QOTD (12/22/17) - Oklahoma Policy Institute

“We deal with students who’ve been affected by trauma on a more regular basis than we ever have in my 26 years of education, she says. Additionally, we deal with more incidents of self-harm. The loads that pre-teens and teenagers are carrying seem to be quite stifling for some of them at times.”

Lisa Witcher, Executive Director of Secondary Education at Tulsa Union Public Schools, on the increasing need for mental health care in public schools. An increasing number of students are living in poverty, and a life of poverty often accompanies trauma, but that’s not the only reason for the uptick in mental illness. (Source)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Courtney Cullison worked for OK Policy from 2017 to 2020 as a policy analyst focused on issues of economic opportunity and financial security. Before coming to OK Policy, Courtney worked in higher education, holding faculty positions at the University of Texas at Tyler and at Connors State College in eastern Oklahoma. A native Oklahoman, she received an Honors B.A. in Political Science from Oklahoma State University, and an M.A. and Ph.D. with emphasis in congressional politics and public policy from the University of Oklahoma. While at OU, Courtney was a fellow at the Carl Albert Congressional Research and Studies Center. As a professor she taught classes in American politics, public policy, and research methods and conducted original research with a focus on the relationship between representatives and the constituents they serve.

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