Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
MNPS officials describe advocacy centers in all 74 elementary schools as alternative to punitive discipline
Summary
Metro Nashville Public Schools officials told the Commission on Children and Youth that advocacy centers and trauma-informed practices now operate across all 74 elementary schools, offering regulation spaces, coaching, and partnerships such as Handle With Care and therapy-dog visits.
Metro Nashville Public Schools officials described an expanding network of "advocacy centers" in every elementary school that district leaders say aim to support students——s social-emotional needs and reduce punitive discipline.
Dr. Mary Sonoburi, who said she leads MNPS——s trauma-informed schools initiative, told the Commission on Children and Youth the district has made the work a universal, Tier 1 effort across elementary buildings and provides training, coaching and classroom supports. "This work is about resilience. It's about voice and choice," she said.
Sonoburi said the initiative includes a structured coaching model: coaches receive a six-day onboarding training, monthly site visits and implementation support guided by a fidelity checklist so evaluation findings reflect actual implementation. "We want to make sure that our evaluation is valid,…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
