As a Military Retiree and someone who has spent an additional 21yrs as a Virginia Public School classroom teacher. I can attest to the added value Veterans bring to the Teaching Profession and to the students in the classroom. The value of their vast real-life experiences is unmeasurable.

SB1043 as passed the Senate helps address both the shortage of psychologists for school positions and the lack of counselor time to provide direct support to students. Increased student anxiety and depression that interrupts the learning process is a serious issue and contributes to thoughts of suicide. The bill helps address the urgent need for students to access support in school.

Please vote to report SB 1043, a bill that makes it easier to hire school psychologists and provides a model MOU for the contracting of mental health services for students. This is an important step in clearing the way for better mental health services in our schools.