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The pandemic that shuttered the nation’s schoolhouses for, in some cases, more than a year has touched the social and emotional well-being of students in ways we may not truly understand for a generation. Even now, as more and more students are beginning to return to school physically, there is no guarantee that all is well in their lives. And without traditional school supports—like the ability to look a child in the eye in person to ask how he or she is doing—identifying and helping students traumatized by the pandemic became much harder, if not impossible.

To gauge COVID-19's impact on the mental-health needs of students, the EdWeek Research Center surveyed students and educators in grades 9 through 12 on both the supports and challenges posed by the pandemic. More broadly, Education Week reporters examined how the pandemic is likely to affect student mental-health in the long term; how counselors and mental-health professionals are using technology to connect with students in new and unique ways; and the additional challenges the pandemic poses for especially vulnerable groups of students, including students of color and those in the LGBTQ community.

Separately, Education Week Opinion turned to students and educators to help us understand what’s at stake for young people’s mental and emotional well-being. We hope you’ll share your thoughts on what they have to say, as well as your experiences during this pandemic year by using #K12MentalHealth.

—The Editors