Columnist Sandy Thompson: School problems often start at home

Sandy Thompson

Friday, June 1, 2001 | 3:01 a.m.

Sandy Thompson is vice president/associate editor of the Las Vegas Sun. She can be reached at 259-4025 or e-mail at thompson@lasvegassun.com

IF CHILDREN entered the classroom as blank canvases, teachers might be able to create educational masterpieces.

But children bring their home life to school, which sometimes detracts from their ability to learn, pay attention or behave in class. Some children rise above it; others can't.

These factors should be considered in the heated debate over school funding and teacher pay amid our rightful expectations and demands for higher test scores. Teachers and schools, though, are only part of the equation for success.

A child can't concentrate on math if he hasn't had dinner the night before and breakfast that morning.

A child can't learn to read if he's falling asleep in class because his parents' fighting kept him awake all night.

A child can't focus if her mind is filled with images of a dark figure coming into her bedroom at night.

Sound far-fetched? Not so, according to one elementary school counselor who works with 1,100 children in different Las Vegas schools.

Sitting in a closet-sized office at one of the two schools she serves, "Mary" is eager to speak about the situations she deals with every day. But she prefers not to use her name because elementary school counselors were -- and still may be -- on the list of school budget cuts.

Of the five years she has been an elementary school counselor, this year has been the worst, she says, because of the severe problems some children face. They deal with physical abuse, sexual abuse, mental abuse, death of family members, incarcerated parents, abandonment and much more. The most rampant problems stem from domestic violence and drug use in the home.

Mary has counseled a 6-year-old girl who had been raped. She counsels children who exhibit inappropriate sexual behavior in class, which indicates more serious problems at home. She talks to kids who have written suicide notes. She has a group for children coping with their parents' divorce. She provides guidance lessons for each grade. For first- and second-graders, she focuses on conflict resolution and appropriate ways of dealing with anger. For the upper elementary grades there are lessons on empathy and how not to be a bully, and on career paths. Mary also assists in identifying children who need additional academic help.

"A lot of people don't understand what I do. I'm talking to kids about heavy issues. It impacts their learning."

We don't want schools taking over the role of parents, yet we as a community expect them to be solely responsible for a child's educational success.

"Las Vegas has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the country, one of the highest drug abuse and alcoholism rates, one of the highest murder rates and a high gambling addiction rate. Many of these people are having children and they're in school," Mary says. "When do teachers have time to deal with children with major issues?"

Since becoming a counselor, Mary has gained respect for the teachers she works with. She admits there are bad teachers just as in any other profession. She is appalled by the recent rash of "predator teachers" who have physical relationships with students. But for the most part, she says, teachers are dedicated and spend a lot of extra time doing things for students. Mary's own workload has grown. Some of the situations she deals with are heartbreaking.

Mary believes it's important for children to be connected to someone on campus. It will make a difference in their lives -- and hopefully keep them on the right track. "When you have more of a connection with children, more learning is taking place," she says.

District guidelines suggest that counselors spend 25 percent or less of their time in individual counseling. However, Mary says she has so many children in crisis that it's impossible to stay within those guidelines.

In the more serious cases, Mary works with parents, too. "Sometimes I'm the only person they have," she says.