Addressing trauma in Arkansas classrooms creates a path to better learning

Daniel started 5th grade in 2022 in Kathy’s reading class as a social, well-behaved student with good grades. He laughed easily and took pride in entertaining the class with his signature corny jokes at the end of lessons. 

His behavior started to change in late October of that year and progressively continued throughout his 6th grade year in Joshua’s class. He stopped laughing. 

Daniel’s teachers tried to determine the cause, but he would not open up and calls home went unanswered. His grades plummeted, and his behavior escalated until one morning when he threw his Chromebook. 

When we finally reached his mom, she told us that she had advanced cancer and had only recently told Daniel. She passed away a few weeks later.

According to the Arkansas Trauma-Informed Education Initiative, nearly half of the state’s children, like Daniel, have experienced one adverse childhood experience (ACE), and almost 20% of Arkansas students have dealt with two or more traumatic life events. 

Arkansas ranks 43rd out of 50  in a national state ranking of ACEs, with a ranking of 50 being the state with the highest percentage of students with multiple adverse childhood experiences, due largely to a connection between ACEs and poverty.

If we want to prioritize learning for all students in Arkansas, we must systematically address the needs of children and families affected by trauma by working together just like we have done on behalf of Daniel. 

First, we must investigate the root causes of trauma in our state, such as poverty, violence, and systemic inequalities.

Trauma does not occur in isolation. Ignoring the effects of second-hand trauma can negatively impact a student’s learning and their community, including classmates, teachers, and families. 

Daniel moved in with his grandmother who was not only traumatized by the loss of her daughter but also living with the stress of having to unexpectedly raise a child who was acting out his trauma at home and school. She was supportive at first, but as calls from school became more frequent, she began to blame his teachers for his behavior. 

Training acts as a protective factor for teachers to better help students with trauma. Instead of viewing Daniel’s behavior as an isolated behavior issue, we had the training to look deeper into his situation to determine the root cause.

Next, there must be systematic collaboration between schools, healthcare providers, social services, and community organizations. 

Trauma awareness and de-escalation strategies training, in which Kathy was trained, should be required for all classroom teachers alongside school resource officers (SROs) and counselors. This would improve the academic success of all students and protect the emotional health of teachers like us so that we may better serve their students. 

Programs such as Handle with Care, in which Josh was trained, should be systematically implemented to teach strategies to school personnel on how to keep a child safe during a behavioral breakdown. 

Another program, TRIS, the Trauma Resource Initiative for Schools, could provide professional development for all classroom teachers in Arkansas in everything from care management consultation after a crisis to “Trauma 101” training.

Finally, we must explore legislative solutions.

In Arkansas, the only trauma training the LEARNS Act currently requires is for SROs and counselors, who must renew Youth Mental Health and First Aid certification every four years. 

Lawmakers should revise the act to include mandatory trauma training for classroom teachers, in concert with SROs and counselors, to protect the health of everyone in the school setting. Funding needs to be allocated to pair each SRO with a social worker to support the traumatized students and their families better, something that would have helped Daniel from the start.

Although the healing process is a long one, Daniel is making progress both academically and socially in 6th grade. He now sits in Josh’s science class, fully engaged in the lesson. No Chromebooks have been snapped in half this year. Daniel’s grades are decent, and he is not disrupting the lesson or yelling at his classmates. 

Vertical collaboration, like that between us, has helped Daniel transition more easily from 5th grade to 6th. He smiles more frequently, and occasionally, he makes a detour on the way to Josh’s Room to visit Kathy, making his way around the room, high-fiving the 5th graders like he’s a visiting celebrity. 

Daniel was fortunate to have teachers with the training to recognize the risk factors and warning signs of mental health issues in adolescents and how to help students in crisis. We had a supportive network of school administrators to create safe, compassionate, and nurturing learning environments for Daniel and his classmates. Every student deserves a trained and supportive learning community like this one to foster a culture of resilience that empowers students to overcome traumatic experiences and reach their full learning potential.