Nearly two-thirds of students show symptoms of traumatic stress. It’s imperative that every school is equipped to take a proactive approach and thoughtfully respond to trauma and high-stress events and situations such as chronic illness, physical assault, neglect, unexpected family crises, and other adverse childhood experiences. This book serves as a quick-reference guide for school and district leaders in designing their own Dynamic Problem-Solving Team (DPST).Throughout the book, readers will find identified systems that allow the DPST to navigate traumatic situations with structured flexibility.
This book will help principals, teacher leaders, and district administrators: - Assess the efficacy of current systems and protocols in response to a traumatic or unexpected event
- Develop a Dynamic Problem-Solving Team (DPST) equipped to navigate traumatic situations with structured flexibility
- Establish a system of communication to inform and empower students, staff, and the community at large
- Design goals, action items, and monitoring protocols to meet students’ physical, academic, behavioral, and social-emotional needs
- Provide templates, assessments, and other tools that will support a planned, systematic, and fully customizable response
Contents: Introduction: It’s Not a Matter of If; It’s a Matter of When
Chapter 1: Getting It Right the First Time
Chapter 2: Leading and Forming the Dynamic Problem-Solving Team
Chapter 3: Preparing to Do the Work
Chapter 4: Building a Firm Foundation
Chapter 5: Creating a Plan Through the Lens of the Instructional Cycle
Chapter 6: Assessing Sustainability and Support
Epilogue: Lessons Learned
References and Resources
Index
Geri Parscale has worked in education for thirty-seven years. She has worked as a classroom teacher, principal, professional development director, and finally deputy superintendent of Fort Leavenworth Schools, USD 207. Her mode of operation was always the same: learning for all kids.
Under Geri’s leadership, schools throughout Fort Leavenworth Schools earned the Kansas Standard of Excellence for several years for student performance in reading, mathematics, writing, social studies, and science at all grade levels. In 2009, the Kansas Department of Education recognized Patton Junior High School for exceeding this standard in all assessed areas of seventh-, eighth-, and ninth-grade curricula. From 2004 to 2010, student scores on the Kansas state mathematics assessment increased by 10.8 percent and student scores on the reading assessment increased by 18.3 percent. During those years, Fort Leavenworth narrowed the achievement gap of African American students meeting proficient and above levels in mathematics by 20 percent and in reading by more than 34 percent. Additionally, Fort Leavenworth Schools were recognized by Richard DuFour as national Model PLCs.
Geri was the 2011 recipient of the M. Claradine Johnson Award, which recognizes a history of work within the school-improvement process; leadership within the school, district, or state; innovation; and service to the school, district, or state.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Kansas; a master’s degree from the University of Missouri, Kansas City; and a specialist in education degree from Pittsburg State University.
Darcy Kraus, MA, is an independent educational consultant with over thirty-seven years of experience specializing in building- and district-level leadership. She serves as an adjunct professor for graduate leadership studies at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas, and as an undergraduate lecturer at the University of Kansas.
Darcy retired in 2021 as the elementary director for Lawrence Public Schools in Lawrence, Kansas, where she led a team of fourteen principals focused on becoming exceptional stewards of instructional and engaging leadership. Previously, she served as an elementary principal working with a dynamic team of individuals to create a student-centered, staff-supported, and community-oriented learning environment. In both capacities, Darcy engaged in and provided professional development for topics related to building culture, curriculum coordination, instructional strategies, behavior management, tiered intervention, and leadership development. She served on the Kansas State Department of Education Task Force and as a STEAM consultant at Copernic Kindergarten in Shanghai, China. She has presented at the National PBIS Leadership Forum and Learning Forward Kansas.
Before joining Lawrence Public Schools in 2013, Darcy served twenty-five years in various roles and capacities in both Kansas and Illinois. As an elementary language arts consulting teacher, Title I reading liaison, and instructional coach, she served in myriad educational settings ranging from inner-city urban communities to rural communities. Darcy began her career in Olathe, Kansas, as a second-grade teacher and served students in multiple grade levels throughout her tenure.
Darcy earned her bachelor’s degree in education from Kansas State University, her master’s degree in curriculum and instruction and building licensure from Emporia State University, and district licensure from Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas.
