tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post4665856637308239170..comments2024-03-29T04:34:05.185-04:00Comments on CURMUDGUCATION: Student SuicidePeter Greenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16511193640285760299noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-10888999198734350552016-11-06T07:16:31.838-05:002016-11-06T07:16:31.838-05:00I don't know, Dienne, I've seen many of my...I don't know, Dienne, I've seen many of my students killed because of reckless driving decisions.Rebecca deCocahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13168718846105012814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-83629017818950876872016-11-05T21:56:47.536-04:002016-11-05T21:56:47.536-04:00Read the stats on traffic casualties & the mat...Read the stats on traffic casualties & the maturity of 15-16 year old brains. The insurance actuaries sure do. That's why they charge so much for young drivers. <br /><br />And, yes, 18 should be the minimum driving age. fizzicks numbershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01913370100937432939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-71356250047680058972016-11-05T19:54:30.795-04:002016-11-05T19:54:30.795-04:00"In the USA, it is madness that we allow 16 y..."In the USA, it is madness that we allow 16 year-olds to drive (actually 15 year-olds in many states)."<br /><br />Are you saying it would make sense to have kids start learning to drive when they're 18 and away from their parents' supervision for the first time in their lives? The 15/16 driving age is one of the few things we do right in this country. If only we could lower the voting age accordingly (actually, both should be lower).Diennehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04570040547158789834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-81313466249638551842016-11-05T18:41:52.783-04:002016-11-05T18:41:52.783-04:00I am saying this as someone who has owned & wa...I am saying this as someone who has owned & was raised around firearms:<br /><br />A large plurality if not a slight majority of firearms owners are irresponsible. They keep loaded hand guns unlocked in and around their beds where their child or teenager (especially teenager) may be trusted to know not to touch or use it. <br /><br />AND, that handgun has the ultimate off & on switch which acts irreversibly at roughly a microsecond after the decision is made by someone who in a moment of depression, panic or anger to end his/her transient misery. Yes people do kill people, BUT guns make that so much more efficient than any other method. <br /><br />In the USA, it is madness that we allow 16 year-olds to drive (actually 15 year-olds in many states). The fact that many teens have easy access to weapons with no supervision is completely off the rails. <br /><br />fizzicks numbershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01913370100937432939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-70422257542464723762016-11-05T16:34:36.607-04:002016-11-05T16:34:36.607-04:00Thank you for a post on this topic. As a teacher w...Thank you for a post on this topic. As a teacher who taught for many years on an inpatient psychiatric unit for children/adolescents, mental health is something near and dear to my heart.<br /><br />A few things. Yes, it absolutely makes sense to be sure all school staff are trained on recognizing the signs of suicidal ideation. However, and I want to make this absolutely clear, and you allude to this in the piece, teachers cannot and should not be the principle people in charge of dealing with major mental health issues. Identifying problems, yes, but this is something we teachers are simply not trained to handle after that. This level of need must be addressed by trained professionals-our social worker, counselor, psychologist co-workers and then psychiatrists and medical professionals. Teachers need to be trained on both noticing signs and on protocols and resources available to reach out to when they see those signs in a student. The NPR piece talks about asking a child directly about suicidal thoughts, which implies teachers can deal with this in a classroom. I wish they had clarified that the moment a child makes a suicidal statement, schools must call for help immediately!!! As in call 911. Or call SASS. Don’t be afraid to ask, but be ready for the answer. A child should never be left alone once a suicidal statement is made. So having this conversation in class is tricky. I think, when possible, it’s better for teachers to reach out to social workers/counselors and put clear screening and referral processes in place rather than tackling it ourselves. Though if a situation arises with a student, do what you have to do to keep that child safe.<br /><br />We also need to ramp up the fight to guarantee that robust mental health services are available in our schools and our communities. The CTU has made this a central message in our fight around the “schools our students deserve.” And we must also continue to fight the parts of schooling that are contributing to the higher rates of suicidality in our kids. “No excuses” charters and high pressure selective enrollment schools were some of the main drivers of school-related suicidality at the hospital where I worked. It was the testing, the competition, the ridiculous academic/extra-curricular loads and the rigid “no excuses” prison-like environments driving too many young people to suicidal thoughts in Chicago. <br /><br /><br />But I’m glad we’re talking about this. It’s a growing problem. But let’s also not accept austerity budget calls for teachers to take on these problems as they cut the real services. We simply can’t and shouldn’t do it.KatieOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01072560661013528732noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-37414287364799092402016-11-05T11:55:28.627-04:002016-11-05T11:55:28.627-04:00Reducing the overall amount of stress caused by sc...Reducing the overall amount of stress caused by school might help children as well. I am thinking, in particular, about the stress caused by excessive high-stakes, standardized testing. School stress is a huge problem in Japan, and Japanese children who commit suicide do so frequently in August and September around the start of the school year. <br /><br />http://wilsonquarterly.com/stories/the-mystery-behind-japans-high-suicide-rates-among-kids/Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07228908566250306699noreply@blogger.com