Putnam Schools Prepare Staff to Handle Student Trauma

Teachers and administrators of the Putnam County School System have received training to certify schools as being trauma-informed.

Deputy Director of Schools Corby King said programs will allow PCSS staff the opportunity to better help students going through difficult times.

“An example of this would be the ‘Handle with Care’ program [with] the Cookeville Police Department,” King said. “[CPD] approached us in working with students who’ve experienced some type of tragedy the night before school. And then they would come to school and notify administrators and counselors what’s going on within that student’s life to provide supports that are necessary for that student to be successful.”

King said administrators and teachers have received training on how to handle situations involving students with adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs.

“There’s a lot of movement and education in the community right now around ACEs,” King said. “Our school district is providing a lot of those services.”

King said this isn’t the first year the district has implemented this type of training to is faculty and staff.

“It’s things that we’ve been doing within our school system for several years,” King said, “and we’re continuing to enhance the professional development for our administrators and our teachers in those areas and provide those resources.”

King said the Tennessee Department of Education now allows schools to apply for trauma-informed certification.