Blog

The students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School have catalyzed a social movement demanding an end to gun violence. While their leadership and moral authority have undoubtedly taken the movement to another level, youth-led activism against gun violence is not, in fact, new. In Florida in 2013, for example, members of Power U and Dream Defenders took over the state capitol to protest the “stand your ground” laws that allowed Trayvon Martin’s killer to go free, an event that helped give...

Since 2009, more than half of the states have taken steps to slow or eliminate prison growth and control ballooning correctional costs. This reversal of more than 30 years of sustained growth occurred in the middle of a historic decline in crime rates, creating an impressive narrative of more public safety with fewer people in prison. Some states have chosen to invest a portion of the savings from these reforms into programs or services that further contribute to public safety. Typically,...

Working for the U.S. Army, Secret Service, Los Angeles Police Department, FBI and the National Guard, Jake Clark has not led a typical life. Topping his resume now: founder of Save A Warrior , a nonprofit headquartered in Ohio and California that connects and empowers active duty military, returning veterans and first responders who are experiencing post-traumatic stress (PTS). Clark’s efforts with Save a Warrior recently earned him the 2018 Rare Life Award, Eagle Rare Kentucky Straight...

When you talk to author and activist adrienne maree brown, you feel everything is going to be all right. You’re inspired by her hope, belief, and commitment just enough to muster your own. This must have to do with the way she sees possibility for change absolutely everywhere, which came about through her many roles. Brown is also a poet, social justice facilitator, science fiction scholar who is co-editor of Octavia’s Brood: Science Fiction from Social Justice Movements, and a doula. It’s...

In our minds, old age is often associated with a variety of ills, from aches and pains to forgetting where you put the keys. But research consistently finds that older adults tend to experience more positive emotion than their younger counterparts. Why might this be? A first-of-its-kind study explored this “well-being paradox” and found that we also tend to become more mindful as we age, which might explain why we feel better. [For more on this story by JENN DIRECTOR KNUDSEN, go to...

It stands to reason that parents who physically or emotionally abuse their children do them lasting damage, among other things by undermining their ability to trust others and accurately read their emotions. But what about the children of parents who experience simple, everyday conflict? New research published in the current issue of the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships shows that the emotional processing of these children, too, can be affected -- potentially making them...

by Fred Dodsworth We’ll call him Kenyatta, that wasn’t his name but you get the picture It was second grade in America the land of testing and more testing and the test he was being tested for was one of those tests by which little boys and little girls are divided into those who do and those who don’t, those who advance and those who retreat, those who end up in the Ivy and those who end up in the weeds This little one was just as smart as any child of seven or eight might be if he had...

Dr. Kavitha Selvaraj did not learn about adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) from a class in medical school. Her first awareness of ACEs came after a student slugged her in the face when she was a new teacher in a school in Los Angeles. She had heard a chorus in the hallway urging her students she refers to as “J” and “N” to “Fight! Fight! Fight,” she writes in an essay in a recent issue of the journal Pediatrics . The two were trading punches. When she stepped in the middle to break it up...

On March 11 of this year, “60 Minutes” aired a report on the long-term effects of childhood trauma, or Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). The report featured renowned psychiatrist Dr. Bruce Perry who stated that because of their developing brains, children are much more sensitive to developmental trauma than adults. As evidence of the impact of childhood trauma continues to permeate child-serving institutions, teachers, social workers, pediatricians and caregivers are changing the way...

Hundreds of data points flashed across the projector screen, but two that caught the attention of a domestic violence prevention specialist during the State of the Child presentation spoke to economic disparity that exists in Bartholomew County. Amy Schnapp-Brunnemer said she was surprised that while the county’s per capita personal income of $47,386 as of 2016 exceeded the state average by more than $4,000, which ranked it seventh, more than one-third of local public school students...

A conference room in a Houston municipal building will soon take the form of a political war room. Maps outlining city blocks and tracts will adorn the walls. Operatives will gather to strategize on block-walking in different communities. And outreach plans will be solidified in hopes of shaking hands and meeting with as many constituents as possible. The extensive ground game that will be formulated in that war room, and similar ones across the state, won’t be in support of any candidate or...

Are lockdown drills trauma informed? We have outlined three easy to implement recommendations. Please share with your fellow teachers!