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Dear reader,

The Hechinger Report has a long history of reporting on the guidance gap in the U.S, particularly as it relates to college advice and admissions. But in our post-pandemic mental health crisis, there’s also a lack of licensed psychologists who can help meet the ever-changing needs of students and staff, according to our reporting from the rural Finger Lakes region in upstate New York.  

New federal money has sparked an unprecedented effort to recruit and retain more school mental health providers, with districts offering stipends to grad student interns and providing mentors to new hires. The efforts, however, may not be enough, particularly in rural districts, where the pay isn’t high enough and the number of students graduating from programs in psychology, counseling and social work isn’t keeping pace with districts’ growing demand for mental health services.  

Lately, we are hearing more and more about the need to address mental health issues early on, and look forward to hearing from our readers. We also would love to hear your thoughts on ways new federal work rules are making it more difficult for low-income students to get to and through college. And it’s not too late to send us your thoughts on math education: We are still compiling responses to our three-question survey.  

Finally, if you have time tomorrow, June 28 at 2 p.m. ET, tune in to our live LinkedIn conversation on how teachers are navigating an influx of right-wing education policies in Sarasota County, Florida.

Liz Willen, Editor

The school psychologist pipeline is broken. Can new federal money fix it? 

Low pay and limited training pushes mental health professionals away from working with young people. But amid fears of a youth mental health crisis, the U.S. government is pumping new money into programs designed to help