Prioritizing Our Students.

Many of the concerns I've become aware of over the past year come back to one core idea: we must prioritize our students.

I've heard many people say (and I agree!), “A hungry child can't learn.” As a psychologist, I would add that a child who is anxious, depressed, or under chronic stress also struggles to learn.

Large-scale research following hundreds of thousands of students shows that students' well-being — especially their sense of readiness, emotional safety, and ability to focus — is meaningfully linked to how well they do in school, not just how they feel.1 Supporting students means looking beyond test scores and grades and making sure schools are equipped to meet both academic and well-being needs. It also means listening to students and valuing their voices. When students feel supported and heard — and when teachers are supported alongside them — we create the conditions for stronger engagement, better learning, and improved academic outcomes.