Add new comment

One of the portions of this blog that stood out to me the most is the selection of key factors that must be taken into account. While the trauma that students suffer is a main reference point, the author connected this with cultural connections which lead to the ability to identify student strengths and engage families, as well as the impact of high-stakes accountability. This is simultaneously a selective and multi-layered complex set of factors. This combination really points us in the right direction. If we focus on trauma alone, we may develop some good skills for helping young people, but we forget to look at some key limitations in our cultural outlook. Then, we end up unknowingly insulting children and families because of potentially pejorative assumptions that we make, potentially undoing our good work in addressing trauma. And if we just focus on building up our skills around trauma and cultural competence and forget about systemic pressures from high-stakes accountability, we are left with inadequate tools for the ways in which these high-stakes pressures drive against classroom time and professional learning time for supporting children's holistic development. Some adults may have the right skills and aspirations, but the system provides no room to follow through. Great list, much food for thought.