A Crisis of Belonging
I recently received an invitation from the Aspen Institute inviting me to attend a panel discussion on the crisis facing American school children — belonging. It’s been almost two years since the Surgeon General declared teenage mental health a public health crisis. It’s been over two years since the worst of the pandemic. We know about learning loss, mental health and the associated burnout our educators are feeling as well as the stresses on our parents, families and caregivers. When we add all of this up, it’s no wonder we face a crisis in belonging.
According to findings from the Aspen Institute’s report, “40 percent of US high school students do not feel connected to their school.” We shouldn’t be surprised with these numbers If we’ve been paying attention to chronic absenteeism. Organizations like Attendance Works have been pressing these issues since I was superintendent in Sacramento in 2009. These numbers were creeping upward for years and exploded during the pandemic. On average, 30% of students are chronically absent across the country. This is a crisis!
There are many reasons for these numbers, not the least of which are the lack of desire and inspiration for kids to come to school. Sure, there are laws requiring children to attend school, but children are voting with their feet — it’s about their interests, motivation, and sense of connectedness. In other words, do our students feel seen, heard, valued, respected, cared for and loved?
The solutions to belonging are not complicated, yet we struggle as a system to make the necessary shifts. We could start by engaging and listening to children. Giving them voice and influence. Do we take time to get to know them, ask them about their educational and social journey? Have we asked what, where and how they want to learn? Do we listen to what the students are telling us and are we willing to co-design the learning process to meet their needs?
We could start by visiting Big Picture Schools and sitting in on an “advisory period” where students authentically engage with teachers and other adults. If we timed our visit, we’d see students heading out on their work study and internships that are built into the school day where students experience learning in the world and receive support, guidance and mentoring from other adults. Even attend an “Exhibition” where students present and receive feedback on their learning from fellow students — an authentic performance assessment instead of some high-stakes pass or fail state assessment. Don’t quite have the material mastered according to your fellow students? Keep learning and try again.
We could connect with PBL Works and see how high-quality project-based learning is engaging students and teachers to learn deeply, and how it advances educational equity by giving all students a chance to energize their interests and passions with real world learning.
We could look to the National Partnership for Student Success and see what evidence-based resources and supports are available to bring more adult role models into schools and classrooms for mentoring, tutoring, and career and education coaching. Organizations like Mentor, Communities in Schools,and City Year to name a few, are poised to co-create thriving learning environments that engage and support more children.
At the end of the day, educating and developing children requires a holistic approach. As my Waldorf school colleagues taught me in Sacramento, this work is about educating the “head, hands and heart.” It is about building trusting and caring relationships with our children. Making connections. Giving agency, a sense of belonging, shifting power, and loving them for all of their unique and remarkable qualities.
