Mental health issues were top of mind for the first half of a virtual town hall that Sen. Ron Wyden held for Umatilla, Union and Wallowa County residents on Sunday, May 2.
Wyden broached the topic during the first question of the day, asked by Umatilla School District Superintendent Heidi Sipe, about federal support for students as the country rethinks ânearly every aspect of educationâ following the pandemic.
Wyden addressed standardized testing, saying that this year it seems best for teachers to address learning loss in the classroom rather than taking time out for standardized testing this year. He said schools will need additional funding to help students catch up after lost learning opportunities, and pointed out the funding included in the American Rescue Plan for schools to do just that through summer learning opportunities and other strategies. He said he is also concerned about studentsâ mental health, and wanted to see funding to adequately address those needs, too.