APA’s Task Force on Violence Against Educators and School Personnel held a congressional briefingopens in new window (YouTube video, 66 minutes) to present the findings of a comprehensive assessment of nearly 15,000 teachers, school psychologists, school social workers, administrators, and staff of their perspectives of school violence during COVID-19. This effort was part of APA’s continued efforts to ensure that K-12 education is reflective of psychological science. Attendees included staff from Congress and the Biden administration, members of the press, as well as psychologists, teachers, social workers, and other school staff.
The briefing, which was conducted in collaboration with the American Federation of Teachers, the National Association of School Psychologists, the National Association of Social Workers, the National Education Association, and the School Social Work Association of America, featured a panel of educators discussing their experiences from the field and included recommendations for supporting policies to address this public health issue for American schools (PDF, 206KB)opens in new window.
The lawmakers praised the efforts of the task force in uplifting the educator voice and focusing on the need to increase school-based mental health services, including by passing association-supported legislation such as Hayes’s Save Education Jobs Act and Padilla’s Comprehensive Mental Health in Schools Pilot Program Act, which was drafted in partnership with APA Services.
For more information, contact Kenneth Polishchuk.