Katko Focuses on Teaching Flexibility, Mental Health Services on Education Tour

Press Release

With stops at Solvay Elementary School, the Southside Academy Charter School in Syracuse, and Jamesville-Dewitt Middle School, U.S. Congressman John Katko (NY-24) today visited with students, teachers, and administrators to discuss strengthening education in Central New York. He focused on teaching flexibility and an increased focus on mental health in our schools.

"Central New York families deserve to have the best quality education opportunities available," said Congressman Katko. "Today, I spoke directly with teachers and students in our community, and I heard them reiterate something I've heard again and again: we cannot teach our students with a one-size-fits-all approach. We need to make sure that our educators have the tools that they need to teach and train our students to succeed on a local level."

In Congress, Rep. Katko is a co-sponsor of the Student Testing Improvement and Accountability Act, legislation that encourages greater flexibility in education by reducing the frequency of federally required testing. Katko praised this initiative stating, "This legislation would ensure that teachers in our public schools are given the freedom necessary to teach for students --rather than for tests."

Rep. Katko also focused today increasing mental health services in Central New York schools.

"I've made it a priority to expand access to mental and behavioral health services in our community, and especially in our schools," Katko continued. "Investing in preventative mental health will improve youth mental health treatment in our community, and give these young people a better future."

Congressman Katko has championed mental health awareness on a local level, launching a Mental Health/Behavioral Health Task Force in partnership with Assemblyman Bill Magnarelli. In Congress, he is a co-sponsor of the Mental Health in Schools Act, which would expand comprehensive school-based mental health services to detect and treat mental and behavioral health illnesses before they compound drastically.

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