Building a Districtwide Safety Net

Two Washington state districts illustrate the use of trauma-informed, social-emotional learning strategies

No education leader in the U.S. ever expects to navigate the impact of a global pandemic. Yet faced with this challenge, many quickly rose to meet the unprecedented challenges.

The central leadership in Washington state’s Kent and Lake Washington districts constructed a framework for supporting the academic, social-emotional and behavioral development of all students, known as Multi-tiered Systems of Supports, or MTSS. This districtwide approach has enabled them to be more strategic and responsive in supporting students and staff throughout the pandemic and positioned them to be more resilient and responsive to future challenges.

Reflecting on the decision making at the time the pandemic emerged in the Pacific Northwest, Johnny Phu, Lake Washington’s di-rector of student services, advised, “When faced with a tension between urgency and process, focus on the process.”

Strategically, both districts concentrated on supporting the social and emotional needs of staff members first so they, in turn, would have the bandwidth to better meet the social and emotional needs of students and families.

The experiences of these educational leaders have not been unique. Sources of chronic stress and trauma for anyone connected to K-12 schooling have come from multiple directions. The COVID-19 pandemic directly affected educators, students and families in numerous ways. It has highlighted and exacerbated the inequities that already exist in schools. Now the Delta variant, climate-related events and economic and social upheaval continue to have educators, families and community members reeling from a seemingly endless set of challenges at every level.