The following is an excerpt from a commentary by Jennifer Davis Carey, executive director of the Worcester Education Collaborative, that appeared in the Worcester Telegram on November 15, 2013. She discusses how an understanding of trauma and of TLPI’s Flexible Framework is guiding Worcester Public Schools as it responds to its high rate of suspensions.
Earlier this month, [the Worcester Education Collaborative] and [the Latino Education Initiative at Worcester State University] hosted Joel Ristuccia of Massachusetts Advocates for Children in a forum for Worcester Public School personnel, youth development organizations, and clergy. The purpose of the event was to begin a conversation among those working with children both in and out of the classroom on ways to create environments that will work to build resilience in children.
We cannot shield every child from life’s stressors, but as part of education’s role to develop heart, hand, and mind, we can help children to better draw on their inner resources. One way to approach this work is through the Flexible Framework, an approach similar in principle to that employed in special education and disability access called Universal Design.
Applied to the work to help children exposed to adverse childhood experiences learn, the Framework provides a blueprint for creating environments that actively work to build resilience in all children.
Read the full commentary to learn more about how this understanding is guiding Worcester’s efforts to address its high suspension rate.