Our schools measure success with a number on a test or on a scoreboard. We don't hesitate to give a student with an exceedingly impressive athletic resume or student transcript thousands of dollars to a university. We ignore the fact that they have had a steady source of income from both of their still-married parents living in their upper-middle-class home in the safety of some perfect white picket fence suburban neighborhood. We ignore the lack of financial need that shows on the student's FAFSA report because they have the proper connections and proper ability to make the school ratings raise.

But all of a sudden we get quiet when it comes to the students that can't excel, the students that can't pay their way. We get quiet when it comes to the students that are hindered by any series of factors.

We get quiet when it comes to the mental health of those students.

Instead, we strive to improve our reputation as being a "clean, drug-free, prosperous" institution for students to become picture-perfect doctors and lawyers.

One-in-five adults struggle with mental illness, and 50% of these adults with mental illness report that their battle began before the age of 14 and continued into adulthood.

But why do we choose to not acknowledge their suffering until after they experience an episode or act out? Especially when 67-70% of students in the juvenile justice system have been diagnosed with mental illness.

We don't want to try to fix the issue until our ignoring the issue backfires and inconveniences us. We consider it a "liability."

I disagree.

What's actually a liability is when they do act out. What's actually a liability is when we ignore their suffering. What's actually a liability is when we put them down and force them to suffer in silence alone.

Why can't we focus on the cause to solve the consequences? Isn't it most efficient to cure the symptoms by treating the problem?

The truth is, mental illness is the problem. We can make gun laws stricter. We can make it more difficult to simply enter a building. We can intensify any safety protocol. But that is only treating the symptoms.

We need to focus on the root of the issue to handle the disease first, and then eliminate the symptoms.