I am a trauma informed clinical social worker whose professional life has spanned twenty-five years. My career has predominantly been in schools working for children and their families. I have worked in the North Quabbin for the past 15 years beginning as a school counselor at Fisher Hill, and then moving to community mental health at CHD, and am currently in private practice in Orange. I live in Orange and I have been a member of our School Committee. Finally, my long history of working with families and children with “bad behavior” has provided me with unique insights into the situation at Fisher Hill.
I would like to address the January 12, 2019 Editorial “Changes will help Fisher Hill cope with bad behavior” and more specifically to the quote ” It’s too bad that so often in situations like this, that serious help doesn’t arrive until staff trying to do their jobs as best they can get overwhelmed by adversity.” Let’s begin with that word “adversity” I suggest we replace it with the word “trauma.” Trauma is distinguished as an extraordinary and significant event that leaves an individual feeling powerless and possessing little control in their environment. In the case of Fisher Hill, School Committee Chair Stephanie Conrod (Recorder, Opinion December 27,2018, “The issues and history behind problems at Fisher Hill”), characterized the staff as experiencing, ” a fear of bringing issues and concerns to union and administration, and worried they’ll receive a poor evaluation, risk retaliation or lose their job.” If this accurate then one can say with confidence that the staff is feeling powerless and that they possess little control in their environment. However, it is not only the staff that has been left feeling powerless and helpless. The problems are not limited to the “bad behavior” of children.
And it is a very “bad” that things have gotten to this point
Children, parents, caretakers, teachers, support staff and the community have all been traumatized and adversely affected by “serious help” not arriving on time. When trauma impacts a parent/caregiver/teacher, the relationship between that person and a child is affected. Young children who experience trauma are at particular risk because their rapidly developing brains are very vulnerable. These changes may affect IQ and the ability to regulate emotions, and the child may become more fearful and may not feel as safe or as protected. Without the support of trusted individuals, (aide, teacher, principal), to help children regulate their strong emotions, children can experience overwhelming stress and develop symptoms that parents/caregivers don’t understand. The child may display uncharacteristic behaviors that adults may not know how to appropriately respond to. The idea of school, as a safe place, has been destroyed for the children, families, and staff at Fisher Hill.
Please understand I am not blaming or shaming educators or support staff. Not unlike the children, they can only be successful if they are supported. The staff at Fisher Hill has expressed that sentiment about their principal. But I have to ask, was the incoming kindergarten at Fisher Hill supported for success by the superintendent or destined to failure? Data from screening tools, teacher input, and principal advocacy, about how to best meet the concerns of the number of children with complex needs (medical, neurobiological, social and emotional), were chiefly not considered following the town’s budget process. The fact of the matter is that the schools budget was increased by $400,000 and there were also staff retirements. Nonetheless, Fisher Hill School was reduced to three classes per grade resulting in kindergarten class sizes of between 24 and 26. Such numbers are unsustainable for meeting the needs of the average 5- and 6-year-old, let alone a sizeable group of children with complex needs. Nevertheless, Dexter Park School, a grades 3 through 6 school benefitted by adding three teachers and two classrooms. This funding decision most likely resulted in a student/teacher ratio that supported student success.
The Orange Elementary Schools website, www.orange-elem.org, opens to a background photo of a beautiful child and the words, “Every Child, Every Day.” The stated goals, values, and mission of the Orange Elementary School are written specific to Dexter Park. Why is “Every Child, Every Day” at Fisher Hill not being represented with a goal statement reflecting the unique needs of its young children? Why are the most vulnerable, children and parents, experiencing society and public education for the first time, being so greatly under-served? Why has the most centrally grounding individual of any school, the principal of Fisher Hill, not been returned to her position?
There is only one person who can answer these questions According to Superintendent Thomas all internal investigations have been completed and there is a long list of efforts underway to support Fisher Hill School. Most staff has been returned to their positions and the school community is overjoyed. But that joy is missing the heartbeat, the originating source of the overall sense of safety for everyone in the school, as attested to in letters of support. Fisher Hill is missing its principal. The folks stepping in to take her place are substitutes and they are not doing the job of principal. Thus further under-serving the staff, the children, the parents, and the community as a whole. Further traumatizing the system. The return of the principal is paramount to the healing of this community. Until this “changes” the adversity everyone has experienced, the trauma of that experience, and the damage done, will not be undone.