RICHMOND, Va. — A shooting occurred Monday afternoon at a charter school in Des Moines, Iowa. Parents, teachers and students are even more strained, with lawmakers seeking solutions with a greater focus on mental health.
Two teenagers were killed and a teacher injured in a shooting in Iowa. An 18-year-old man has been charged with shooting.
The shooting occurred just before 1pm on Monday at an educational program called Starts Right Here. This program is a community partner of Des Moines Public Schools and helps re-educate students in the district who are excluded from campus due to behavioral problems.
The school uses arts, music, and other programs to help students break down barriers and build coping skills.
“As you know, these are supposed to be safe places for us. Especially this school, which works very closely with the police department. It is designed to help children who are in need of the services they need for a variety of reasons. Said.
Across the country, states are looking for ways to keep children and teachers safe. School safety concerns have been heightened following a shooting at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, where police say a 6-year-old student shot and injured a teacher.
The student’s parents said the student had a behavioral problem that required the parent to be in school with their son.
During this session, Virginia legislators are considering mental health initiatives, disciplinary policies, gun laws, including the Safe Guns and Ammunition Storage Act, and laws aimed at partnerships with law enforcement.
At Monday night’s event, Gov. Glenn Youngkin said his administration wants to strengthen partnerships with law enforcement.
“One of my big initiatives last year was to have a school resource officer in every school. We want to make sure there is an enforcement agency, and it’s really important,” Youngkin said.
Political parties are divided over possible solutions, but mental health funding and programs have strong bipartisan support.
Political parties are divided over possible solutions, but mental health funding and programs have strong bipartisan support. This Wednesday is Mental Health His Advocacy Day at the Virginia State Capitol. Educators like Ram Bhagat want to shift focus to improving children’s mental health, especially in communities where poverty and violence exist.
Bhagat is a retired educator at Richmond Public Schools, who started a program aimed at teaching mindfulness, conflict resolution, cultural sensitivity, and restorative justice in the school.
“The main goal is to serve children, help them deal with the many difficult problems they face, empower themselves, and equip them with these tools they use to improve their communities. It’s about providing,” Bhagat said.
On Tuesday evening, Martin Luther King Middle School in Richmond will host an event to discuss mindfulness and mental health in schools in partnership with the Holistic Life Foundation and other nonprofits, including the CKG Foundation.
There will also be community discussions and book signings.
The event runs from 5:30pm to 8:00pm and is open to the public.
