Education & Experience

Justin’s core mission is to figure out how to build schools
that work equally well for both the group and the
individual. He has been a public school educator since
2006, serving as a classroom teacher before transitioning to
the principalship 10 years ago. Justin first encountered the
research on childhood trauma early in his teaching career
and this research has served as a North Star for both his
practice and scholarship. Justin’s dissertation work sought
to understand the experiences of school leaders in
adopting a trauma-informed approach. Justin combines
his own experience as a trauma-informed leader with the
voices and experiences of other trauma-informed school
leaders and centers his presentations squarely on what is
most helpful for practitioners. In addition to being a
practicing school principal, Justin is a Senior Fellow at the
Minnesota Institute of Trauma-Informed Education at the
University of St. Thomas. Justin also supports the principal
licensure program at Concordia University, St. Paul.

Meet Justin

Transforming Paradigms:

A Trauma-Informed Vision for Schools

Few professions exist with higher highs than those of teachers and school
leaders...but WOW can this work be tough! Educators enter the field of education
with lofty ideals for serving students and families and it does not take long until
those ideals are challenged by the complex realities of the work. In this post-
COVID world, we need to come together to better understand the challenges
facing schools in a new and deeper way in order to chart a better path forward.
Did you know that over 65 MILLION students attend public schools in the United
States? The size of the public education machine is so massive that it can make
even the smallest changes slow and laborious and it is the size of this machine
that provides important context on how we got to where we are. Let's start with a
brief history lesson.

Universal public education for the masses emerged in the mid-1800’s out of an
economic imperative to develop a population equipped to harvest and use natural
resources. This Industrial School system sought to efficiently provide a
standardized school experience for all children resting upon a standard
knowledge-base and skillset. While society has changed in seismic ways since the
mid-1800’s, public education has not. Schooling still rests upon the twin pillars of
efficiency and standardization - both outcomes which do not have ways of
addressing the modern realities of digitalization, individualization, and the whole-
person needs of the post-COVID world.

The Transforming Paradigms: A Trauma-Informed Vision for Schools professional
development series articulates a modern vision for schooling rooted in trauma-
informed practices as a means for reform. This professional development series
comprises a whole staff/teacher track and a school leaders track and can be
adapted to meet either stand-alone or ongoing professional development needs.