Public health spiraling in U.S. public schools; Pandemic affects behavior in students

and degenerative brain diseases,” states Kaiser Permanente

When your diet focuses on healthy foods that limit refined sugar and processed foods, and focus your diet onto “fresh, whole plant-based foods [that] can help slow or prevent inflammation and cognitive decline and maximize brain function,” according to Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente says, “Whole plant foods such as vegetables, fruit, nuts, whole grains, and legumes provide complex carbohydrates and are rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, and fiber, which nourish our brain and other organs. When we consume plant-based foods, we benefit from the protective effects of these natural phytochemicals.”

“The fiber present in vegetables, fruits, and whole grains slows the intestinal absorption of sugar, creating less of an insulin surge and a lower risk of developing diabetes and inflammation,” states Kaiser Permanente

According to Harvard Health Publishing, “research shows that the best brain foods are the same ones that protect your heart and blood vessels. These foods include “green, leafy vegetables, fatty fish, berries, tea and coffee, and walnuts,” states Harvard Health Publishing.

Junior Val Angulo states that she eats a lot of “vegetables, fruits, and [she] substitutes meat for tofu.” Angulo eats more food that does not have GMO’s, and she eats food “that is more organic that is grown on farms, and [she] eats healthy by eating vegan, and taking out the stuff in meats like the enzymes,” says Angulo.

EMILY JOHNSON IDR Editor

According to many educators, the phrases “Put the phone away please…. No, you may not go to your locker… settle down guys…is anybody paying attention?” are all too common nowadays in classrooms across America.

Post pandemic, public schools across America have experienced increased disruptions, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

These disruptions include student misconduct, rowdiness outside the classroom, acts of disrespect towards teachers and staff, and prohibited use of electronic devices. The same source reports that 87% of public schools believe the pandemic negatively impacted the social and emotional development of students.

Science teacher Mrs. Patti Massetti explained that she believes “attitudes and behaviors have changed” post pandemic. “Students came in after the pandemic, thinking school was going to be much like it was during the Covid year.”

Once expectations were raised, the educator thinks they struggled with that. “I think it’s taken us so long to recover, academically, from that.” Nowadays, she doesn’t see as many kids stressing over getting A’s on their assignments and overall grades.

NCES Commissioner Peggy G. Carr stated in a press release that “students thrive in an environment with effective social, emotional and behavioral support.”

Attending school everyday is important for succeding in school. Around 180 students are absent from school each day.

PHOTO CREDIT: Kensington Boyanich

While researchers are seeing the numbers of these positives decrease, there is also an increase of chronic absenteeism among students. Many educators claim that students who miss class create problems for a variety of reasons. Mrs. Kimberly Harris, another science teacher, remarked that “one of the biggest issues post-Covid is students thinking they can turn stuff in at any time, for full credit.”

Specifically in HCPS, the chronic absence policy was recently amended. According to HCPS.org, the school system defines chronically absent as “a year-to date absence rate of 10% or more, including both lawful and unlawful absences.”

However, student absences aren’t the only issue. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, teacher absences increased by 72% during the 2021-2022 school year. Oftentimes, schools have asked teachers that are on their planning time/ breaks to cover a class. Relating to this, “77% of public schools reported that finding substitute teachers [was] difficult” during the 2021-2022 school year.

According to secretary Mrs. Kayla Harmon, the average number of absences at NH were 180-185 students each day, for the 2022-2023 school year.

Principal Brian Pawlicki stated that “Student attendance data in school has become a growing concern after the COVID pandemic.”

Attendance is a key factor in academic success when a student enters high school, and attending school regularly gives students “the opportunity to participate in classroom activities, engage with their peers and teachers, and learn the material they need to succeed in school and later in life,” according to Pawlicki.