Penn Yan will hire behavioral specialist

PENN YAN--A plan to hire a behavioral specialist was approved by the Penn Yan Central School District Board of Education at its meeting Wednesday, Feb. 15. Increasing behavior problems at the school prompted the move.
Greg Baker, assistant superintendent for instruction and staff development at Penn Yan schools, presented data that showed on average, about 10 percent of the student body has behavioral and discipline problems that interrupt the learning of all the students. These problems include disruptive behavior, chronic absenteeism, tardiness, lack of motivation, and other problems. He noted this number is trending up, especially at the earlier grade levels. He stated, "PYCSD is supporting our students in many ways, but the needs are becoming more frequent, more intense, and increasingly varied."
Baker explained these behavior problems are complicated and cannot be solved simply with stricter rules or more negative consequences. Rather, they stem from trauma and stress outside the school that interfere with the children's emotional, social, and cognitive development. "I am not blaming our students who are struggling behaviorally," Baker said. "Rather, I recognize something is causing these behaviors."
Baker explained that children with behavior problems are often experiencing severe stress called Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE). Children exposed to abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction at home, "act out" these problems in school, he explained.
ACEs, also known as childhood traumatic stress, include experiences of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, abandonment, neglect and household dysfunction. The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (www.nctsn.com) explains this kind of trauma and neglect interfere with the child's brain development. Problems controlling mood and behavior are the result.
Baker explained parents and caregivers experiencing their own severe stress often do not have the personal resources to properly care for their children. Divorce, domestic violence, mental illness, substance abuse and incarceration are among the problems faced by children and families at PYCSD.
The new behavioral specialist will work with the school psychologists and social worker to address the children's needs and train teachers in skills needed to address problem behaviors. Baker explained that all behaviors, even negative ones, have a function. The new behavior specialist will work with children in grades K through 12, helping them to understand themselves better and replace negative behaviors with positive ones.
The grant-funded position has been approved as of March, 2017. It requires professional certification in one of the following fields: education, psychology, counseling, human development, applied behavior or another related field.