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PREFACE

Yes, money matters in Education. Money is absolutely necessary,  but money is Not sufficient.

A key variable is missing from the discussions about education reform:  before money, before a “common core”, before standardized testing and before “value added” measures.

Childhood Trauma is  “the elephant in the room”.

Deep Impact:  Trauma impacts children, learning and schools, via its laser-like effects on the physical structure of the brain.

Unaddressed, specific changes to brain architecture damage cognition.  The changes also impair their ability to interpret social cues, predisposing children to hypervigilance, suspicion and hair-trigger defenses.   Specifically,  changes to brain architecture damage memory systems,  ability to think, to organize multiple priorities (“executive function”), and hence to learn, particularly literacy skills.

Wide Scope:  “Reformers” don’t acknowledge childhood trauma,  but it affects every classroom.  There are more trauma-impacted students than English Language Learners (ELL) or those with an Individual Education Plan (IEP).   In some urban locations (pg. 17 map) the prevalence is greater than ELL and IEP students combined! It affects 2 of 3 children at some level.  There are more trauma-impacted children than seasonal allergy sufferers.

We must understand and account for trauma-impacted children.

We won’t have a successful education paradigm,
or even accurately interpret academic results,
while ignoring the overwhelming presence of childhood trauma.

       Failing Schools or Failing Paradigm ?