Many kids not getting help they need in schools.

I think I’ve lost the struggle I’ve been having for a couple of days to say something worthwhile about the appalling killings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.

There are important things to say, but I defer to the students, parents and educators of that community whose voices should be heard.

The things said by politicians and commentators about the need to “do something” about these horrific episodes have brought so little that is helpful throughout a chain that goes back at least to Columbine High School near Denver in 1999.

The actual changes in law, policy and funding nationwide seem to have moved in recent years toward increasing the likelihood of these episodes, not reducing them.

I will confine myself here to a couple of thoughts with a more local emphasis.

One thought arises from the public hearing on Feb. 2 at James Madison High School in Milwaukee of the state’s new Blue Ribbon Commission on School Funding.

Milwaukee School Superintendent Darienne Driver was testifying. State Rep. Joel Kitchens (R-Sturgeon Bay) asked her what her priorities would be if aid to Milwaukee Public Schools was changed.

“I would highly, highly, highly stress the importance of the mental health needs,” Driver responded.

There are so many kids, not only in Milwaukee, not only statewide, but everywhere, who need more help than they are getting. Especially when the adults in their lives aren’t handling things well, schools are increasingly the place where there could be, should be and sometimes is a connection between helpers and kids needing help.

We’re not talking generally about kids at the extreme ends of the spectrum. That’s a different level of need.

For the most part, we’re talking about kids who could get on better tracks in school and elsewhere with some good counseling, mentoring or other help.

There are strategies that work in making things better for kids, strategies that would be easy to justify on cost. As a whole, we’re not offering them to nearly the degree that we would in a slightly better world.

Asked by state Sen. Kathleen Vinehout (D-Alma) about providing services, Driver said, “We are losing the battle in terms of making K-12 a desirable option for psychologists. This is an area where we have a constant need because there are so many different places where you can practice as a psychologist.”

In other words, the need for help has risen and it’s become harder to provide qualified people to meet that need. This is not an MPS-only problem.

A second thought: One positive development in the last couple of years is the rising emphasis on social and emotional learning for students.

That label wasn’t used much in prior times, but it’s always been a part of good schools and good outcomes for students. Probably as a reflection of the culture we live in, such aspects of learning seem to need more specific attention now, both in school and (ideally) at home.

In short, success in schools is not only about learning specific things, it’s about how you learn, how you interact with others, how you see your future and how engaged you are in pursuing worthy goals.

A good school is not only a place where kids are successful in learning reading and math and science and such. It’s a place with a good culture.

Good social-emotional efforts (and not all are so good) enhance academics and increase the number of successful kids. They need to be done carefully and intelligently and, at least sometimes, they need adequate resources.

I’ve visited several such schools recently, and I’m going to write about them in coming weeks.

I don’t think good school culture can solve all problems for all kids, but I do think it can move the needle significantly in positive directions overall. And we have too many schools where the culture could be better.

Are we willing as parents, community members, and, yes, taxpayers, to do more than we’re doing to help educators make this happen?

How do we get more educators to points where they are really good at creating such cultures in their classrooms and schools?

I suggest that answering those questions positively is one good response to the terrible things that sometimes happen and to maintaining a more positive outlook when the worst occurs.

Alan J. Borsuk is senior fellow in law and public policy at Marquette Law School. Contact him at alan.borsuk@marquette.edu.