and fear associated with reaching out for mental health support may prevent someone from turning to a school administrator. One Brooklyn student shared in the write-in portion of the mental health survey that they believe support outside of school should be made free to increase accessibility.

鈥淚 feel like people are afraid to talk to people in school in fear that someone will tell their parents what they say. Even if it’s just giving special access through an app like BetterHelp or offering phone calls for 30 minute sessions with therapists who will just let people vent about problems. I’m not sure who would organize that or even if this is already a thing. If it is, it should be better promoted.鈥�

Through the end of July, individuals seeking help were likely to encounter at least some broken links, such as those on an directing to a tool on how to start a conversation over mental health concerns with their child鈥檚 school, or one at the Mayor鈥檚 Office for Community Mental Health that offered resources for teens experiencing abuse. Now, both and resources have been fixed.

Given that each school’s need varies, mental health support systems range from community schools, which offer wraparound health services; to clinics, health centers, specialists and prevention/intervention programs.

For a parent urgently looking through the DOE鈥檚 site for the best person to call at their child鈥檚 school, the differences between these iterations and the listing what program each school has, without contact information, is not exactly user friendly.

The city鈥檚 Office of Emergency Management operates an . 蜜桃影视 could not find a comparable online resource for mental health that lists drop-in youth centers, community-based mental health organizations, and/or school-based mental health services. The closest resource city-wide is 聽a health and social services directory, though it does not include school-based resources.

The Community Mental Health office does provide a map of programs on its , but that platform is primarily meant to track reach and impact of city services. A parent or student seeking support cannot use it to find location sites, contact information or learn more. For some youth-specific services, map markers do not populate.

Some students or families opt for the NYC Well hotline to streamline understanding of their options and connect with care providers. Of the people who called on someone else鈥檚 behalf in 2019, called for their child. NYC Well’s average answering speed or wait time was 33 seconds from July 2020 through June 2021, according to the Office of Community Mental Health.

In the , a number of youth acknowledged that accessing support could be easier if the process and resources were made transparent in school, where they spend so much of their day. Specifically, one Queens student recommended having therapists accessible in schools and dedicating days or weeks to mental health awareness and establishing healthy habits.

In-school mental health supports inconsistent

A number of schools adopted new mental health initiatives because of and during the pandemic to meet student needs. Now 19 and recently graduated, Tuli Hannan was able to see her school partner with a community-based organization to provide more mental health services.

Students at Information Technology High School in Queens can now access on-call therapists during the school day and take online courses related to mental health, including mindfulness, reflective writing and meditation. Having access to those resources when she searched in 2016 could have made all the difference, she said.

鈥淣ow it’s easier for us to reach out to our guidance counselors because they email us, letting us know that this is what’s out here, this is what’s accessible to you, and don’t be afraid to reach out to us,鈥� Hannan said. 鈥淚 wish that that was passed on to all public schools because I know it’s different at each school.鈥�

The New York Foundling, a centuries-old institution providing care for families and children, is one of many community organizations operating in-school mental health services. Through satellite clinics and staffing school support teams, they assist a student population of about 4,000 at 11 K-12 schools in the Bronx, Manhattan and Queens.

The Foundling is also contracted to provide clinical support in school response teams, a mix of providers and school staff that address students in crisis 鈥� a group not tethered to a specific school location.

With an end-goal to break the stigma around mental health and sustain a young person鈥檚 well-being, they involve the whole school. In practice, that means year-round support is available for students, as are workshops, training or professional development with any of the adults a young person encounters: guidance counselors, teachers, school leadership and their own families.

鈥淲e don’t only focus on the students. We believe that in order for mental health services to be sustainable and effective in school, we have to address the entire school as our client, as a community that we’re working with,鈥� said Re茂na Batrony, vice president of services for community- and school-based programs.

To get the word out about their services and full-time clinical staff, Batrony鈥檚 teams show up. At PTA meetings, afterschool events or summer school launches, staff share contact information and talk about their work, with the added bonus of normalizing the topic of mental health with parents. Students can also self-refer to their services, they don鈥檛 require a staff person or parent to make the call.

鈥淚 think everyone tends to be hesitant about mental health support. [It] varies based on culture, based on the type of trauma they may have experienced,鈥� Batrony said. 鈥淸It] may also vary based on prior providers they may have experienced.鈥�

The Foundling doesn鈥檛 maintain a waitlist; at the schools they partner with, a full-time clinician responds to each referral and request, connecting students or families with their services or community-based resources. For therapy sessions, they meet with youth in a confidential school space, in their homes or at one of their borough offices.

Their services and approach to involving everyone in a young person鈥檚 orbit in their mental health could have been impactful for a student like Tuli Hannan, who struggled to find support outside of school. The Foundling partners with just a sliver of the DOE’s and the decision about which ones get that level of support is made by its Office of School Health after assessing a school’s need for services, according to Batrony.

The result is inconsistent access to professional mental health support for students. For schools without full-time clinical staff or mental health centers, the baseline is a referral system and access to as-needed crisis response teams.

Guidance counselors, teachers and administrators receive on how to refer or respond in a crisis 鈥� according to the DOE, over 75,000 school-based staff were trained in Trauma Responsive Educational Practices since last year 鈥� but are not qualified to provide counseling, psychotherapy or act as social workers.

Ife Damon has been teaching New Yorkers for seven years, and says she proactively addresses mental health in the classroom to help students handle emotions and become self-aware. Since the pandemic began, she鈥檚 witnessed her English students at Curtis High School express 鈥渇eelings of anxiety, stress, even depression.鈥�

Damon makes it known to her classes that there is an in-house mental health center, and if they鈥檙e interested, they can connect with her, a guidance counselor, social worker or with the center directly. Young people, she says, typically talk openly about their mental health only 鈥渨hen teachers provide opportunities for students to do so.鈥�

Located on Staten Island鈥檚 north shore, Curtis High serves predominantly Black and Latino students, who make up about 77 percent of the student body, and is . Their school-based health center provides vision, medical, dental and mental health care, coordinated by community-based organizations.

Damon serves on the community school advisory board, which hosts an annual forum open to students, parents and community members to assess community need and potential expansion. The forums also solicit feedback for the model, as Damon explains, 鈥淗ow can we better support you as a parent? How can we collaborate with you as a stakeholder in order to strengthen our school and help to make sure our students are getting what they need?鈥�

The RAND Corporation鈥檚 found that the model boosted high school graduation rates, decreased chronic absenteeism and resulted in fewer disciplinary incidents for elementary and middle schoolers.

Community schools make up about 14 percent of NYC public schools. For students in the 267 schools, the model expands access to having many of their basic needs met; though citywide, . The DOE has plans to add 130 more community schools to support pandemic healing.

鈥淲e know that students cannot fully engage in learning unless their social-emotional and mental health needs are being met. Our expansion of successful established a common approach to supporting students through teacher training, resources, and direct clinical help,鈥� DOE deputy press secretary Nathaniel Styer told 蜜桃影视 in an email.

The department鈥檚 growing investments in clinical partnerships are 鈥渢o ensure every student has a caring adult to go to when in crisis.鈥�

More money, a new mayor and a critical moment

While the push to expand affordable mental health support to New Yorkers fosters a moment in which the city may turn its focus to youth and families.

Licensed master social worker Melissa Koppenhafer works with unhoused young people accessing mental health, housing and workforce support in CORE鈥檚 for 16- to 24-year-olds. She said that expanding school and community-based services is critical for the next mayor, but the cost must be subsidized to prevent further financial strain on young people. As CORE鈥檚 senior program director of youth and family services, Koppenhafer works with young people who are mostly covered by Medicaid or are uninsured.

鈥淧rograms that are available to them that accept Medicaid and are completely free, without a copay, are really going to be what鈥檚 successful,鈥� she said. 鈥淭wenty dollars is a lot to them. If they’re working minimum wage, that’s more than their one-hour right there.鈥�

In order to foster sustained mental health care for young people, Koppenhafer is also calling for the city to recruit and retain more mental health practitioners of color.

鈥淎s someone in the field, I find that people in general tend to like to have providers that they feel they can connect to via race, culture, history 鈥� any one of those things can help them connect to someone,鈥� she said.

Though the DOE has hired for this school year, it鈥檚 unclear whether any efforts are being made to recruit social workers to better match a student population that is . Advocates say that while it鈥檚 a welcome expansion, meeting the recommended 250:1 ratio for students to social workers would .

Eric Adams, Brooklyn borough president, former city police captain and the Democratic mayoral candidate poised to win November鈥檚 general election, has of expanding mental health support for young New Yorkers. On the campaign trail, he argued in schools.

Police interventions for students in emotional distress , according to a recent analysis by Advocates for Children of New York. Looking into 12,000 incidents where children were transported to hospitals for psychological evaluations, data shows that Black students and students with disabilities were disproportionately affected and handcuffed.

An found that NYC students vastly preferred more guidance and mental health support over police, and more than two-thirds of those surveyed agreed police should be removed completely.

Advocates contend that NYC鈥檚 particular context 鈥� on the eve of a mayoral shift, with families鈥� demand for accessible care mounting along with an influx of federal pandemic relief funds 鈥� positions city leaders to make lasting change for youth facing mental health challenges.

鈥淭here is a critical opportunity in the year ahead,鈥� said the Citizens鈥� Committee鈥檚 Jennifer March, 鈥渢o invest in place-based preventive and clinical interventions in pediatric settings, child care and pre-K, schools and communities as our children and adolescents are in crisis and their behavioral health needs have skyrocketed.鈥�

Lead image: At I.S. 584 in the Bronx, sisters Melody and Delany received in-school mental health care from the New York Foundling. (Ryan Lash / New York Foundling)