A new report by Titon Partners, an education consulting group, concludes that for parents considering changing or adjusting their child's schooling status, mental health is a key factor influencing their decision.
Forty-six percent of parents who are open to trying new educational options, such as transferring their child to a new school, supplementing their child's existing education, or creating a customized education for their child, agree that mental health is an important part of their well-being. states that this is the main factor. their thoughts.
Adam Newman, founder and managing partner of Titon Partners and one of the report's authors, said: “These mental health issues for parents today are not seen before the pandemic. “It is given the utmost importance in this way.” He also serves as the school board member for Weston Public Schools in Massachusetts.
“I think this is really a fallout from the pandemic and will continue to do so. To be fair, schools are trying to respond as best they can,” Newman added.
There are a growing number of schooling options available to parents, including virtual schools and microschools., homeschool pods, etc., the level of choice has accelerated during the pandemic. At the same time, more states are enacting policies that give parents state funds to pay for private school tuition and other additional programs.
According to the report, this trend is occurring against a backdrop of declining public school enrollment nationwide. The report said whether the public school system adequately addresses parents' concerns about mental health and other issues could have a “dramatic impact” on enrollment numbers in the coming years. ing.
Parents of elementary school children are most likely to want to transfer their child to another school.
The Titon Partners report highlights the attitudes of parents who say they are very interested in new education and remedial options for their children. Previous research by Titon Partners found that nearly half of all parents are likely to fall into this “permissive” group, and the consulting group believes there are options beyond the traditional school environment. We surveyed more than 2,000 parents across the country to learn more about what's driving interest in . The researchers also convened a focus group of parents from across the country to report on the report.
Funding for this report was provided in part by the Walton Family Foundation and the Stand Together Trust. (The Walton Family Foundation supports Education Week's coverage of strategies to increase opportunities for students most in need. Education Week retains sole editorial control over its coverage.)
The majority (64%) of these so-called open-minded parents are interested in enrolling their children in subsidy programs. Only 10% said they were interested in transferring. But just over a quarter of open-minded parents say they're interested in fully customizing their child's education by weaving together different programs, resources, and experiences. For example, a virtual school program that combines homeschool pods with community center or college classes.
Parents of elementary school children are significantly more likely to be interested in transferring their children to another school than parents of older children, the report found. Parents of high school students are more likely to be interested in customizing their child's education.
Black parents are slightly more interested in transferring their child to a different school or customizing their child's education than white, Asian, or Hispanic parents.
Parents of middle school students were the most concerned about their children's mental health, followed by parents of high school students. Parents of elementary school students were the least worried.
The report found that there is a perception among some parents that schools are not equipped to address children's mental health needs, and that parents do not identify and respond to those needs. They are concerned that this may pose a threat to children's safety.
Schools face hurdles when it comes to addressing the mental health and academic needs of students. This is the second concern he cites to increase parental interest in changes and adjustments to their children's schooling.
“It will take time to determine which school districts will prioritize.”
As pandemic-era federal aid dries up, schools that used the money to hire additional mental health support staff will face difficult choices.
“I’m on the local school board and we hired 14 people with ESSER funds,” Newman said. “We're currently talking about how many of these people we're going to put into our operating budget. …The district is grappling with these decisions and what trade-offs we're going to make. We will retain our mental health professionals and not continue with the two literacy interventionists we acquired.”
Newman said school districts need to get creative in how they address these challenges. Schools have additional resources and solutions to consider, such as partnering with outside organizations to provide support services or rethinking school schedules to promote a more positive school environment.
“School schedules can make it very difficult for students and professionals to find the space and time to make the connections they need,” he said. “The sense of belonging and connection is influenced in part by the schedule and pace of everything packed into the school day.”
Although the majority of parents say they are very interested in considering other educational options for their children, there are many factors that prevent parents from taking the plunge. According to the report, one of the major barriers is finance. Parents earning less than $50,000 a year are twice as likely as parents earning $150,000 or more to cite affordability as a barrier to transferring schools, supplementing their child's current education, or customizing a new education. That's all. One for them.
Parents are also concerned that their children will miss out on a variety of formal and informal experiences, such as community and extracurricular activities, that traditional schools offer, the report said. Parents also believed that a more traditional school environment might better prepare their children for college and the workforce.
