Servant Leadership: School Counseling During the Pandemic

Background

Bishop and Noguera (2019) argue that schooling in the United States attempts to address students’ social-emotional and academic needs. While there was an emphasis on standardized testing in the United States over the last 30 years, now the focus has turned to the social-emotional state of students, which affects students’ academic performance. In addition, schools have reopened after eighteen months of being on distance learning. For California, distance learning meant school districts rushing to get computers in the hands of students so they could log on to Zoom for class. California school districts faced multiple challenges during distance learning. For example, some school districts had students with connectivity issues, attendance dropped, and many students had distractions at home that did not allow them to focus on schoolwork. As a result, the instructional quality was compromised, and it was difficult for both school staff and students to stay motivated. On top of all that, lack of social interactions and losing family members and loved ones due to COVID-19 made it challenging for students to stay focused.

Schools across the nation are now seeing the repercussions of these issues as students return to in-person school. Schools are currently facing student fights. School counselors are constantly supporting students who have suicide ideation, and they are conducting suicide assessments more than before. Additionally, students are now having difficulty communicating their needs to school staff, so it becomes harder to know which students need additional support and resources.