Shelly Regan is teaching her students how to make baked potatoes in her hospitality class at West Mesquite High School, about 15 miles east of central Dallas. It may sound like a typical day, but she said this school year has been unlike any other.
鈥淚t was nothing like I鈥檇 ever seen in 15 years,鈥� Regan said. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 even describe it. And, we were just hanging on.鈥�
Regan said she spent last summer figuring out the best way to plan, organize, and teach her class during a pandemic instead of taking her usual break to recharge. Then, all of it went out the window 鈥� virtual teaching, in-person classes, and constantly changing policies. The fall was filled with uncertainty.
鈥淲e were losing personnel, we were losing students, peers getting sick. It was a rough time,鈥� she remembers.
Kemberly Edwards is the director of counseling services for Mesquite ISD. She said she saw the toll the pandemic was having on teachers and staff.
鈥淭his overburdened, under-resourced system was starting to collapse on itself because the backbone of that are teachers and they are really struggling,鈥� Edwards said. 鈥淭hey are stressed to the max.鈥�
Edwards said Mesquite ISD is a high-needs community. , more than half of the 40,000 students are at risk for dropping out, with close to 80% of students receiving free and reduced lunch. Even before the pandemic, a district-wide survey revealed that the average stress level for staff members was a 7 on a scale of 1 to 10.
鈥淢y kids are coming to school and they are struggling," Edwards said. "They are struggling emotionally, they don鈥檛 have enough food, they are hungry. So, teachers feel overwhelmed with the task of being all of the things, all of the time. They were already at a 7. So, Covid put many of our folks at a 9 or a 10.鈥�
Edwards and her team decided to create a mental health clinic for the system鈥檚 5,500 teachers and staff. Ten school counselors would provide each client an hour of free therapy a week for up to seven weeks. The program is costing the district about $40,000. Most of that money is paying for the counselors鈥� overtime.
Connie Mallory is one of the interventional crisis counselors. She said many teachers are grieving the loss of loved ones as well as the loss of friendships, jobs, and even physical touch.
鈥淚t鈥檚 hard enough to be a teacher when you are at your very best. These people are hurting, really hurting, and if we don鈥檛 acknowledge that 鈥� then shame on us,鈥� Mallory said.
Within two days of getting the clinic鈥檚 link on the district鈥檚 website, they had 30 referrals. By the end of the first week, they had a waiting list of 18 that鈥檚 now grown to over 40. Mallory said some of her clients have found themselves dealing with issues that have long been buried because of the stress of coping with the pandemic. She said finding ways to resolve those problems helps the teachers, and can have positive ripple effects on their students.
鈥淵ou pour into them, you get them to a place where they have growth and learn and they've said they felt compassion and empathy and then they take what they have received and they are able to pour out to students and you've just grown," Mallory said. "Your outreach has just exponentially just multiplied."
Edwards said that Mesquite ISD, like most Texas school districts, has an employee assistance program that provides counseling services for teachers and staff. It鈥檚 a service that鈥檚 provided through the school鈥檚 insurance program. However, the waiting list for the program can be as long as six months, and many teachers complain that it is difficult to navigate. Regan said Mesquite鈥檚 counseling program was easy to access and that made all of the difference. After four sessions, she started to feel like her regular self.
鈥淚 was just drowning for a minute,鈥� Regan said. 鈥淚鈥檇 gotten so caught up in all the loss 鈥� my students鈥� loss and my loss. I just couldn鈥檛 see the top, and she helped me see the top.鈥�
Regan hopes other teachers will seek help if they need it. The program is committed to serving at least 200 teachers and staff members through this school year.
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