Tagged With "Education Reform"
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The Relentless School Nurse: The Day the School Nurse Went to Capitol Hill
I am sharing my remarks from the press conference held by Congresswoman Lauren Underwood to bring attention to the impact of gun violence in schools. We are asking for the Senate to bring the Background Check Bill to the floor for a vote. Democracy is built on the voice of “The People” and yesterday, I had the ultimate privilege of being one of the voices. I spoke on behalf of school nurses across our country who are managing the aftermath of school shootings or the stress of active shooter...
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Rediscovering the Lessons from Progressive Education to Create Trauma-Informed Schools for All
“In this bright future you can't forget your past.” -Bob Marley What if the roots of public education in this country provided us with a vision for creating trauma-responsive environments for all students? Lately I have been reflecting on why the principles and practices of creating trauma-informed/trauma-responsive environments in school settings connected with me deep down in my bones. It was a visceral feeling, a sense of validation and resonance in both my head and my heart. The science...
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Rep. Sappey to introduce trauma informed education legislation [DailyLocal.com]
WEST CHESTER — State Rep. Christina Sappey, D-Chester, and Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Lehigh/Berks, will be introducing legislation aimed at creating trauma-informed school environments in Pennsylvania. “House Bill 1415 seeks to ensure that adverse childhood experiences are recognized in the school setting, where children arguably spend the most time, so they get the support they need to reach their full potential,” Sappey said. Adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs include all forms of abuse,...
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Resource List - Research & Reports
Reports and research about how ACEs affect schoolchildren, or about how schools become trauma-informed, or the outcomes of integrating trauma-informed and resilience-building practices in schools. If you recommend any others besides those listed here, please leave a comment with a link and/or information.
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Echo Conference Spotlight: Restorative Justice
This year’s conference has something for everyone! Opening the conference, Echo’s Co-Executive Directors will be joined by some very special guests, including Anne Hudson-Price, an attorney from Public Counsel. Anne will be speaking about the legal action taken by Public Counsel to bring trauma-informed services to Compton School District. “You have to address trauma in order to do anything about the achievement gap,” she says in this article . In addition to featuring the Public Counsel,...
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Run, Don't Walk, to Movie Titled Raising Bertie
This is a fabulous new movie about rural education in Bertie NC and the lives of three young men, regularly experiencing toxic stress and trauma. The lives of the people in Bertie -- the prisons, the teen pregnancies, the poor schools, the lack of support both economic and psycho-social is stunning in its presentation of reality. Movie makes you want to cry but it also serves to energize. As this review notes, take action; see the movie as a true call to action. Time is a wasting'.
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Rural schools find an online resource to fill gaps in mental health services for students
In rural Kentucky, students go to school with people they’ve grown up with. It’s not uncommon for their teachers and principals to be family friends or even relatives. This can create a tight-knit school community, but it can also make privacy hard to come by. Vivian Carter, a longtime teacher and principal and the current innovation coordinator at Hazard Independent Schools, in Eastern Kentucky, said students don’t always open up to the adults in the school building if they have issues at...
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Safety First - Toxic Stress in Education
What is the purpose of having school without power?
I work in a small school in a big state. The local school community had the power shut over the weekend as a preventive action for avoiding fires. This morning I was told that there would be school without power and to plan to provide services and teach children without power.
My instinct was - this is not safe!
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School Discipline Practices: An Issue Brief on a Public Health Crisis and Opportunities for Reform [changelabsolutions.org]
Early childhood education sets the foundation for a student’s future well-being and success. However, the widespread use of exclusionary school discipline (ESD) aggravates pre-existing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and deprives students of essential opportunities for learning and growth. Examples of harmful and counterproductive ESD practices include suspensions, expulsions, referrals to law enforcement, and corporal punishment. These practices can compound feelings of isolation and...
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Re: Social-Emotional Development in Schools
And this one: http://www.brookings.edu/resea...ucation-reform-price Thanks Edwin!
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Re: Nowhere to Hide the Elephant in the [Class]room
This is awesome information, Daun!! I especially like the part where you explain why teachers cannot become trauma-informed on their own. I'm reposting for ATN. Melissa
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Re: Nowhere to Hide the Elephant in the [Class]room
Congratulations on an impressively well-organized and comprehensive presentation of a large mass of useful information! This might make a good DVD for widespread distribution.
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Re: Nowhere to Hide the Elephant in the [Class]room
Outstanding article Daun, and great timing with school around the corner.
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Re: Nowhere to Hide the Elephant in the [Class]room
Dr. Felitti, Thank you so much for your kind words and your suggestion. I am very honored and the DVD idea is quite intriguing! Daun Kauffman
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Re: Nowhere to Hide the Elephant in the [Class]room
Thanks so much Jim! I appreciate all your support. Take care of those beautiful grandchildren :-)
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Re: An Important Event for Anyone in Higher Education in the Philadelphia Region
Interesting we have been teaching two graduate level classes for teachers on trauma informed care for several years. As well as a ceu class for teacher recertification. We use our text Supporting and educating traumatized students, Oxford university press. we have also been offering this class to all of the teachers working in the juvenile justice in the state of Ohio. we would be more than glad to share syllabi or other resources if there is an interest
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Re: LucidWitness: Increasing Public-Awareness of Developmental Trauma
This index is phenomenal Daun! Thank you for your continued commitment to and passion for creating trauma-informed schools and being part of the solution in spite of, or perhaps because of, the very hard work you do every day!
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Re: LucidWitness: Increasing Public-Awareness of Developmental Trauma
Wow! Thanks so much Leslie!
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Re: Do Children have a Right to be Safe ?
Dear Dawn, Thank you for this thoughtful, comprehensive and amazing compilation of information about safety. You have done a masterful job of uncovering how our various systems define safety and make excellent suggestions. You are to be commended! I do agree with your point that it is critical to keep the child at the center of our understanding of safety - however, I also think it's important to acknowledge that environmental safety (such as creating safe buildings and developing safe...
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Re: Echo Conference Spotlight: Restorative Justice
Thank you so much, Louise! I'm planning on sharing this with a number of other people in San Diego who are passionate about bringing RJ to our schools in San Diego in increasingly impactful ways! Blessings on your work! :-)
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Re: Trauma Informed Schools: Part 2, Creating Trauma Informed Classrooms
If not us educators to be that caring adult in that child or teenager's life...then who will fill that role? A school that will implement these trauma informed practices creates safety and consistent predictable outcomes. Another excellent article and example for us to understand we must circle around the students... not work from silos that cause confusion.
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Re: Why Teach about Grief and Loss?
Thank you for this post. Yes. We all need some guidance on dealing with grief and loss. Waiting until it happens is NOT the best approach! This reminds me of the facts about healthcare in the documentary "Resilience." The US spends $3 trillion on healthcare and just 5% of that goes to prevention. We spend 13 years of life in school to learn about some aspects of life most of us will never need. I would venture to say less than 5% of that time goest to practical teaching about the ups and...
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Re: Why Teach about Grief and Loss?
Thanks for posting. You are spot on about children needing to be better prepared to understand grief and loss. Actually adults need this too. I used to do the Children's Talk in my previous church. One Sunday, this was the topic and I had a small book to use for my object lesson. (I never had anything "normal" like a children's book, so this lesson was unusual for that reason.) The book "Water Bugs & Dragonflies" by Doris Stickney is an excellent way to start a conversation. Your...
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Re: Hughes leads meeting on trauma in schools [PhillyTrib.com]
"It is critical to hear from educators, experts and individuals with direct knowledge of how trauma affects a student’s ability to learn and become a productive member of the commonwealth’s workforce,” https://lucidwitness.com/2016/...nt-in-the-classroom/ NOWHERE TO HIDE: “THE ELEPHANT IN THE [CLASS]ROOM”
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Re: Hughes leads meeting on trauma in schools [PhillyTrib.com]
"It is critical to hear from educators, experts and individuals with direct knowledge of how trauma affects a student’s ability to learn and become a productive member of the commonwealth’s workforce,” https://lucidwitness.com/2016/...ve-education-reform/ PEEK INSIDE A CLASSROOM: EFFECTIVE EDUCATION REFORM
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Re: Hughes leads meeting on trauma in schools [PhillyTrib.com]
"It is critical to hear from educators, experts and individuals with direct knowledge of how trauma affects a student’s ability to learn and become a productive member of the commonwealth’s workforce,” https://lucidwitness.com/2015/...-inside-a-classroom/ PEEK INSIDE A CLASSROOM: JASMINE
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Re: Burnout Risk for In-Prison Educators Could Jeopardize Programs for Incarcerated Students
How can I learn more about the Communities of Practice trainings in San Diego: where, when?
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Re: Burnout Risk for In-Prison Educators Could Jeopardize Programs for Incarcerated Students
Dr. Felitti, thank you, I have replied directly to your query.
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Re: Failing Schools or Failing Paradigm ?
In response I'd like to share this article about a program I work with: http://www.theatlantic.com/nat...-nonviolence/277893/ Not spoken in this article - is this dramatic change - a 90% reduction in violence and police calls - came from training only the adults in the building. We changed how the adults interact with the kids and got these results! We've since returned to train the students also. Roger Kluck
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Re: Failing Schools or Failing Paradigm ?
Sorry, having trouble with the link Mr. Kluck. Daun
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Re: Failing Schools or Failing Paradigm ?
OK, got the link to work. Thank you for sharing. Results seem impressive ! Would you fill in some blanks on total student population before/after ? number of "engagement coaches" ? class size before/after ? have you gotten same results at other schools ? Did you get the same results in 2013/2014 school year ? Are you still there for 2014/2015 year ? Did you share results/get response from SDP ? Daun
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Re: Failing Schools or Failing Paradigm ?
Thank you Daun for this insider's summary regarding the elephant in the room named TRAUMA. I have made the comment that really the public school is the largest social service agency we've got but nobody but me views it that way (I guess that sounds like a bleeding heart liberal). The remedies seem overwhelming, but your emphasis on an environment of safety instilled by training the adults make sense. As a mental health professional who has had some experience working in public schools, I...
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Re: Failing Schools or Failing Paradigm ?
Thank you Wendy ! I couldn't agree more regarding both teacher training and schools(and teachers in classroom) providing social services. My post on "Do children have the right to be safe ?" contains a section on the U. S. Educational System shortfalls (vs. legal and healthcare systems). In spite of seemingly being the most broad, most frequented, most convenient (neighborhood), and probably most crucial system to receive children in efficient 'brain states. Acknowlegement of, and response...
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Re: Failing Schools or Failing Paradigm ?
Wendy, also see my comment at the end of RWJF blog on Culture of Health http://lucidwitness.com/2014/0...a-culture-of-health/
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Re: Failing Schools or Failing Paradigm ?
Greetings All - I am jumping in as I have what may be a somewhat unique perspective on the topic of funding (or fueling) the work we are generally engaged in from within various roles. As a central office admin for 10 years I knew that content literacy (ie, reading, math, science, etc) was important. From a resiliency and asset management perspective, I also knew that learners impacted by trauma/neglect/ACE's were at a distinct disadvantage with peers who did not contend with such adversity.
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Re: WHAT'S MORE IMPORTANT ? TEST DATA OR LIFE DATA ?
I think the elephant in the room is profit$. The testing environment for teachers and students is not grounded in evidence-based research. The points that Daun brings out has a depth of research behind it. I was in a school yesterday that has been labeled by the state as a school of improvement. They have a fifty page document in which they have to complete for the state to show how they are going to raise student test scores. The principal was in tears, the teachers I talked to were in...
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Re: Peek Inside a Classroom: Jose
Great article, Daun. You have wonderful insight. I wish you well in sharing it out with the education world. I've recently posted information on a free video Trauma Training for Educators - that highlights many of these same points regarding children and trauma. If you're interested in seeing it - www.ciscentraltexas.org/resources/traumatraining/ Best of luck to you, Kris
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Re: Be part of a breathtaking tipping point !
Duan In case you were not aware the national education association is supporting teachers who have traumatized students in their classrooms. So you have union support for trauma informed education. See the article at Best practices for supporting and educating students who have experienced domestic violence or sexual victimization. http://www.nea.org/home/62845.htm
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Re: Educational Trauma
I was a teacher for the last 7 years and have had to leave permanently because I felt the stress created by the education system was causing real harm to the students, their families, and myself. The environment triggered me because it reminded me of my own dysfunctional family - never talk about the real problems and push all issues under the rug, and find a worthy scapegoat. The scapegoat was the administration. I tried everything to stay in education - I adored working with the kids - but...
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Re: Educational Trauma
Dear Kary, Thank you for commenting on my post. I was very touched by your experience, and the clarity with which you see it. Karen Horowitz wrote "White Chalk Crime," and says that teachers are abused and scapegoated by the educational system. She compiled 678 pages of stories... May I help with your noble cause of shedding light on teacher trauma? Please email me drgray(at)me(dot)com if you are interested. Teachers need a team of heroes! Warmly, Lee-Anne
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Re: Peek Inside a Classroom: Jasmine
This is an excellent piece!!! Educators need to ask "What's happened to this child?" rather than "What's wrong with this child?" when confronted with inappropriate or acting out behaviors. Children come to school each day and give the best they have, even if that best includes ripping up paper and kicking and screaming. Teachers and administrators need to provide effective and appropriate opportunities for children with trauma to release their pent up frustration. They need to keep these...
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Re: Peek Inside a Classroom: Jasmine
Thank you so much Melissa ! Thank you for your passion, your insight and your support.
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Re: Peek Inside a Classroom: Jasmine
Daun - THANK YOU! This is incredibly real and pertinent storytelling of what traumatized children can look like in our schools and how they can be misunderstood. I'm sharing with everyone I know here in Georgia is is advocating for changes based on the DOJ's findings of illegally segregating facilities, called GNETS, for children with emotional disturbances. A disproportionate number of these children are foster/adopt (hugely at risk of trauma) and who knows about the rest -- high levels of...
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Re: Peek Inside a Classroom: Jasmine
Thank you Julie, I am so thankful. I'm also a little overwhelmed. Thank you so much for all you are doing in Georgia ! On a "higher order" note, some of it seems like " Common Sense " at the national level, if you are so inclined to rattle cages about ESEA and NoChildLeft Behind. (An earlier blog at LucidWitness.com) Peace
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Re: Peek Inside a Classroom: Jasmine
Thanks Daun I love this non-fictional piece. What is so hard for me is that what is so obvious to me like gravity or the sky is blue is so not obvious to others. I cannot wait for the critical mass to move us all to where we understand, are compassionate and move society to health so all kids have a chance. I read the Compton lawsuit and I just keep shaking my head... I'd never try to get that dropped, I'd move to action to help those kids... Keep writing... I'll keep tweeting and sharing...
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Re: Educational Trauma
Lee-Anne, I am so sorry for the delay in response! I will send you an email shortly. Kary
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Re: Peek Inside a Classroom: Jose
I was riveted by this post, Daun. You write so well and with so much passion and knowledge. Thank you for sharing this. I am forwarding immediately to our trauma-informed schools team.