IN THE MAILBOX
SCHOOL CLOSINGS AND STUDENT'S' MENTAL HEALTH
May 3, 2013
Dear Friends,
We are writing to people with expertise in child development or mental health (social workers, counselors, psychologists) to ask for help in educating CPS and Chicago leaders about the likely negative impact of school closings on the social and emotional well-being of students affected.
As you are no doubt aware, the Chicago Public Schools is planning to close over 54 schools this year. The closings and consolidations will affect as many as 47,00 children mostly in low-income, already under-resourced communities.
According to the National Center for Children in Poverty, low income children and their families are already disproportionately affected by mental health challenges, the cumulative effect of multiple stressors, impairing the ability of children and youth to succeed in school.
It is highly likely that closing schools adds one more loss to the lives of children who may have already experienced multiples losses and trauma. For many of these children, their familiar school is a safe haven, a place of long-time consistent relationships with adults. Reports from Chicago Catalyst, WBEZ and elsewhere have suggested that students are already experiencing the effect of stigma (their schools have been determined to be failures; therefore they see themselves as failures as well). We know that parents' worries about safety, violence and the loss of community have increased anxiety throughout the areas most impacted by closings.