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As a long time teacher activist, "owner" of my own ACEs collection, and passionate believer in grass roots activism,  I want our voices actively engaged within this network. I am deeply concerned that dissenting voices may be silenced here ... and that silence literally sucks out the opportunity to hear the deep truths behind the current ACEs research. Please remember that we in the 'recovery movement' knew about ACEs the hard way ... we lived them. Our analysis is probably light years 'ahead' of rank and file.  So, please 'see' this debate "from the inside".

Using SAMHSA's Guiding a Principles of Trauma informed care (http://www.samhsa.gov/samhsaNe...ding_principles.html) and adapting it to my "neck of the woods" (education)...

1- SAFETY -Schools need to be physically and psychologically SAFE **for ALL**. That means that even though "trauma informed schools" is a step in the right direction, it's both a small one and it's not on target. You need to "own" the reality that there are massive problems in public education today - and everyone is hurting. It's NOT 'just' the students . These programs assume that education institutions are full of benevolent people who all love kids. Wrong. Go read Blase and Blase's book, "Principal Mistreatment of Teachers". Check out National Workplace Bullying Coalition or Workplace Bullting Institute. Read the tragic story that led to Ms. Jennifer Lenihan's (Bassett USD) suicide.  Connect with the Badass Teachers Association.  Get a sense of the massive largesse of problems as seen "from the inside". 

Our survey - http://www.aft.org/sites/defau...urveyresults2015.pdf

2- PEER SUPPORT AND MUTUAL SELF HELP - Bullied teachers need connection with their teachers who deeply 'get' the experiences introduced in #1. But the existing mental health system (PPO, HMO, EAPs per employee contracts) provide NO access with trained peers who deeply 'get' #1, and have learned some wellness skills to help teachers. According to our unscientific data, the MAJORITY of teachers are stressed. Big Pharma LOVES this, for we are a never-ending golden goose for them. Teachers take antidepressants like candy. ... Back to Jen Lenihan and her fellow teachers... despite the high school staff knowing the bullying that led to her suicide (imagine the trauma!!!) the LA County Office of Education EAP provided NO crisis intervention for those teachers until the day AFTER I confronted them - 3 months after her suicide!  A "trauma informed curriculum" will do NOTHING to address #1 and #2.

3- COLLABORATION AND MUTUALITY - Our survey found that the majority of educators held Masters degrees, yet were regarded as subservient to administrators (who held ... Masters degrees). This is NOT a healthy environment, especially when we teachers know more about nuts and bolts education than administrators. Those "trauma informed programs" need to be based on collaborative efforts, not as a ploy to validate high stakes testing (which is an oxymoron)

4-EMPOWERMENT, VOICE AND CHOICE- Our survey found that teachers with "protected status" (I.e., disability, age, color, race, age, religion) experienced more bullying than non-protected status teachers. Looks like the federal civil rights laws need to be "worked on" within education.  Much work needs to be done here. Teachers with disabilities, teachers of color, LGBT teachers, teachers with many years of experience... bring diversity to education. Learn to respect our voices. 

5- CULTURAL, HISTORICAL, GENDER - Learn to examine a school's "culture". Last year, Los Angeles County Office of Education hired Cross and Joftus to investigate why LA county school districts were leaving their special education services. The report was NOT good. It basically told the County to either fix things up in one year, or get out of special education ASAP. Over and over it cited the County's "bureaucracy" and "culture" as obstacles in delivery of services, Things like - classrooms consistently the least desirable/oldest ones;  old furniture, no curriculum/materials. I taught there for 21 years... while we teachers can paint/decorate/spend money, we can't relocate ourselves within the mainstream, access comparable furniture, curriculum or professional development. But you'd never know the bureaocracy's complicity - for on its own page, it's "solutions" (because the report went public- Ooops!)  are designed to 'fix teachers'.  That's a bandaid on an abscess.

SOOOO... ACEs folks... when you 'think' a solution is a good one, be mindful of ALL the people. In education, listen to the entire community. In ACEs itself... listen to the respected people within the Recovery Movement.  We have lived ACEs before they were 'investigated'. Our research didn't come from money but via blood and tears. I have far more trust in the integrity of people within this recovery movement than in all the well-meaning yet unintentionally myopic "research" where our voices aren't heard.  (Excuse me, but wouldn't you rather hear what really needs to work, than what works in some research?)

THIS is how schools become "trauma informed". Read how we took grass-roots trauma and grew legislation ... http://badassteachers.blogspot...lace-team-meets.html

 

 

 

Last edited by Sandy Goodwick
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I can't imagine that there would be one person in this network that would disagree with you, Sandy. The most successful trauma-informed schools, such as Cherokee Point in City Heights, San Diego, involve everyone -- teachers, staff, parents, kids, community members -- in making decisions. The whole-school  programs listed in the ACEs in Education group take this approach. This approach is being taken in other sectors, too. Before a pediatric clinic in Sonoma County began asking its patients about their ACEs history, they educated a group of parents about ACEs sciences and then asked them to determine the process by which parents would be asked about their ACEs and their kids' ACEs. A Head Start program in Kansas City has involved parents in all of their decisions, from determining the language in handouts to meeting with the board of directors.

And, of course, to your point, it's very important to recognize that many caregivers themselves have high ACEs, and to create organizations that support them in their efforts to create a healing partnership with the people they're serving.

I have to agree that it is more complex than what it may appear.  Of course we know that but day to day living in the role of say a teacher, means theory doesn't always match up to practise.

A teacher is not counselling/educating on a one to one basis, more like thirty to one.  When students act out for all the reasons we know they can, it can be challenging enough for teachers who have low or no ACEs.  The complexity and amount of decisions one makes in just one minute in a class are enormous.  

That's why we need to keep in mind that teachers, police etc etc need to recognise that they too may be acting upon their ACEs, may be triggered, and yes, Sandy, work in a bullying workplace that they need to attend to as well. 

Additionally, I believe in some ways it will only get worse, as pressure to be accountable to superiors who are also accountable to their superiors means the demand for corporate ticking of boxes is paramount in controlling a system, especially when the media is breathing down their neck.  And the system can be so harsh and robotically perfunctory it takes certain types of people, often who do not have the necessary people skills, that are interested in the higher level managerial jobs.  This goes across practically all institutions, businesses etc. I believe, and have believed for a long time now.

So whilst people in these systems may eventually understand that ACEs and trauma understanding etc etc are a good way to move forward, there are the opposite forces also driving the system.

I'm trying not to sound bleak, just that it's challenging.  And it's always good to know what the challenges are in order to endeavour to overcome them in some way.  The way out as I see it, is that people need to be nominated to positions of power by their peers.  Not perfect, but does ensure some degree (more than currently occurs) of promoting the 'right' people - those with organisational skills etc together with empathic understanding of humanity - some WISDOM!!

 

 

 

 

I looked at the website for the school in San Diego.  I see problems...

The bullying incident report is to report instances of student bullying only. This perpetuates the fallacy that only students are bullied. Our survey clearly indicated that teachers and other adults are bullied by colleagues, administrators, parents, students, Board of Education members, etc. Parents have intimidated teachers who either disciplined their child or failed to give a desired grade. What has been done to investigate concerns such as this? Many districts have policies just like this, but teachers and other employees still note the existence of bullying, 

In a truly trauma informed school, i would have expected to see as much emphasis placed on adult conduct and safety as with children. THAT would infer that the district had, in fact, recognized that a teacher's work environment is a student's learning environment. 

 

 

Robert, the 'stuff' (poor facilities, overcrowded classrooms, lack of materials, paperwork, bullying (just for starters) these ALL lessen the 'trauma informed care' because, in essence, the realities of workplace life that are ignored, denied, downplayed, etc., cancel out the integrity of 'trauma informed care'. 

If, for example, you were switched from teaching fifth grade to kindergarten the Friday before school started and walked in to a classroom that had no curriculum (it was a storage room for several years) and you are now fully expected to get that classroom in shape over the next six hours and be fully ready to teach on Monday, the notion of 'trauma informed care' is just so much hoo-haa because your administrator will fully expect detailed lesson plans, etc., that first day -and you haven't even found one teachers guide yet. And scenarios like this (and so many more) happen routinely. This is but one discreet example. "Trauma informed care" is but one piece of a very big puzzle. 

The big, bad elephant in the living room is that in order for "trauma informed care" to truly work in urban settings (such as Compton USD, site of recent class action lawsuit) lots of ugly truths also need to be addressed... Dismally poor facilities, lack of effective workplace bullying policy, campus safety, 'buy in' from all stakeholders, etc., and so much more.

There are no effective state or national workplace bullying laws. The standards are abysmally low. In CA, the CA Teachers Union doesn't want to push for any legislation because they don't want to admit teachers bully teachers. Districts don't want workplace bullying policies because there's no requirement for it. Los Angeles County Office of Education came out opposed to anti-bullying policy in special education. They ended up having to train administrators on how to not bully teachers when I filed a complaint against them. It didn't work. 

Trauma informed care means knowing where to look for trauma, not assuming a band aide will 'do the trick'. 


 

There is a paradigm shift occurring around this issue. It wasn't many years ago that "trauma informed" was just barely a thought. Now we are beginning to see the immense need. It is however, just a concept unless actual healing takes place.

Healing as well is making a paradigm shift. It's moving toward a somatic experience, where most trauma exists, and out of the cognitive as the primary healing route. 

We have a long way to go to heal the planet. I care far less about talking about it, and nuanced law and all that. Because without healing from trauma, the rest is merely window dressing. Be encouraged! We're making progress, and there will be pushback from entrenched systems. Do your own work, and keep doing the work. No one can argue with a healed life. 

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