What You Can Do Series - School Principals

Jul192026

Students engaging actively in a classroom setting with the theme 'ACES Impact in the Classroom'.

What School Principals and Administrators Can Do to Keep Children Safe and Help Them Heal

Introduction: Administrators on the Frontline

This section addresses childhood trauma, abuse, inequitable discipline, and the emotional toll on students and staff. It is intended to offer practical, trauma‑informed tools and encouragement for school leaders—not blame. Please read with the understanding that no principal can fix everything alone; the goal is to build systems and partnerships that make healing more possible.

School principals and administrators hold one of the most influential, and at times isolating, roles in a community’s ongoing effort to keep children safe and help them thrive. As heads of their schools, they are charged not only with academic achievement and operational duties but also, increasingly, with responding to crises of childhood trauma, abuse, and community dysfunction. Their leadership shapes not just policy and process, but the daily culture and lived experience of children—especially the most vulnerable. Drawing from KARA’s college volunteer researchers and other leading research, this section details substantive, actionable steps that school leaders can take to disrupt cycles of trauma, build resilience, and reimagine school as a place of healing and opportunity

In brief: What can school principals and administrators do?
Principals and school leaders can protect children and help them heal by creating trauma‑informed school climates, prioritizing early screening and embedded support services, reshaping discipline away from zero‑tolerance toward restorative practices, building strong mental‑health and wellness systems, engaging families and community partners, and advocating for district and policy changes that keep the most vulnerable students safe and seen.

Create a Trauma-Informed School Climate

Recognize Trauma as an Educational Crisis

Data-Driven Awareness: Research from the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study and direct experience cited in the book demonstrate that roughly one in three students in American classrooms carries significant trauma—physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, neglect, or exposure to violence. Trauma is not the exception: it is a daily reality for much of the student body.
Change the Language: Shift language from “problem students” to “traumatized learners.” This subtle reframing, when adopted by leadership, transforms staff attitudes and reduces stigma for struggling students.

Champion Trauma-Informed Professional Development…

Mandate annual training for all staff (teachers, aides, support, SROs) in trauma-informed practices: recognizing behavioral signals of distress, strategies for de-escalation, and building restorative relationships.

Encourage regular workshops, partnerships with trauma experts, mental health agencies, and survivor advocates.

Model Empathy, Not Just Rules

Principals must model empathy, transparency, and compassion in their own behavior—not just towards students but also staff. Recognize secondary trauma and burnout as realities for the adults in the building.

Lead with “What happened to you?” and “How can we help?” instead of “What’s wrong with you?” or “Who’s to blame?”

Early Screening and Proactive Support – Universal ACEs/Needs Screening

Screen All New Students: Following guidance in the book, implement confidential, non-punitive ACEs screening for all students on entering school (and as students progress), ideally as part of the broader health record (with parental consent and support).

Immediate Referral: Use screening results to trigger non-stigmatizing early support—connecting students and families to counselors, mental health support, and community agencies.

Embed Counselors and Social Workers

Counselor/Student Ratios: Seek to meet best-practice ratios of one counselor for every 250 students (or lower in higher-trauma schools).

Integrated Social Work: Partner with social services, embed school social workers who support attendance, home visits, family engagement, and are trained in trauma response.

Foster Safety, Belonging, and Connection for All

Design School as a Safe Haven

“Safe Spaces” and Reflection Rooms: Dedicate rooms or zones where students in crisis can de-escalate with a caring adult, away from peers and punitive discipline.

Visible Adult Presence: Build a school culture in which administrators, counselors, and support staff are visible, approachable, and trusted points of contact for any student.

Promote Relationship-Building

Mentorship Programs: Connect vulnerable students to consistent mentors—adults or upperclassmen—who provide support, advocacy, and listening without judgment.

Support Peer Connection: Facilitate clubs, peer mediation, and activities where struggling students can find belonging.

Prioritize Inclusion and Equity

Recognize that students of color, LGBTQ+ youth, foster children, and those with disabilities are particularly vulnerable. Develop culturally competent policies and staff training to counteract bias and address higher rates of trauma in these populations.

Rethink Discipline and Support Restoration

Move Away from Zero-Tolerance

As noted in the book, exclusionary discipline (suspension, expulsion) too often punishes trauma-driven behaviors, making things worse. Instead:

Implement Restorative Practices: Use restorative circles, mediation, and service in place of punitive measures.

Tiered Interventions: Develop systems to identify root causes of acting-out behavior before resorting to disciplinary referrals.

Monitor and Analyze Disciplinary Data

Regularly review data for racial, gender, and special education disproportion—address suspensions or exclusions that reveal bias or failure to recognize trauma.

Collaborate with Law Enforcement, Mindfully

Reevaluate the role of school resource officers (SROs). Insist on robust training in adolescent development, trauma, and de-escalation.

Avoid criminalizing minor behaviors. Instead, promote multidisciplinary response teams (including counselors, social workers, SROs) for crises.

Build Holistic Mental Health and Wellness Systems

Onsite School-Based Mental Health

Where possible, partner with local hospitals, clinics, and nonprofits to provide in-school therapy services—decreasing stigma, absenteeism, and logistical barriers.

Invest in Preventive Well-being Initiatives

Normalize mental health education, mindfulness, active coping skill development, and self-care as parts of school life.

Institute regular “wellness checks” for students and offer workshops for families on stress, trauma, and resilience.

Support Staff Well-being

Recognize compassion fatigue and secondary trauma among teachers and staff. Offer Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), regular check-ins, and wellness opportunities.

Engage and Empower Families

Destigmatize Help-Seeking

Host regular workshops, open-door events, and parent cafes to educate families about trauma, school resources, and how they can partner in restoring child well-being.

Proactive Communication

Contact parents for positive news, not only when there’s a problem, fostering trust and collaboration.

Provide materials and events in multiple languages, and respect and accommodate cultural norms while upholding child safety and mental health.

Support Crisis and Special Circumstances

Have clear protocols for collaborating with child protective services (CPS), foster care agencies, and outside therapists. Never leave a traumatized child or a family in crisis to navigate help alone.

Champion Transparency, Accountability, and Innovation

Track Child-Centered Outcomes

Go beyond staff performance data. Track graduation rates, attendance, behavioral incidents, and well-being for students who receive interventions.

Share anonymized, aggregate data with the community and policymakers, advocating for more resources and reform when gaps persist.

Facilitate Community Partnerships

Build bridges to youth organizations (e.g., CASA, Child Advocacy Centers), trauma recovery programs, mentorship networks, and local colleges’ social work and education departments.

Embrace Innovation

Seek out and pilot proven programs: restorative practices, trauma-informed SEL (social-emotional learning), integrated care teams, and crisis response models.

Leverage technology for tele-health appointments, digital wellness checks, and learning management systems with built-in referrals for student concerns.

Lead in Policy and Legislative Advocacy

Educate School Boards and Superintendents

Regularly inform district leadership of trauma-related trends, unmet needs, and best-practice responses.

Advocate for district-wide policies that limit exclusionary discipline, require trauma-informed professional development, and support targeted funding to high-need campuses.

Mobilize for Funding

Join or lead coalitions to secure state and federal funding for counseling, mental health services, smaller class sizes, and staff professional well-being.

Document and publicize the return on investment for prevention versus crisis intervention—helping policymakers see the financial and social case for change.

Protect Vulnerable Students—Going Beyond Mandated Reporting

Make Reporting Protocols Clear and Survivor-Centered

Ensure every staff member knows how and to whom to report concerns of abuse or neglect, and that reporting protocols are clearly posted and regularly reviewed.

Protect reporters from retaliation; ensure prompt, trauma-informed follow-up and support for the child and family.

Address Sex Abuse and Bullying Head-On

Enforce robust Title IX and anti-bullying protocols. Provide anonymous avenues for students to report abuse, bullying, or unsafe home situations.

Bring in outside experts for awareness programs and survivor panels, normalizing difficult but necessary conversations.

Amplify Student Agency and Voice

Empower Students as Allies

Support student-led safety, mental health, and wellness initiatives.

Facilitate peer counseling programs, youth advisory boards, and leadership opportunities for at-risk and trauma-impacted students.

Teach advocacy, self-care, and help-seeking skills alongside academic curricula.

Center the Lived Experience of Survivors

Create space for student stories (with support and safeguards). Empower formerly at-risk youth as mentors and leaders.

Stories and Insights From the Field

Story 1: Transforming school climate through trauma‑informed practice
Several schools profiled in the book shifted from top‑down, punitive discipline to trauma‑informed approaches, reducing suspensions, boosting attendance, and improving graduation rates especially for foster youth and students with high ACE scores.
Takeaway: When principals lead climate change toward trauma‑informed, restorative practices, exclusion drops and engagement rises, particularly among the most vulnerable students.
Story 2: Building student support teams (“care teams”)
Principals created best‑practice care teams that brought together teachers, counselors, SROs, social workers, and administrators for weekly reviews of students flagged for repeated trauma or behavioral difficulties.
Takeaway: Regular, multidisciplinary care‑team meetings turn scattered concerns into coordinated support, ensuring traumatized students are noticed and helped, not just disciplined.
Story 3: Building community trust and partnerships
School leaders who hosted parent education rounds, partnered closely with CASA and local advocacy organizations, and shared anonymous stories of trauma and healing saw greater community buy‑in, more effective fundraising, and increased visibility for student needs.
Takeaway: Transparent storytelling and strong community partnerships help principals secure resources and public support for trauma‑informed work.

Optional Next Steps for principals and administrators

Today, you might:
– Convene a small internal team to review how trauma is currently addressed at your school, including discipline patterns, counseling access, and staff training.
– Begin planning annual trauma‑informed professional development for all staff (teachers, aides, support staff, SROs), with a focus on de‑escalation, restorative relationships, and recognizing trauma‑driven behavior.
– Identify one space that could become a “safe room” or reflection area where students in crisis can de‑escalate with a caring adult instead of being sent straight home or to suspension.
– Start reviewing discipline data for patterns—by race, disability, foster status, and school—and share these findings with your staff and district leaders as a foundation for change.
– Reach out to at least one community partner (CASA, Child Advocacy Center, mental‑health agency, youth mentoring program) to explore deeper collaboration around traumatized students.

Conclusion: Principals as System-Changers and Community Healers

Principals and administrators are not just managers of staff or disciplinarians. They are system-changers—community healers empowered to guide schools through trauma, towards safety, hope, and healing. By embracing trauma-informed practices, leading with empathy, embedding robust mental health resources, and advocating at every level for children’s voices and needs, school leaders become the architects of resilience for an entire generation.

The task is neither simple nor solitary: it takes courage, partnerships, continuous learning, and unflagging advocacy. But the lives of children—and the health of the communities they will shape—depend on it.

Blogs and resource hubs for school principals

Edutopia – A Guide to Trauma‑Responsive School Leadership
- https://www.edutopia.org/article/trauma-responsive-school-leadership/edutopia
- Administrator‑focused article on how principals and school‑based leaders can create emotionally safe, inclusive communities, safeguard daily experience for students and staff, and integrate trauma‑responsive strategies.
NGA / SchoolSafety.gov – Strategies and Resources to Support Trauma‑Informed Schools (Issue Brief)
- https://www.schoolsafety.gov/sites/default/files/2024-05/SchoolSafety%20Issue%20Brief_Strategies%20and%20Resources%20to%20Support%20Trauma-Informed%20Schools_508c.pdfschoolsafety
- Explains how trauma‑informed schools promote safety, inclusivity, and better academic outcomes, and outlines leadership actions across policies, discipline, SEL, and mental‑health supports.
Leading Trauma‑Sensitive Schools – Action Guide (Guarino et al.)
- https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED595252.pdferic.ed
- Action guide for school and district leaders on building trauma‑sensitive schools (vision, policy, practice, culture), emphasizing their crucial role.
Trauma‑Sensitive School Leadership – ASCD book and excerpts
- Overview/excerpt:
  https://www.ascd.org/books/trauma-sensitive-school-leadership?chapter=biases-and-barriers-factors-that-prevent-schools-from-addressingascd
- Full product page:
  https://www.ascd.org/books/trauma-sensitive-school-leadership?variant=122013ascd
- Addresses “Do No Harm,” discipline, learning spaces, and leadership practices to support healing and success.
NASSP – A School Leader’s Guide to Creating a Trauma‑Informed School
- https://www.nassp.org/publication/principal-leadership/volume-20/principal-leadership-february-2020/a-school-leaders-guide-to-creating-a-trauma-informed-school-february-2020/nassp
- Secondary principals’ association guidance on establishing trauma‑informed policies, practices, and school culture.
NC2S – Trauma‑Informed, Resilience‑Oriented Schools Toolkit
- https://www.nc2s.org/resource/trauma-informed-resilience-oriented-schools-toolkit/
- Details six principles of trauma‑informed, resilience‑oriented schools (safety, trustworthiness, student voice, collaboration, peer support, inclusion) and how leaders can infuse them into MTSS, policies, and environments.
Trauma‑Informed Integral Leadership: Leading School‑Wide Improvement in Complex Contexts
- https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1313336.pdferic.ed
- Academic paper on trauma‑informed leadership themes: view of leadership, support and safety, organizational learning, school culture.
A Grounded Theory Exploration of Trauma‑Informed School Leadership (Bottoms)
- https://digitalcommons.lindenwood.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1159&context=eladigitalcommons.lindenwood
- Explores principals’ roles in promoting trauma‑informed environments; emphasizes their importance in student success and system change.
ACES Aware – Learning with ACEs: An Educator’s Story
- https://www.acesaware.org/blog/learning-with-aces-an-educators-story/acesaware
- Story illustrating how trauma‑informed practices can be life‑changing when implemented school‑wide; helpful for inspiring staff.
Invisible Children / Aware Blog – Trauma‑Informed School Leadership (principal profile)
- For example: What Principals and Administrators Can Do to Keep… (trauma-informed school leadership piece):
  https://invisiblechildren.org/2026/04/08/trauma-informed-school-leadership-principals/invisiblechildren
- Profiles a principal and counselor implementing ACEs‑informed practices school‑wide; shows leadership in action.

Starter reading list for school principals

Here are specific readings that give a principal or school leader a strong foundation in trauma‑informed, ACEs‑aware school leadership.

Edutopia – A Guide to Trauma‑Responsive School Leadership
- https://www.edutopia.org/article/trauma-responsive-school-leadership/edutopia
- Clear, practical guide on how principals can act as architects of emotionally safe and inclusive school communities, with strategies to promote equity, restore trust, and support holistic learning environments.
SchoolSafety.gov – Strategies and Resources to Support Trauma‑Informed Schools (Issue Brief)
- https://www.schoolsafety.gov/sites/default/files/2024-05/SchoolSafety.gov%20Issue%20Brief_Strategies%20and%20Resources%20to%20Support%20Trauma-Informed%20Schools_May%202024_508c.pdfschoolsafety
- Summarizes how trauma‑informed schools integrate TIC principles into SEL, discipline, classroom management, and supports for students and staff; points principals to federal resources.
Leading Trauma‑Sensitive Schools – Action Guide (Guarino et al.)
- https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED595252.pdferic.ed
- Emphasizes developing and sharing a vision, engaging staff in trauma‑sensitive change, and adjusting policy, practice, and culture so all students can succeed.
NC2S – Trauma‑Informed, Resilience‑Oriented Schools Toolkit
- https://www.nc2s.org/resource/trauma-informed-resilience-oriented-schools-toolkit/
- Outlines six principles and offers concrete steps for embedding safety, trust, student voice, collaboration, peer support, and inclusion into MTSS, discipline, and family engagement—central to principal work.
Trauma‑Sensitive School Leadership – ASCD (excerpts)
- https://www.ascd.org/books/trauma-sensitive-school-leadership?chapter=biases-and-barriers-factors-that-prevent-schools-from-addressingascd
- Chapters on “Do No Harm,” discipline practices, and learning spaces give principals a lens for examining school policies and environments.
NASSP – A School Leader’s Guide to Creating a Trauma‑Informed School
- https://www.nassp.org/publication/principal-leadership/volume-20/principal-leadership-february-2020/a-school-leaders-guide-to-creating-a-trauma-informed-school-february-2020/nassp
- Offers a structured roadmap for secondary school leaders: building vision, professional development, data use, and collaboration with community partners.
Trauma‑Informed Integral Leadership: Leading School‑Wide Improvement in Complex Contexts
- https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1313336.pdferic.ed
- Explores leadership themes like systems awareness, support and safety, organizational learning, and school culture—all relevant to principals navigating complex change.
A Grounded Theory Exploration of Trauma‑Informed School Leadership (Bottoms)
- https://digitalcommons.lindenwood.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1159&context=eladigitalcommons.lindenwood
- Highlights how principals perceive their role in trauma‑informed work and identifies factors that help or hinder implementation.
ACES Aware – Learning with ACEs: An Educator’s Story
- https://www.acesaware.org/blog/learning-with-aces-an-educators-story/acesaware
- Story that demonstrates the impact of trauma‑informed practices when supported by leadership; useful for inspiring staff and framing change.
Invisible Children / Aware Blog – Trauma‑Informed School Leadership (principal profile)
- https://invisiblechildren.org/2026/04/08/trauma-informed-school-leadership-principals/invisiblechildren
- Profiles a principal and counselor implementing ACEs‑informed, trauma‑responsive practices school‑wide; shows how leadership decisions translate into daily experiences for students and staff.

References

Book-Draft-wordpress-7.25.docx (primary source, case studies, and recommendations as cited)
CDC/Kaiser Permanente ACE Study; National Child Traumatic Stress Network
Harvard Center on the Developing Child; The Deepest Well (Burke Harris)
American School Counselor Association (ASCA) model
Pew Charitable Trusts, Annie E. Casey Foundation, “School Staff Wellness”
National CASA/GAL Impact Report, Child Welfare Information Gateway
U.S. Department of Education, Title IX resources; StopBullying.gov

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Categories: Adoption, Foster and Kinship Care, All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Education, Mikes Favorite Posts, Public Policy, Reporting and News - US BasedBy Mike Tikkanen July 19, 2026

Author: Mike Tikkanen

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Minnesota Guardian ad Litem program Becoming a MN Child Advocate in the CASA guardian ad Litem program 0
MN Kinship Caregivers Helping Grandparents Help Children 0
MN Literacy Council is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving literacy in the state of Minnesota. They offer literacy services for adults, at-risk children, native-English speakers and recent immigrants. 0
National Association of Adult Survivors of Child Abuse NAASCA Addressing the issues of child sex abuse & providing services to adult survivors. 0
National Association to Prevent Sexual Abuse of Children 0
National Center for Prosecution of Child Abuse NCPCA sends its senior attorneys throughout the country and abroad to lecture and deliver presentations on all aspects of child abuse investigation and prosecution. The federal Children’s Justice Act supports multidisciplinary training on investigation an 0
National Data Archive on Child Abuse Exchange among researched in child maltreatment field. 0
National Institute of Mental Health Transforming the understanding and treatment of mental health through research 0
National Traumatic Stress Network their mission is to raise the stadard of care and improve access to services for traumatized children and their families. 0
PREVENT CHILD ABUSE MN Welcome to the website of Prevent Child Abuse Minnesota. We are the Minnesota Chapter of Prevent Child Abuse America. If you are in immediate need of child abuse information, please call 1-800-CHILDREN. 0
Prevent Child Abuse National Healthy Environments For Children 0
Promising Practices Network 0
Right For Kids How The States Treat Their Children 0
Safe Passage For Children Redesigning The Child Welfare System To Make Children Safe 0
Surviving Spirit – Healing The Heart Through The Creative Arts promoting hope, healing and help for those impacted by trauma, abuse or mental health concerns through the use of the creative arts. 0
The Future of Children The Future of Children seeks to promote effective policies and programs for children by providing policymakers, service providers, and the media with timely, objective information based on the best available research. 0
Together We Rise making life better for foster children 0
Youth Law Center The Youth Law Center advocates to transform foster care and juvenile justice systems across the nation so every child and youth can thrive. 0
Zero Kids Waiting To many people zero means nothing — to us zero means everything. There are 650 kids waiting in the Minnesota foster care system. Our goal is to make that number zero, because every child deserves a family. If you can’t open your home to one of Minnesota’s 0

What You Can Do Series – School Principals

Conclusion: Principals as System-Changers and Community Healers

Blogs and resource hubs for school principals

Starter reading list for school principals

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KIDS AT RISK ACTION / KARA / INVISIBLE CHILDREN

Author: Mike Tikkanen

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