Educators’ Mental Health Gets New Attention in Federal Bill

Reps. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore., Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Penn., and Susan Wild, D-Penn., introduced the Supporting the Mental Health of Educators and Staff Act in the House of Representatives last week. The bill would authorize funding and establish more resources to help teachers, principals, and other school staff members with mental health challenges like stress, anxiety, and depression.

“The pandemic was particularly hard,” Bonamici said in an interview. “We’re experiencing teacher shortages in many places and community-wide trauma that we’ve seen between racial conflict and gun violence. The concern I have is that educators are leaving the teaching profession because of burnout, stress, low pay, and limited resources.”