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If you would have asked me in 2008, when I realized we were misdiagnosing trauma as learning disabilities, if I would have been writing this book, I wouldn't have been able to conceive it. Grounded Learning captures the observation, research, and insights gained over the last 12 years on this justice journey. It's a book about stories, stories interrupted. " Trauma unaddressed impacts student learning, multiplied across millions effects a system, unattended into adulthood influences cities...

If you would have asked me in 2008, when I realized we were misdiagnosing trauma as learning disabilities, if I would have been writing this book, I wouldn't have been able to conceive it. Grounded Learning captures the observation, research, and insights gained over the last 12 years on this justice journey. It's a book about stories, stories interrupted. " Trauma unaddressed impacts student learning, multiplied across millions effects a system, unattended into adulthood influences cities...

For American families and their children, school is more than just a building. It's a social life and a community, an athletic center and a place to get meals that aren't available at home. The pandemic has disrupted — and continues to disrupt — the lives of U.S. students in profound ways. Many kids haven't set foot in their schools since March, when most in-person schooling shut down across the country. Teachers are working tirelessly to educate their students online, but they are growing...

Today’s education system resembles much of what you’d see in the early 1900s: rote memorization, a teacher speaking to dozens of pupils who must remain silent unless called upon, curriculum at scale. Coronavirus-related distance learning pushed that same operation online, and because of the severity of the crisis, educators and parents understandably yearn for getting back to normal. But for educator Gholdy Muhammad, normal hasn’t served all students well, especially in literacy education,...

Homework has long been the subject of intense debate, and there’s no easy answer with respect to its value. Teachers assign homework for any number of reasons: It’s traditional to do so, it makes students practice their skills and solidify learning, it offers the opportunity for formative assessment, and it creates good study habits and discipline. Then there’s the issue of pace. Throughout my career, I’ve assigned homework largely because there just isn’t enough time to get everything done...

If there’s one concern about distance learning that educators have during these times, it’s that students are having difficulty being motivated. A lack of motivation is perfectly understandable given the severity of the pandemic, the financial hardships and the shortcomings of video conferencing platforms. But that doesn’t necessarily mean teachers can’t prioritize motivation and curiosity, which were already suffering pre-pandemic because of the way schools often rely on tests and grades to...

Jun Cen The pandemic showed us that education was broken. It also showed us how to fix it. By Jan Mehta, professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education If a measure of a society is how well it takes care of its young, the past nine months are a damning indictment of our nation. Parents and teachers have been working overtime under impossible circumstances., and states have prioritized keeping gyms and restaurants open over keeping schools open. A result is that about 48 percent of all...

Following Gov. Ige's furlough announcement for all state employees beginning in January 2021, I can't imagine how this must have impacted our public school educators Stress and anxiety have been experienced by all during COVID-19 and all educators (early education to higher learning) have not be spared. This is an excellent article that sheds some light on the anxiety that teachers are facing and some potential pragmatic strategies to help mitigate the effects of stress during these...

"Nothing about these experiences of adversity and trauma is inevitable in terms of the development of the child."-Dr. Gerry Giesbrecht The adverse childhood experiences study has taught us that 2/3 individuals has experienced some form of childhood adversity between the age of 0-17 years, and that this adversity can have long term negative effects on the individual. But how might this adversity impact a mom and her baby? According to my latest conversation with Dr. Giesbrecht, approximately...

By Vanessa Sacks, Rebecca M. Jones, and Hannah Rackers, et al., Child Trends, December 15, 2020 youthCONNECT is an integrated student supports initiative, developed by Venture Philanthropy Partners (VPP), that is being implemented in Prince George’s County, Maryland, in partnership with the Prince George’s County government and Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS). At Suitland High School, the youthCONNECT theory of change posits that providing college and career preparation...

By Cat Wise and Rachel Wellford, Public Broadcasting Service, December 17, 2020 Cat Wise: It's a Friday morning, and Eamani Williams is getting her son Sha'quan and daughter Amara off to preschool. Raised by a single mother, Eamani says her childhood was sometimes tough. Now a 22-year-old single mom herself, Eamani realized there was a lot she didn't know when her son was born four years ago. Was it tough being a new mom? Eamani Williams: Honestly, it was. That pregnancy wasn't planned. I...

By Kavitha Cardoza, The Hechinger Report, December 14, 2020 When Nando was in the fourth grade, his older brother was killed by gangs in El Salvador. His mother was terrified for his safety, so Nando stopped going to school. For years, he stayed indoors. It felt like prison,” he said. Nando’s family struggled to put food on the table. They grew increasingly desperate. So, at 16, he decided to make the treacherous journey to the U.S., leaving behind his parents and younger brother. [ Please...