Hearing examines student issues brought on by remote learning
By JEFF STITT
jstitt@yourmvi.com
State Rep. Nick Pisciottano, D-West Mifflin, last week heard from school leaders and counselors, mental health professionals and others who say the pandemic and remote learning have impacted the mental health of students.
Pisciottano served as chairman of the state House Democratic Policy Committee’s round-table discussion on improving mental health for high school students.
In a virtual setting Wednesday, the representative from the 38th District, which includes the Mon Valley communities of Dravosburg, Glassport, Liberty and Port Vue, brought together school professionals, mental health advocates, human services professionals and legislators for a discussion on how resources can be allocated to better serve Pennsylvania students.
In a post on the 38th District website, Pisciottano said that “strengthening teachers and support staff was a natural part of that discussion, which highlighted how the pandemic has exacerbated existing systemic issues with providing services to students, teachers and staff.”
Local representatives participating in the hearing were Dr. Michael Ghilani, superintendent of the West Jefferson Hills School District, and Laverne Krill, a school counselor for the West Mifflin Area School District.
Ghilani and Michael Fiore, school social worker/home and school visitor for Council Rock School District, shared the struggles students face and their efforts to make swift changes to policies and procedures that have had lifesaving impacts on students.
Ghilani said West Jefferson Hills middle and high school students have spent a large portion of the pandemic attending school in a hybrid model.
First, they attended two days per week, then three days and recently they transitioned to five days a week in person.
“At the middle school and high school in particular, especially when we were in the hybrid model, it was a pretty depressing scene,” the superintendent said. “Students really were reluctant to talk, interact. Whether it was because of the low numbers that were in the building. The fact that the masks made it difficult to interact. It was a pretty sad scene.”
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