Beyond Textbooks, D.C. Schools Face a Host of Social Needs

Every day, two or three students living in a shelter arrive early to shower and change into clean clothes. Lunch at the school is catered by an outside vendor, but the school keeps food that is easy to microwave or eat right away in a small pantry off the main office.

One Monday morning, a student showed up for school more than an hour early, famished. He said he hadn't eaten all weekend. Then, after he was given some food, he ate so much that he threw up.

Some students who don't have enough food at home are given boxes of fresh fruits and vegetables from a food bank to take home.

This type of triage is necessary before teachers at the school, which has an aviation lab, a music studio and a library reading room that looks like an upscale bookstore, can even start doing meaningful teaching. Hungry kids can't focus on lessons; neither can children facing a court date or the threat of being taken to a foster home.

"The need is so profound," Evans said, "it is nearly over our heads."

Barriers to Assistance

Administrators must be careful not to betray trust but also to conform with the law. It's not unusual for parents to threaten school workers who are about to report them for alleged abuse. Students don't always take kindly to the reports, either.

Some say they have been abused, then deny it when pressed.

The Student Support Center, a nonprofit group that helps charter schools train teachers, is trying to show schools how to combat depression and violence. One program shows teenage students how to have "safe dates" without hitting. The center's executive director, Eve Brooks, said in large setting, it's possible to send a message to kids who might otherwise fly below the radar.

"If they are very quiet, sometimes the schools don't recognize that many may be depressed," Brooks said. "We tend to get the acting-out kids. One hundred percent of the kids need some type of support."