ARE PROFICIENT IN ENGLISH OR
MATH.
SINCE 2020, THE PANDEMIC
ACADEMIC SLIDE IN SCHOOLS IS
WELL-DOCUMENTED.
ACCORDING TO THE NATION'S REPORT
CARD, K-12 SCHOOLS IN THE
MIDWEST SLIPPED THE MOST IN THE
COUNTRY WITH READING SCORES DOWN
7 POINTS AND MATH DOWN 9.
OVERALL, THE WORST SLIP IN 30
YEARS, BUT ACCORDING TO OUR NEXT
GUEST, IT MIGHT NOT BE JUST
VIRTUAL LEARNING TO BLAME.
AMERY SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST AND
PRESIDENT OF THE WISCONSIN
SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST ASSOCIATION,
KATIE JOHNSON, JOINS US, AND
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING
HERE.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> Frederica: WHAT ARE YOU
SAYING IN YOUR DISTRICT AND
STATEWIDE, REALLY, ABOUT HOW FAR
BEHIND STUDENTS ARE ACADEMICALLY
THIS SCHOOL YEAR BECAUSE OF THIS
PANDEMIC SLIDE?
>> WE ARE SEEING A BIG SLIDE
BACK BACKWARD, AND WE'RE NOT
ONLY SEEING THAT IT'S NOT JUST
PROPORTIONAL TO THE TIME KIDS
HAVE BEEN OFF SCHOOL, AND I
THINK THAT'S WHAT STANDS OUT TO
ME, BUT IT SEEMS BIGGER THAN
WHAT WE WOULD EXPECT GIVEN THE
AMOUNT OF TIME THAT KIDS
ACTUALLY MISSED SCHOOL, WHICH
LEAVES ME TO BELIEVE THERE'S
SOMETHING MORE TO IT THAN JUST
THAT TIME OFF OF SCHOOL THAN
MISSING INSTRUCTION.
>> Frederica: HOW SURPRISED
WERE YOU BY THE -- WHAT YOU'RE
DESCRIBING AS A MAJOR SLIP IN
ACADEMICS?
>> I THINK WE'VE ALL BEEN VERY
SURPRISED BY IT.
YOU KNOW, WE EXPECTED, IF WE
DIDN'T GIVE FACE-TO-FACE
ACADEMIC INSTRUCTION, THAT WILL
WOULD BE A SLIP, BUT WE DID NOT
EXPECT A LARGE SLIP, AND WE
DIDN'T EXPECT THE BEHAVIORAL
SLIP WE'VE SEEN AS WELL.
>> Frederica: YOU SAID THAT
THERE WERE OTHER THINGS AT PLAY,
AND ONE OF THOSE, I UNDERSTAND,
FROM YOU, IS THIS BEHAVIORAL
ISSUEMENT DESCRIBE WHAT THAT IS
AND WHERE YOU ARE SEEING IT.
>> WE SEE IT ALL THE WAY K-12,
PREK-12, AND WE ARE SEEING KIDS
JUST NOT ADJUSTED TO CLASSROOMS.
THEY DON'T KNOW BASIC RULES, YOU
KNOW, HOW TO SIT STILL, HOW TO
MAINTAIN ATTENTION.
I THINK BEING HOME WAS VERY
DIFFERENT IN A DIFFERENT
ENVIRONMENT, SO -- AND YOU
TALKED ABOUT WHAT WE SEE IT
COMING FROM IS IT'S MORE THAN
NOT JUST BEING ON SCHOOL, BUT
STRESS ON FAMILIES AND IMPACT
THAT THE PANDEMIC HAD ON HOMES
AND FAMILIES AND PEOPLE'S
OCCUPATIONS AND WE'RE SEEING
THAT ALL CULMINATE IN KIDS'
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUCCESS
IN SCHOOL.
>> Frederica: IF BEHAVIOR AND
MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS ARE
WORSE, HOW EQUIPPED ARE SCHOOLS
TO HELP?
>> SCHOOLS ARE VERY WELL
EQUIPPED TO HELP WITH MENTAL
HEALTH PROVIDERS IN SCHOOLS,
SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS,
COUNSELORS, AND NURSES, AND A
LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING IN
SCHOOLS TO HELP, BUT I DO THINK
IT IS A BIGGER ISSUE THAN JUST
SCHOOLS.
I THINK WE NEED TO WORK AS
COMMUNITIES AND STATEWIDE TO
REALLY SUPPORT KIDS TO KIND OF
GET BACK TO A MORE TYPICAL WAY
OF FUNCTIONING.
>> Frederica: DO YOU FEEL AS
THOUGH THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND
EVEN FAMILIES UNDERSTAND THE
EXTENT OF THIS PROBLEM THAT
SCHOOLS ARE SEEING IN THEIR
STUDENTS?
>> I DON'T THINK THEY DO.
I THINK THEY EXPECT THAT NOW
THAT WE'RE BACK IN FACE-TO-FACE
SCHOOL, THE TIMES ARE BACK TO
NORMAL, AND THEY ARE NOT
UNDERSTANDING THERE'S REAL LARGE
SYSTEMS DIFFERENCES IN OUR
SCHOOLS NOW.
>> Frederica: HOW IMPORTANT
ARE HAPPY LEARNERS TO THEIR
ACADEMIC SUCCESS?
>> WELL, WE KNOW WE DON'T LEARN
VERY WELL UNLESS OUR BASIC NEEDS
ARE MET AND WE ARE COMFORTABLE,
AND SO FOR KIDS TO BE REALLY
CALM AND CONFIDENT AND FEELING
GOOD ABOUT COMING INTO THE
SCHOOL DAY IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
THOSE ARE SOME OF THE NEEDS WE
NEED TO MEET BEFORE MEETING
ACADEMIC NEEDS.
>> Frederica: SO WHAT DOES
THAT MEAN IN THE CLASSROOM FOR
TEACHERS, EVEN, OUTSIDE THE
NURSE'S OFFICE?
HOW ARE TEACHERS KIND OF
ADDRESSING THIS AND CARING FOR
THAT FIRST BEFORE THEY EVEN OPEN
A BOOK?
>> I THINK THEY ARE DEFINITELY
DOING MORE THINGS TO HELP KIDS
ADJUST TO THE CLASSROOM TO HELP
KIDS FEEL SAFE, TO MAKE SURE
KIDS' BASIC NEEDS ARE MET THERE,
AND THEY ARE CARING FOR THE
WHOLE STUDENT AND NOT JUST
TEACHING TO THEIR ACADEMIC
NEEDS.
>> Frederica: IN YOUR MIND,
CAN THESE STUDENTS THAT HAVE
WEATHERED THIS RECOVER FROM IT?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
YOU KNOW, I THINK KIDS WILL
RECOVER.
KIDS ARE RESILIENT.
THINGS CHANGE OVER TIME.
EDUCATION CHANGES.
SOCIETY CHANGES.
THIS, TOO, SHALL PASS, BUT I DO
THINK RIGHT NOW IT'S REALLY
IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE DOING THE
BEST WE CAN TO SUPPORT KIDS, YOU
KNOW, AND TO POURING INTO MENTAL
HEALTH PROGRAMS IN OUR SCHOOLS,
TO POURING INTO THE BEFORE AND
AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS, ANYTHING
THAT SUPPORTS KIDS SO THAT THEY
HAVE THE BEST CHANCE OF BOUNCING
BACK AND GETTING BACK TO
WHATEVER A NEW NORMAL IS.
>> Frederica: DO YOU HAVE
ANTICIPATION THAT THAT KIND
OF -- THOSE KINDS OF RESOURCES
OR SUPPORT WILL BE FORTHCOMING
TO THE SCHOOLS ACROSS WISCONSIN?
>> THERE HAVE BEEN RESOURCES WE
ARE ACCESSING TO PROVIDE
ADDITIONAL PROGRAMMING, AND IT
IS REALLY IMPORTANT WE CONTINUE
TO DO THAT.
THERE'S A SHORTAGE OF SCHOOL
MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDERS, SCHOOL
PSYCHOLOGISTS AMONG THEM, SO WE
DEFINITELY WANT TO KEEP POURING
INTO THAT AND CREATING MORE
OPPORTUNITIES FOR KIDS TO GET
THOSE NEEDED SERVICES.
>> Frederica: ALL RIGHT.
KATIE JOHNSON FROM AMERY, WE
REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
>> THANK YOU.