While no one has a firm answer as to the reasons, various teachers, principals and superintendents offer the same theme of societal illness. They say they are seeing more students coming to school with the baggage of broken families, poverty, physical and sexual abuse, drug use and violence. Marc Hull, who recently left his post as the state's education commissioner, adds another factor. In Vermont, he notes, there are now more than 13,000 adults who fall under the custody or supervision of the state Department of Corrections, a number that has doubled in the past decade. In many cases, they are the parents and role models for this generation of students.
Teachers also report more cases of severe depression among students.
Anti-depressant drugs such as Prozac are not uncommon in school nursing stations, even in elementary schools. An area psychologist seconded her observation. There are children each year who come in and say they are suicidal. While the state Department of Education has not tracked the numbers of alternative school programs in the state over the years, it recently conducted a survey at the behest of a legislative panel in hopes of gauging the trend. After sending surveys to all school superintendents and mental health agencies, it received details of 88 programs serving nearly 1,500 students - although the numbers suggest that many schools and supervisory unions did not respond.