Oregon has long struggled to address youth depression.
The state ranks near the bottom for mental health treatment and a national survey found that nearly 1 in 6 teens has has suffered at least one major depressive episode. For three months, Oregonian/OregonLive reporter Casey Chaffin chronicled how parents and students navigate the mental health system, visited schools that are seeing positive results and interviewed teens helping their peers cope.
She even traveled to Minneapolis to investigate how schools there are leading the way.
You can read what’s been published of the 10-part series so far, as well as in The Oregonian as it publishes in print.
Here’s the series so far:
Tips to maintain or attain mental wellness, from teens who practice them
One family’s mental wellness story: Ask the question
Child or teen needs mental health treatment? In Portland area, they face agonizing waits
A beloved child with big needs faces a daunting shortage of available help
Finally, a school that helps and heals
Minneapolis schools lead the way on youth mental wellness
When care matches culture, immigrants and people of color benefit
Other education stories from the Portland area:
In 2017, Oregon lawmakers passed a bill requiring the state’s public schools to adopt indigineous history curricula. It’s now slowly rolling out in the form of 45 lessons for fourth, eighth and 10th graders. OPB’s Elizabeth Miller has the story.
Portland Community College has offered a diploma program for high school students who dropped out. Mount Hood Community College has rolled out its own, serving students in the Gresham-Barlow, Centennial and Reynolds districts. The Gresham Outlook’s Teresa Carson reports.
And around Oregon:
In Central Oregon, the Crook County School District saw some of the largest enrollment gains in the region: 6.5%. It’s a markedly different trend than what neighboring districts have seen, as rising rents elsewhere have sent families flocking to Prineville and neighboring towns. The Bend Bulletin’s Jackson Hogan reports.
Officials at Grants Pass High School say they’ve seen a “major change in classroom environment and school culture” as teachers and administrators tamp down on students’ smartphone use on campus. The only place where the devices are allowed are the cafeteria and commons — even then, only if class isn’t in session. Teachers say students seem more focused, as well. The Daily Courier’s Casey Crowley has the story.
More education headlines from The Oregonian/OregonLive:
Actress Felicity Huffman gets 14 days behind bars in college scam
District rescinds disqualification of swimmer whose buttocks were exposed by school-issued suit
Benson cancels 2019 football season because of low participation
From other Portland-area media:
Washington requires schools have suicide prevention plans, but doesn’t provide funding (OPB)
Clackamas Community College works to align pesticide use with state law (The Clackamas Review, subscription)
And across the state:
Class size caps cause some students to start at new school (The Roseburg News-Review, subscription)
Western Oregon University buys building in downtown Salem (OPB)
Payette man charged in abuse case worked at Ontario elementary school (Malheur Enterprise, subscription)
--Eder Campuzano | 503-221-4344
Do you have a tip about Portland Public Schools? Email Eder at ecampuzano@oregonian.com or message either of the social accounts above.
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