SIATech California staff gathered in Oceanside last month to create a strong start to the school year. The event was organized by SIATech’s Instructional Services team. The keynote was given by Dr. Amy Lansing of UCSD who focuses on trauma-informed systems. Staff members then went to breakout sessions that addressed their subject content areas, administrative and compliance reminders, advances in career pathways, honoring diversity, building your brand, and much more.
The Learning Summit kicked off with a collaborative activity which gave everyone a chance to reflect on elements of the SIATech learning model. The groups highlighted SIATech’s model’s flexibility, connectivity, and emphasis on students.
SIATech staff from all over California enjoyed coming together face-to-face and networking. Juan Larios of the SIATech central office participated in the Recruitment Strategies session led by SIATech El Centro Principal Sacha Sykora. He commented: “One of the best parts of the Learning Summit was meeting and networking with staff from all of the locations. We were able to discuss some of the different recruitment strategies that work for each site. Also, school staff was able to give us ideas on what are some of their needs on the websites and advertising.”
Dr. Amy Lansing of UCSD was the keynote opening and closing speaker. Dr. Lansing is a renowned expert and leading researcher on trauma-informed care. All staff took the Traumatic Stress Institute’s survey to establish a baseline of knowledge prior to Dr. Lansing’s presentation. Learning Summit attendees listened to information about the latest research and data points about the impact of trauma on student’s brain chemistry and ability to learn. Trauma elements related to persistent delinquent youth include family disruption, community violence, residential instability, and parental substance use.
Dr. Lansing pointed out how important it is to consider poverty and its related impacts on students and their history of trauma. Children born in poverty have a 50% likelihood of staying in poverty. Dr. Lansing emphasized that it is important for educational leaders to consider the cumulative burden of trauma on our students and understanding that symptoms build up and express itself in different ways. Trauma is not a single event, but a series of events that impacts everyone differently over time and impacts the ability to learn. It results in affective dysregulation, cognitive dysregulation, and behavioral dysregulation. “Every year that you can keep a student in school, you are increasing the brain surface area of their future children. Every year counts in the quality of the brain development of their future children.”
Dr. Lansing provided suggestions for a number of ways that SIATech staff can be more mindful to help address student trauma, particularly because the highest risk youth often access services via school and not through a primary health care provider. Interpersonal connections from teachers to students are critical to keep kids in school. She reminded staff that we all have triggers and can be triggering to others, so it is important for leaders to be mindful of how we treat and interact with others. Dr. Lansing commented how things like passive aggression, bomb dropping, and public shaming can make others shut down and not be able to learn and function to their fullest. Instead, staff should self-regulate, reflect, and strive to have healthier attitudes and a more realistic set of expectations.
Dr. Lansing will be visiting school sites this year and working with individual SIATech campuses and staff on their trauma-informed practices and activities. Professional development will be tailored to the goals and needs of each site. Dr. Lansing will be presenting again at SIATech’s Fall Leadership with a follow-up in the Spring to help sites implement these strategies. By using a trauma-informed systems approach throughout the school year and into the future, all SIATech students and staff will benefit.
