MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH MEETS HIGH-STAKES TESTING
The Cruel Irony of May
May is nationally recognized as Mental Health Awareness Month—a time set aside to raise awareness, break stigma, and advocate for greater support around mental health. Yet, for school counselors, May often feels like the least mentally healthy month of all. Why? Because it’s also peak testing season.
Across the country, as students prepare for and endure a battery of high-stakes assessments, the very professionals trained to support their emotional well-being—school counselors—are often reassigned. Instead of counseling, they’re administering, coordinating, and overseeing standardized tests. Most are designated as Building Assessment Coordinators during May, tasked with managing logistics, compliance, and troubleshooting, often from early morning until well after the school day ends.
The result? A complete sidelining of the mental health support students need most during this time.
When Students Are Most Vulnerable, Counselors Are Least Available
Students entering testing rooms bring more than pencils and scratch paper. They carry stress, anxiety, self-doubt, and sometimes trauma. The pressures of performance, family expectations, and future implications of these tests can be overwhelming, especially for those already struggling with mental health challenges.
And yet, the trusted adults trained to identify warning signs, offer coping strategies, and create safe spaces are told to set all that aside for spreadsheets and seating charts.
The Hidden Cost of High-Stakes Testing
There’s a well-documented rise in student anxiety during testing periods. But what’s less acknowledged is how this system affects counselors themselves. Many enter the profession with a deep sense of purpose: to support students holistically, guide their personal growth, and advocate for their needs. Reassigning them to roles devoid of this mission erodes morale and contributes to burnout.
We talk about the importance of mental health. We wear green ribbons. We host wellness fairs. But actions speak louder than intentions. The irony of Mental Health Awareness Month being one of the most mentally taxing, disconnected months for students and counselors alike is more than unfortunate—it’s unacceptable.
Reimagining May: Advocacy and Alignment
It’s time to rethink how we honor Mental Health Awareness Month in schools. What if, instead of pulling counselors away, we empowered them to lead stress-reduction workshops, offer drop-in counseling sessions, and support test-anxious students? What if mental health wasn’t a symbolic gesture, but a core priority, even during testing?
School administrators, policymakers, and education leaders must recognize this disconnect and address it head-on. Let’s reframe May not just as a month of awareness, but a month of aligned action, where student well-being and counselor roles aren’t at odds, but in harmony.
After all, if we truly value mental health, we must ensure the people best equipped to support it are doing just that, especially when they’re needed most.
