Trauma-Informed Care
How Kansas City Schools Are Using a Restorative Justice Approach to Discipline
Kansas City Public Schools Superintendent Mark Bedell is approaching discipline reform with a three-part plan focused on restorative justice, meditation and mentorship. As Take Note begins its examination of the plan, we explore the components of restorative justice and its potential applications for any school, large or small. Follow “Take Note: Our City. Our Schools.…
Read MoreCreating Change from Tragedy
Nicole Hockley’s son, Dylan, was one of 20 first graders killed at Sandy Hook Elementary in 2012. After the tragedy, she and other Sandy Hook parents founded Sandy Hook Promise to lobby for background checks. That was part of what she spoke about on Monday at the annual Heartland Coalition Against Gun Violence forum, which…
Read MoreLearning from Sandy Hook
Part of Nicole Hockley is frozen in a world before Dec. 14, 2012, when her 6-year-old son Dylan would pretend he was a butterfly. “He’s my beautiful baby boy with captivating eyes and infectious giggle and warm deep cuddles. He loved looking at the moon every night. He loved to eat garlic bread, and he…
Read MoreLooking to Bear Fruit
In the orchards of Lafayette County, which is located just to the north and east of Kansas City, the peaches are giving way to apples. While locals and immigrant laborers work the land, the county’s educators have joined together to take on another type of harvest — young minds. Educators throughout Lafayette County came together…
Read MoreUnderstanding Trauma-Informed Care
School districts around the region are embracing the idea that educators must understand underlying issues, such as a violent home life or a history of sexual abuse, that are driving bad behavior or poor academic performance among students. It’s a concept called trauma-informed care, and its proponents include the National Center for Trauma-Informed Care and…
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