<p>All surveys requesting personal information from students, as well as any other instrument used to collect personal information from students, must advance or relate to the District’s educational objectives as identified in Board policy 6:10, Educational Philosophy and Objectives, or assist students’ career choices. This applies to all surveys, regardless of whether the student answering the questions can be identified and regardless of who created the survey."</p>
<p>I am just curious. Have schools started considering mental health an educational objective?</p>
<p>“I am just curious. Have schools started considering mental health an educational objective?” </p>
<p>Yes. Students with mental illness often experience many symptoms that interfere with their ability to learn. Don’t they deserve to receive - in addition to appropriate medical or psychiatric treatment/counseling - academic accommodations that will aid them in learning?</p>
<p>"Don’t they deserve to receive - in addition to appropriate medical or psychiatric treatment/counseling - academic accommodations that will aid them in learning? "</p>
<p>I don’t believe you get to determine that by doing a survey. The students do come in with a doctor’s diagnosis.</p>
<p>Many students do NOT come in with a diagnosis, teachers and school professionals often play a significant role in identifying and referring students for further diagnosis - with or without surveys</p>
<p>Aside from the privacy issues, what evidence exists that a widely administered survey is an effective way to identify the students most at risk for mental health issues? Isn’t it possible that the students most in need of support may be less likely to disclose problems on a survey? How does the school know that the kids who commit suicide have longstanding problems that would show up on a screening in any case? Isn’t it possible that some of those suicides are a result of circumstances arriving only shortly before the suicide? </p>
<p>Isn’t it possible that the money that was spent on to commission the survey could have been better spent on other, more effective ways to address the problem? Such as expanded on-site mental health services for students, or training teachers on how to be more alert to signs of trouble among the students they see every day?</p>
<p>This looks like a case study. Where are the schools with policies that address identifying and accommodating depression? I would like to read a policy if one exists and how teachers are trained to identify students.</p>
<p>I think we would all agree that it is a wonderful thing if a school can detect and intervene in a case of depression or other mental illness in a teen. I’m guessing it happens all the time. In fact, I know it does.</p>
<p>The issue in question is the method used in this case.</p>
<p>The high school my daughter attended had the most amazing counselors. They made their presence known in terms of being available and accessible. Did much good for many kids, but their professional approach was all about confidentiality and there never would have been masses of documents that could have been misplaced or misused. What they did was introduce themselves in gym class, but were then just present all around the school. They also had the full support and commitment of the principal, so the kids were always aware that these familiar, caring people were there for them.</p>
<p>Certainly an important issue especially given concerns about privacy and confidentiality issues, but regardless of what one thinks about this survey or the method used to administer it, the issue in question to me at least, was whether this teacher acted inappropriately and deserved to be disciplined (The issue before the Board tonight was whether one employee has the right to mischaracterize the efforts of our teachers, counselors, social workers and others; and tell our students, in effect, that the adults are not here to help, but that they are trying to get you to incriminate yourselves.) </p>
<p>The Kane County Chronicle obtained documents relevant to Drydens disciplinary investigation which may be of interest to Drydens supporters, especially the list of deficiencies that were found in his conduct which notes that in addition to tell students that they had a Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate themselves, he also told them that they should not answer anything that would incriminate them, that the surveys would be sent to Student Services [eg in order to take disciplinary action against students?] and that he (Dryden) would NOT be honest in answering the questions and would not give answers that could get him in trouble. In an email prior to his meeting with school administration he also stated that he felt students needed some lawyering and a warning of possible consequences even though he is NOT a lawyer and does not represent the students, and had no basis to believe that any survey information would be used for criminal prosecution or school discipline.</p>
<p>The list of deficiencies that were found in his conduct includes previous reprimands for unprofessional behavior: In Oct 2011 he was reprimanded when, in a fit of temper, he told a student to put some coins away or he would shove them up his a–; in April 2012 he was reprimanded for telling a student who had made noise in class, What, did you mix your drugs this morning? (this happened to be a student where substance abuse issues existed in the family) and for telling another student I am surprised that your father has not drowned you yet (the father had passed away).</p>
<p>Just because we may all feel that this was a poor survey that should not have been given to any students in the manner that was done, does not automatically excuse, justify or make Drydens actions in his role as a teacher appropriate, and I was a little surprised that so many posters seemed not to distinguish between these as being two very separate issues.</p>
<p>But I guess under the circumstances, its not too surprising that Dryden, himself, now wants the focus to be MORE on the survey and LESS on him ;)</p>
<p>I won’t get into earlier stuff, because these are the kinds of cases where trivial things are dug up and presented out of context a lot of the time.</p>
<p>I have no problem with what he said to the students. It’s what I’d tell my own kids.</p>
<p>Nope. Not me. While perhaps a wonderful thing, I don’t see it as the responsibility of the school to do so, particularly the “intervention” part.</p>
<p>Schools have enough to do with that readin’, writin’ thing. :)</p>
<p>I didn’t say that it was the responsibility of the school, bluebayou, and if you go back and read my previous posts, you will see that I agree with you.</p>