What Teachers and Schools Can Do

Identify vulnerable populations
(from NASP)

The degree to which children are affected will vary, depending on personal circumstances. Most vulnerable are children who:
• Have families directly impacted by economic difficulties.
• Have parents currently in financial institutions directly effected by the current economic situation.
• Have suffered a personal loss from or been exposed to economic problems, and/or other
stressful events.
• Live in communities seriously impacted by economic problems, and/or other stressful events.
• Suffer from mental health challenges.

Watch for Stress Signs

Share information with parents and caregivers
Schools should make every effort to share articles, tips, and ideas with families and caregivers. Include the link to these pages on your school or teacher web page. Share the URLs for relevant articles in newsletters. Host a free family financial fun night in cooperation with the math and social studies teachers. Area banks may be willing to help support such an evening. Open the lines of communication with parents so they can be comfortable telling you when the family is in crisis and know that their confidence will be strictly protected (and be SURE you DO protect it).

Build Financial Literacy
Even if the curriculum does not demand it, today’s world challenges all adults to help our children build a better understanding of real world economics and financial basics so that similar financial crises can be averted in the future and our students can be better stewards of the world economy. Teachers should ask their administrators to bring this issue forward in curriculum revision and prioritizing. Teachers can also include Editors' Choice resources from TeachersFirst on economics, banking, and family and consumer science as part of their math and social studies activities. Make the real world the basis for your instruction on percent. Spend a few minutes of current events time or reading comprehension practice to teach a basic economic or consumer concept. Have your students collect financial tips each week along with their current events stories or show and tell. Invite area banks or parents who work in financial fields to conduct activities at your school. Share the TeachersAndFamilies Learning and Working Together ideas for coping during tough times with your school parents or ask the PTO to run one of the activities for the school community.

Download a printable version of the full article from NASP

Download a printable version of the TeachersAndFamilies Learning and Working Together Activities

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