Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

For reprints and permission queries visit SAGE’s Web site, http://www.sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav. © 2016 The Author(s) March 2016 | NASN School Nurse 81 I feel like the newspaper street vendor, selling papers on the corner—yelling out the breaking news, “Extra! Extra! Read all about it! School nurses are included in the language of Every Student Succeeds Act.” After years of advocating for student health and the role of the school nurse in student health and learning, this is very big news. I felt like we were heard with President Obama signing into law the Every Student Succeeds Act in December 2015 (U.S. Congress, 2015). The Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and replaces No Child Left Behind. ESSA calls for schools to consider a “well-rounded” education and address the needs of the whole school and community when seeking funding for education, a change from the requirements prescribed in No Child Left Behind. ESSA directs funding back to the states to determine how to use the funds to meet the needs of the school community. In Title I, the section that provides funding to schools with a high percentage of students from low income families, ESSA requires that states and local education agencies develop a needs assessment to determine how to best educate all children. It may include student engagement, school climate and safety, or any other indicator the state chooses (U.S. Congress, 2015). School nurses have the expertise and knowledge to provide “meaningful consultation” (U.S. Congress, 2015, p. 19) in the development of the needs assessment and the future implementation of identified actions. School nurses look at the whole child and consider multiple factors when addressing the needs of children. We know all too well how social determinants affect the well-being of children and the ability to learn. Title IV of ESSA specifically mentions chronic disease management led by school nurses. In addition, for schools to receive funds from the subgrant in Title IV, schools and districts must submit a plan to the state which includes the conditions needed to support student learning, fostering a safe and healthy school. Senator Gillibrand of New York, in an official comment on ESSA, stated that funding could be directed toward asthma management in schools ( Jenkins, 2016). Again, an area where school nurses can provide valuable input. Does that mean we will be invited to the table? Not necessarily. It has been said that school nurses provide hidden health care. Many people are unaware of the broad scope of our role and responsibilities. The NASN Framework for 21st Century School Nursing (NASN, 2016) provides an organized format to share the structure and focus of our current practice. It explains the five key principles that are the foundation of school nursing practice today: Standards of Practice, Care Coordination, Leadership, Quality Improvement, and Community/Public Health. It is up to you to make your voice heard as a member of the team planning the future landscape of education, and it might not be easy. However, remember that you, as a school nurse, have valuable knowledge of your school community and the students themselves. You are the expert within the school community on the health of all students and recognize the critical link between health and education. You understand the growth and development of the children including their social and emotional needs. School nurses frequently identify students in need of mental health support. Administrators and legislators may not be aware of the wealth of knowledge you bring to the education of students, and it is up to you to educate others on your role. It is critical that you are at the table. As Dr. Linda Burnes Bolton says, “We need to make sure we aren’t just knocking at the door and hoping someone will answer. we need to knock the door down.”