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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Student at High School for Health Professions and Human Services
5:15:31
·
3 min
A ninth-grade student testifies about the urgent need for improved mental health support, safety measures, and infrastructure in NYC schools. He emphasizes the interconnectedness of these issues and their impact on students' well-being and academic success.
- Highlights the critical shortage of mental health professionals in schools, with students often waiting weeks for support
- Describes safety concerns, including encounters with homeless individuals and drug users near the school
- Calls for investment in building repairs and reducing overcrowding in classrooms to create better learning environments
Julius Valderrama
5:15:31
Good evening, members of the city council.
5:15:33
My name is Julius Valderrama, and I'm a ninth grader at the HPHS, the high school for health professions and human services.
5:15:39
I'm grateful for the opportunity to speak in front of you guys and, you know, speak about the education budget.
5:15:45
I'm not speaking only on my behalf, but for every student who wants to learn, grow, and succeed, but who always can't do that because of how our schools are funded.
5:15:53
I'm a little nervous so forgive me.
5:15:56
This year I've had the opportunity to be deeply civically engaged.
5:16:00
In January, my classmates and I presented a civic project at the New York City Bar Association organized by generation citizens And I also participated in Mid Atlantic Virtual Youth Roundtable also organized by Generation Citizens where I joined students from across the region to voice our concerns about like enduring issues within our community.
5:16:21
From personal experience and observation, I can tell you that mental health is not a minor issue, it's a crisis.
5:16:26
Many of us are dealing with anxiety, depression, trauma, and family struggles, but there aren't nearly enough social workers or counselors to support the student population.
5:16:34
Sometimes we wait weeks just speak to someone, and by then it's often too late.
5:16:40
Mental health is deeply connected to everything academic success, student safety, and overall well-being.
5:16:47
I see it in myself, students hurting, acting out, or giving up.
5:16:50
Not because they don't care, but because they don't have the support they need.
5:16:56
But it doesn't just stop there.
5:16:57
I also have to ask, why don't our schools have stronger safety systems?
5:17:01
Other than the 300,000,000 already spent on school safety where is the rest of the funding to protect students and staff?
5:17:06
I've seen houseless drug users camped out beside my school, injecting harmful substances and even attacking members of my school community.
5:17:13
Students should never have to walk past danger to get to class.
5:17:16
We need better security, not just more guards but real systems that make us feel safe.
5:17:20
And while we're expected to show up ready to learn, the conditions we walk into send a very different message.
5:17:25
Our buildings are crumbling, ceilings leaking, bathrooms are broken, classrooms are overcrowded with barely enough space to think, Let alone ask questions or get extra help.
5:17:34
When students look neglected, it sends a message that we the students aren't a priority.
5:17:38
Building repair should not be treated as an afterthought.
5:17:41
If you were in our shoes for even one day, you'd understand how hard it is to focus on your future when the present feels broken.
5:17:47
All these issues, mental health, safety, crumbling buildings, over guarded classrooms are connected.
5:17:52
They shape how we learn, how we feel, and how we act.
5:17:55
I've witnessed students become violent, disengaged, isolated because of untreated trauma and unmet needs.
5:18:01
I've heard racial slurs and threats in hallways and seen students shut down completely because they feel unseen and supported.
5:18:06
That's why I'm here today.
5:18:09
To ask you pass a budget that treats mental health not as a luxury but as a necessity.
5:18:13
To fund more school social school counselors and social workers to invest in school safety that protects us beyond just police presence.
5:18:20
To finally prioritize repairs and learning environments that reflect the value of our education.
5:18:24
While we can't always change what happens at home, can change what happens at school.
5:18:28
If we invest in the right resources, we could break harmful cycles and start a new one, one of care, support, success.
5:18:34
Thank you.