August 27, 2024 • 10 mins
In this deeply personal episode of Structuring Chaotic Minds, host Melissa Franklin explores the critical issue of mental health support for students in Bexar County’s public charter schools. Melissa shares her recent experiences focusing on her son Brayden’s mental health and how that has impacted her own journey. She also sheds light on the alarming funding disparities that leave over 25,000 charter school students without the mental health resources available to their peers in traditional public schools.
Key Points:
- Personal Update: Melissa discusses why she has been less active on social media, focusing on her son Brayden’s mental health and her own wellness.
- Mental Health and Entrepreneurship: The stigma around mental health challenges and how Melissa’s clients often open up about their struggles after months of working together.
- Funding Disparity in Bexar County: The alarming statistic that $20 million has been allocated to public ISDs for mental health, while public charter schools have received $0. This gap affects 17% of the student population in Bexar County.
- Charter Schools Explained: Clarifying the misconception that charter schools are private institutions and explaining their role in providing alternative education options within the public school system.
- Call to Action: Encouraging listeners to advocate for equitable mental health funding for all public schools, including charters, with a critical vote happening on September 3rd.
Call to Action:
- Learn More: Click here to learn more about the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds and how they were allocated, with a focus on the disparity between ISDs and charter schools.
- Get Involved: Advocate for equitable mental health funding in Bexar County’s public charter schools by reaching out to local representatives and spreading the word.
Upcoming Episodes:
- Preview: In future episodes, we’ll hear from entrepreneurs, business owners, and professionals who have navigated their own struggles—whether dealing with mental health challenges, battling addiction, or overcoming business setbacks. These are real stories of resilience, offering valuable ins
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Structuring Chaotic Minds, a
show focused on balancing mentalwellness and life.
If you're just like me, thenyou likely enjoy crushing your
goals, but it's also possiblethat right now, you're
struggling with anxiety, beingoverwhelmed or balancing life
due to mental health.
I'm here to help.
I'm your host, melissa Franklin.
I'm a leadership and personaldevelopment coach on a mission
(00:22):
to amplify the fellow voicesabout our situations, share
critical information andknowledge with our family and
friends and, at the same time,help remove the social BS about
mental wellness and mindsets.
Welcome back to another episodeof Structuring Chaotic Minds,
where we tackle the complexitiesof life, leadership and mental
(00:42):
wellness.
I'm your host, melissa Franklin, and today's episode touches on
an issue that's particularlyclose to my heart mental health,
especially as it pertains toour youth and their education.
As some of you may know, I'vebeen taking a bit of a step back
from social media lately.
My family has been my primaryfocus, especially my son,
brayden, who has been goingthrough some tough times.
(01:04):
We've been navigating hismental health journey together
and it required my fullattention.
Sometimes, taking a break isnecessary for my own mental
wellness, and while I haven'tbeen as present online, I knew I
needed to come back and sharethis message for others who
might be in similar situations.
For someone who's been throughmy own mental health challenges,
(01:26):
I know firsthand the importanceof proper support, and I've
seen this time and again with myclients, many of whom
eventually are able to feel safeenough to talk about and open
up with the struggles that theydeal with in conditions like
bipolar disorder, depression oreven anxiety.
For some it takes months tobuild that trust, but when they
(01:49):
do, they find the strength toacknowledge that they've been
battling with it and, mostimportantly, that they need to
seek help.
Mental health struggles don'tdiminish your worth.
If anything, they buildresilience and strength,
something I've seen in my ownlife and the lives of those I
work with.
Strength, something I've seenin my own life and lives of
those I work with Fundingdisparity in Bayer County.
Now let's shift our focus to acritical issue that's unfolding
(02:11):
here in Bayer County, an issuethat directly impacts the mental
health and well-being ofthousands of students.
Did you know that over 25,000students in Bayer County's
public charter schools are beingleft behind right now?
Here's the reality $20 millionhas been allocated to
independent school districts,also known as ISDs in Bayer
(02:32):
County for mental healthprograms, but public charter
schools were allocated exactlyzero dollars.
That's right, zero dollars.
This is not a financialoversight.
This is a a financial oversight.
This is a crisis that actuallyaffects 17% of the student
population in the county,leaving these students without
(02:59):
access to essential mentalhealth resources that their
peers actually have.
So I want you to think aboutthat for a moment.
These are children, our futureleaders, our innovators being
denied the support that theyneed to navigate the
complexities of growing up intoday's world, especially
post-COVID.
Mental health is foundationalto every aspect of life,
especially our students' lives.
It affects their ability tolearn, to form relationships and
(03:28):
to cope with challenges thatcome their way.
Without access to mental healthresources, these students are
more likely to struggleacademically, socially and
emotionally, which doesn't justimpact their futures, but the
future of our entire community.
Clarifying misconceptions aboutcharter schools there is a
misconception that charterschools are private institutions
(03:49):
, but that's simply not true.
Charter schools are publicschools, created to address gaps
in the traditional publiceducation system by offering
smaller, more focused learningenvironments.
This idea is to provide analternative that can meet the
needs of certain studentpopulations, particularly those
(04:10):
who may not thrive in a larger,more traditional school setting.
However, because they operatedifferently, charter schools
often face resistance from thosewithin the traditional public
school system.
Some see charter schools ascompetition rather than
complementary forces workingtowards the same goal providing
the best education for allstudents.
I've seen firsthand how thepresence of a charter school can
(04:34):
push public schools to step uptheir game.
Back in my hometown, when localcharter schools were introduced
, it created a significantimpact on the improvement of
public school systems over time.
Competition doesn't have to bea bad thing.
On the improvement of publicschool systems over time.
Competition doesn't have to bea bad thing.
It can drive innovation andimprovement.
But for charter schools to havethis positive impact, they need
(04:59):
to have the same level ofsupport and funding that's
available to public schools.
Personal insights and challenges.
Let me get personal for amoment.
I'm a single mom.
I've had to make some toughchoices to ensure that my kids
have what they need emotionally,mentally and physically.
And let me tell you it is noteasy.
(05:19):
I've walked into rooms filledwith business owners who have
partners at home handling thoseday-to-day things with their
kiddos and I've heard commentslike don't you have anybody to
help?
The reality is I don't havethat luxury.
I've paid for nannies.
Before in my life as just ateacher as an educator, I was
making six figures a yearbecause I was constantly
(05:41):
juggling extra tasks.
Every move I make is carefullycalculated to ensure that my
children are supported.
But the judgment doesn't stopthere.
I learned a long time ago thatwhen I stopped sharing with
people what was next, I actuallymade more progress.
There were people who weren'tcheering for my success.
(06:02):
They were actually waiting forme to fail.
So I had to be cautious aboutwhat I shared and with whom.
So I had to be cautious aboutwhat I shared with and with whom
.
This season has been aboutfiguring out what's going on at
home first and thankfully myteams have stepped up in
incredible ways for bothcompanies but it's also been
about being strategic andknowing when to share and when
(06:25):
to hold back.
Let's be real people are alwaysgoing to have opinions.
Some people might look ateverything I'm juggling and
wonder if I really can handle itall.
They don't see the behind thescenes work, the late night
sacrifices, and that's okay.
I'm not here to prove myself toanybody.
I'm here to make an impact, touse my experiences, both the
(06:51):
successes and the struggles, tohelp others.
The bigger picture.
This brings us back to theissue on hand.
On September 3rd, there's acritical vote that could change
the future of thousands ofstudents in Baylor County's
charter schools.
We need to step up and advocatefor equitable mental health
(07:14):
funding across all publicschools.
This includes charter schools.
We can't let 25,000 students beleft behind because of a
funding oversight or because ofa preference of funds in another
area.
Click the link in the shownotes to learn more about the
American Rescue Plan Act, alsoknown as ARPA funds, and how
they were allocated.
The attachment will providedetails on how public ISDs
(07:38):
received a significant amount ofsupport, while public charter
schools were left out.
Together, we can make sure thatevery child in our community
gets the support that theydeserve, and it doesn't go as an
oversight that the funding isstill there.
It just hasn't been awarded atthis point.
So we can advocate and ask ourcounty commissioners hey, is
there a reason this fundingwasn't awarded to our charter
(08:01):
school kiddos?
And if it's not, what is itbeing used for?
We have that right to know,because the money was there.
The money is there, and now wejust need to advocate to let
them know we care about these25,000 kiddos.
We care about this 17% of kidsnot getting the same amount of
help.
(08:21):
Upcoming episodes.
Before we wrap up, I wanna giveyou a sneak peek into what's
coming up in our next episodes.
In our upcoming episodes, we'llbe talking with entrepreneurs,
business owners andprofessionals who have faced
their own struggles dealing witheither mental health issues,
battling addictions orovercoming business setbacks.
These conversations are meantto be real and raw, but they're
(08:44):
also meant to be incrediblyinspiring.
We'll discuss practicalstrategies for not just
surviving but actually thrivingin both your personal and
professional life.
I'm really excited about what'sto come and I hope you'll join
me as we continue to explorethese important topics.
Thank you again for being here.
Make sure to subscribe so youdon't miss out on that episode,
(09:08):
and if today's discussionresonated with you, please share
it with someone who might needto hear it.
If you know anybody in theBayer County area or anybody
with kiddos who might not havebeen aware of the situation and
who can advocate to actuallyhave an impact, please share it
with them as well.
Thank you for being here withme today.
Let's keep pushing forward,growing and making a difference
(09:29):
both in our lives and in ourcommunities.
Until next time, stay strong,stay inspired and keep striving
for your best self.
Thank you so much for joining mefor today's episode.
To catch up on the rest of theseason, visit
structureandchaoticmindscom ortakea quick browse on your
current app to see whichepisodes resonate with you.
(09:49):
If you struggle with your ownmental wellness or even just
balancing life, we have a teamof individuals at our site who
can help.
You can visitstructureinnovationscom and find
a coach or mentor fit for you.
Thank you for joining me onceagain, melissa Franklin, on this
episode of Structuring ChaoticMinds.
Stay structured and smiling.
Welcome to Structuring Chaotic Minds, a
show focused on balancing mentalwellness and life.
If you're just like me, thenyou likely enjoy crushing your
goals, but it's also possiblethat right now, you're
struggling with anxiety, beingoverwhelmed or balancing life
due to mental health.
I'm here to help.
I'm your host, melissa Franklin.
I'm a leadership and personaldevelopment coach on a mission
(00:22):
to amplify the fellow voicesabout our situations, share
critical information andknowledge with our family and
friends and, at the same time,help remove the social BS about
mental wellness and mindsets.
Welcome back to another episodeof Structuring Chaotic Minds,
where we tackle the complexitiesof life, leadership and mental
(00:42):
wellness.
I'm your host, melissa Franklin, and today's episode touches on
an issue that's particularlyclose to my heart mental health,
especially as it pertains toour youth and their education.
As some of you may know, I'vebeen taking a bit of a step back
from social media lately.
My family has been my primaryfocus, especially my son,
brayden, who has been goingthrough some tough times.
(01:04):
We've been navigating hismental health journey together
and it required my fullattention.
Sometimes, taking a break isnecessary for my own mental
wellness, and while I haven'tbeen as present online, I knew I
needed to come back and sharethis message for others who
might be in similar situations.
For someone who's been throughmy own mental health challenges,
(01:26):
I know firsthand the importanceof proper support, and I've
seen this time and again with myclients, many of whom
eventually are able to feel safeenough to talk about and open
up with the struggles that theydeal with in conditions like
bipolar disorder, depression oreven anxiety.
For some it takes months tobuild that trust, but when they
(01:49):
do, they find the strength toacknowledge that they've been
battling with it and, mostimportantly, that they need to
seek help.
Mental health struggles don'tdiminish your worth.
If anything, they buildresilience and strength,
something I've seen in my ownlife and the lives of those I
work with.
Strength, something I've seenin my own life and lives of
those I work with Fundingdisparity in Bayer County.
Now let's shift our focus to acritical issue that's unfolding
(02:11):
here in Bayer County, an issuethat directly impacts the mental
health and well-being ofthousands of students.
Did you know that over 25,000students in Bayer County's
public charter schools are beingleft behind right now?
Here's the reality $20 millionhas been allocated to
independent school districts,also known as ISDs in Bayer
(02:32):
County for mental healthprograms, but public charter
schools were allocated exactlyzero dollars.
That's right, zero dollars.
This is not a financialoversight.
This is a a financial oversight.
This is a crisis that actuallyaffects 17% of the student
population in the county,leaving these students without
(02:59):
access to essential mentalhealth resources that their
peers actually have.
So I want you to think aboutthat for a moment.
These are children, our futureleaders, our innovators being
denied the support that theyneed to navigate the
complexities of growing up intoday's world, especially
post-COVID.
Mental health is foundationalto every aspect of life,
especially our students' lives.
It affects their ability tolearn, to form relationships and
(03:28):
to cope with challenges thatcome their way.
Without access to mental healthresources, these students are
more likely to struggleacademically, socially and
emotionally, which doesn't justimpact their futures, but the
future of our entire community.
Clarifying misconceptions aboutcharter schools there is a
misconception that charterschools are private institutions
(03:49):
, but that's simply not true.
Charter schools are publicschools, created to address gaps
in the traditional publiceducation system by offering
smaller, more focused learningenvironments.
This idea is to provide analternative that can meet the
needs of certain studentpopulations, particularly those
(04:10):
who may not thrive in a larger,more traditional school setting.
However, because they operatedifferently, charter schools
often face resistance from thosewithin the traditional public
school system.
Some see charter schools ascompetition rather than
complementary forces workingtowards the same goal providing
the best education for allstudents.
I've seen firsthand how thepresence of a charter school can
(04:34):
push public schools to step uptheir game.
Back in my hometown, when localcharter schools were introduced
, it created a significantimpact on the improvement of
public school systems over time.
Competition doesn't have to bea bad thing.
On the improvement of publicschool systems over time.
Competition doesn't have to bea bad thing.
It can drive innovation andimprovement.
But for charter schools to havethis positive impact, they need
(04:59):
to have the same level ofsupport and funding that's
available to public schools.
Personal insights and challenges.
Let me get personal for amoment.
I'm a single mom.
I've had to make some toughchoices to ensure that my kids
have what they need emotionally,mentally and physically.
And let me tell you it is noteasy.
(05:19):
I've walked into rooms filledwith business owners who have
partners at home handling thoseday-to-day things with their
kiddos and I've heard commentslike don't you have anybody to
help?
The reality is I don't havethat luxury.
I've paid for nannies.
Before in my life as just ateacher as an educator, I was
making six figures a yearbecause I was constantly
(05:41):
juggling extra tasks.
Every move I make is carefullycalculated to ensure that my
children are supported.
But the judgment doesn't stopthere.
I learned a long time ago thatwhen I stopped sharing with
people what was next, I actuallymade more progress.
There were people who weren'tcheering for my success.
(06:02):
They were actually waiting forme to fail.
So I had to be cautious aboutwhat I shared and with whom.
So I had to be cautious aboutwhat I shared with and with whom
.
This season has been aboutfiguring out what's going on at
home first and thankfully myteams have stepped up in
incredible ways for bothcompanies but it's also been
about being strategic andknowing when to share and when
(06:25):
to hold back.
Let's be real people are alwaysgoing to have opinions.
Some people might look ateverything I'm juggling and
wonder if I really can handle itall.
They don't see the behind thescenes work, the late night
sacrifices, and that's okay.
I'm not here to prove myself toanybody.
I'm here to make an impact, touse my experiences, both the
(06:51):
successes and the struggles, tohelp others.
The bigger picture.
This brings us back to theissue on hand.
On September 3rd, there's acritical vote that could change
the future of thousands ofstudents in Baylor County's
charter schools.
We need to step up and advocatefor equitable mental health
(07:14):
funding across all publicschools.
This includes charter schools.
We can't let 25,000 students beleft behind because of a
funding oversight or because ofa preference of funds in another
area.
Click the link in the shownotes to learn more about the
American Rescue Plan Act, alsoknown as ARPA funds, and how
they were allocated.
The attachment will providedetails on how public ISDs
(07:38):
received a significant amount ofsupport, while public charter
schools were left out.
Together, we can make sure thatevery child in our community
gets the support that theydeserve, and it doesn't go as an
oversight that the funding isstill there.
It just hasn't been awarded atthis point.
So we can advocate and ask ourcounty commissioners hey, is
there a reason this fundingwasn't awarded to our charter
(08:01):
school kiddos?
And if it's not, what is itbeing used for?
We have that right to know,because the money was there.
The money is there, and now wejust need to advocate to let
them know we care about these25,000 kiddos.
We care about this 17% of kidsnot getting the same amount of
help.
(08:21):
Upcoming episodes.
Before we wrap up, I wanna giveyou a sneak peek into what's
coming up in our next episodes.
In our upcoming episodes, we'llbe talking with entrepreneurs,
business owners andprofessionals who have faced
their own struggles dealing witheither mental health issues,
battling addictions orovercoming business setbacks.
These conversations are meantto be real and raw, but they're
(08:44):
also meant to be incrediblyinspiring.
We'll discuss practicalstrategies for not just
surviving but actually thrivingin both your personal and
professional life.
I'm really excited about what'sto come and I hope you'll join
me as we continue to explorethese important topics.
Thank you again for being here.
Make sure to subscribe so youdon't miss out on that episode,
(09:08):
and if today's discussionresonated with you, please share
it with someone who might needto hear it.
If you know anybody in theBayer County area or anybody
with kiddos who might not havebeen aware of the situation and
who can advocate to actuallyhave an impact, please share it
with them as well.
Thank you for being here withme today.
Let's keep pushing forward,growing and making a difference
(09:29):
both in our lives and in ourcommunities.
Until next time, stay strong,stay inspired and keep striving
for your best self.
Thank you so much for joining mefor today's episode.
To catch up on the rest of theseason, visit
structureandchaoticmindscom ortakea quick browse on your
current app to see whichepisodes resonate with you.
(09:49):
If you struggle with your ownmental wellness or even just
balancing life, we have a teamof individuals at our site who
can help.
You can visitstructureinnovationscom and find
a coach or mentor fit for you.
Thank you for joining me onceagain, melissa Franklin, on this
episode of Structuring ChaoticMinds.
Stay structured and smiling.
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