School leaders share how crime is impacting the classroom

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - So far in 2023, dozens of kids under the age of 18 have been killed in Memphis, according to an alarming number from Memphis police.

This year, some students went to school one week and returned the next with an empty seat in their classes because a classmate was killed.

According to data provided by the Memphis Police Department, so far in 2023, 27 minors have been shot and killed.

Two were 12 or younger, and 25 were between the ages of 13 and 17.

It’s a trend that continued from the previous year, but one is too many.

“Just looking across this year, it has been incredibly difficult, because each week it is a crisis where we are finding we may lose a student,” said Toni Williams, interim superintendent for Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS).

MSCS leaders said this year, they are working to uplift students and staff dealing with trauma and death.

“A lot of officials are tying it back to the schools, but I will say a lot of the incidents that happen typically occur outside of schools, and I think it is a product of needing to ensure that our students are busy after school hours,” said Williams.

But those issues are already impacting the classroom.

“The number of children that we have actually been able to classify as kids who have an emotional disturbance... has doubled. When I first started as a school psychologist, we only saw one or two a year. Now, we are seeing one or two a month,” said school psychologist Dr. Karen Streeter.

Dr. Streeter says crime is impacting students now, but it could be years before the effects are really seen.

“Every time we have a death, a child can go back a year in their academic progress,” said Streeter. “So you know, five or 10 years from now, we are really going to start to see a lot of children who are much more behind than children were five or 10 years ago.”

To combat those effects now, MSCS said the district is investing in more after-school programs to keep students busy while also providing counseling to kids and their families.

“The evening wellness centers are open during the summer. They are open during fall and spring break and winter breaks. We provide these supports to really assist our families,” said Shawn Page, chief of academic operations and school support for MSCS.

Williams also said the district provides a social-emotional curriculum where students learn how to deal with stress and have conversations about trauma.

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