| Parents of at-risk students will often tell you that | | | | This contributes to an already-challenging situation. |
| there's a major problem with most public schools. | | | | Parents who are doing everything they can to |
| Troubled teens don't always receive the special | | | | help their struggling son or daughter often feel as |
| attention, support and programming they need to | | | | if their serious efforts are being erased when the |
| put their lives on track. Even though school is the | | | | student returns to a school setting in which |
| primary social experience for children and a place | | | | they're not receiving additional support and in |
| in which they often spend a very significant | | | | which they're being exposed to peer and social |
| percentage of their time, it's also a context nearly | | | | pressures. It's a location where bad habits flourish |
| devoid of services that could spur a positive | | | | and where frustrations can mount. |
| change in their lives. | | | | This is a chief reason why we're witnessing |
| While this deficiency is frustrating, it's certainly | | | | remarkable growth in therapeutic boarding schools. |
| understandable. The average school is built with | | | | These schools are designed specifically for at-risk |
| the average child in mind. While some outreach to | | | | teens and have staff and faculties who are |
| certain groups with special needs is mandated, it's | | | | trained to help with their students' problems. |
| unrealistic to expect schools to be capable of | | | | These schools are organized with the goal of |
| handling the specific needs of every at-risk | | | | helping children in mind. Often, parents find that |
| teenager. Public school faculty members are | | | | the extra support and change of environment can |
| professionally-trained educators, but they're not | | | | combine to produce real and lasting positive |
| credentialed therapists. The professionals that | | | | change for their children. |
| schools may have on staff to deal with counseling | | | | It may not be realistic to expect the necessary |
| and related issues are often stretched | | | | support services to help a struggling teenager at |
| dangerously thin with large case loads and limited | | | | most schools. Troubled teens do have other |
| resources are a problem at many schools. | | | | options, though. Therapeutic boarding schools may |
| Troubled teens may not get what they need, but | | | | be the best way ot meet both the academic and |
| the problem is structural. It's not the byproduct of | | | | personal needs of at-risk students. |
| apathy or a lack of caring. | | | | |