Sept 2, 2018, Oregonian: Opinion: Oregon schools welcome all students https://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2018/09/opinion_oregon_schools_welcme.html
Colt Gill, director of the Oregon Department of Education:
…Forty seven percent of children in Oregon classrooms today have experienced adverse conditions during their early childhood. Some are hungry or neglected. Some have lived with severe drug and alcohol abuse in their homes. Some are witnessing or experiencing violence in their homes. And some don't have homes at all.
These adverse experiences can have long-term effects on a child's health and well-being. These experiences can affect a student's education, their ability to focus in class, their interactions with peers, their level of anxiety and increase their impulsive behaviors. All these students need and deserve our help….
We must also embrace Oregon's changing communities. Our students look different and have different backgrounds than in my time as a student in the 1970s and 1980s. More than one-third of our students are people of color. More than half are economically disadvantaged. Fifteen percent are students with disabilities….
The growing diversity of Oregon's student population is an asset for our schools and the future of the state. Today's students bring a diverse history and culture that is a new resource to embrace and celebrate. …
That's why, at Gov. Kate Brown's urging, the Oregon Department of Education formed the Advisory Committee on Safe and Effective Schools for All Students last spring. After engaging in more than 1,000 collective working hours, this dedicated and diverse group of students, parents, educators, lawmakers and advocates created several policy recommendations that I'm eager to share with you as our children head back to school.
These recommendations include:…
Implementing early identification and intervention systems to help students before they face significant problems.
Using professional learning, guidance and standards to choose prevention programs focused on culturally responsive practices, restorative justice, trauma-informed practices, de-escalation skills, bullying/harassment prevention, suicide prevention and related efforts. …
Childhood Lost
Children today are noticeably different from previous generations, and the proof is in the news coverage we see every day. This site shows you what’s happening in schools around the world. Children are increasingly disabled and chronically ill, and the education system has to accommodate them. Things we've long associated with autism, like sensory issues, repetitive behaviors, anxiety and lack of social skills, are now problems affecting mainstream students. Blame is predictably placed on bad parenting (otherwise known as trauma from home).
Addressing mental health needs is as important as academics for modern educators. This is an unrecognized disaster. The stories here are about children who can’t learn or behave like children have always been expected to. What childhood has become is a chilling portent for the future of mankind.
Loss of Brain Trust features over 9,000 news stories published worldwide since January, 2017
Comments