I am looking to partner with folks in Georgia who are working to address ACEs. Does anyone have information on ACEs particularly in Georgia schools? My hope is to help end the practice of paddling children in public schools. To that end, I'm co-sponsoring a conference for teachers.
Here's a brief description. I should have a brochure and landing page ready in about two weeks.
The conference is February 8-9th at the Loudermilk Conference Center in Atlanta, Georgia called,
DISCIPLINE THAT WORKS: A Neurodevelopmental Approach to Handling Classroom Challenges
We want to help spread the word about ACEs and neurodevelopmentally informed discipline in an effort to help shift the tide away from the using harsh disciplinary practices, such as school suspensions and corporal punishment. In Georgia alone, nearly 6,000 public school children are hit with boards by their teachers as a method of discipline. An alarming disproportionate number of African American children and disabled children are subjected to harsh discipline in schools. In Georgia, black students comprise 50% of all students expelled (even though they only represent 37% of the population).
Our objectives are:
1) Define why the current system of “punishment” is not working supported with scientific research,
2) Provide alternatives to punishment that are actionable and relevant to the attendees, and
3) Create a forum for superintendents, principals, and teachers to network and build a support structure.
Our event is co-sponsored by the Alliance to End the Hitting of Children and Lives in the Balance, founded by Author and founder of Collaborative Proactive Solutions, Ross Greene.
Dr. Greene will be opening the conference with a keynote aimed toward helping teachers and parents shift from the idea that “kids do well when they wanna,” to “kids do well when they can.” Dr. Bettina Love, Associate Professor of Educational Theory & Practice at the University of Georgia will provide a keynote on how urban youth negotiate Hip Hop music and culture to form social, cultural, and political identities to create new and sustaining ways of thinking. Tina Payne Bryson, NYT best selling author on “The Whole Brained Child” will be talking about how to teach and discipline children from a neurodevelopmentally informed perspective. Dr. David Corwin will be talking about ACEs in school.
This conference will also help us raise funds for an educational effort in the rural areas of Georgia to end public school paddling. Did you know, nearly 200,000 children are paddled in public schools every year? That may come as a horrible surprise. Please check out this link to learn more about it: http://endhittingkids.org/