In light of the important role of supportive adult relationships, the takeaway here is clearly not that exposure to toxic stress makes it impossible for schools to succeed with low-income children. But it should make clearer that the bar is much, much higher for a significant number of kids who endure extreme levels of chaos and disruption in their lives, children whose brains – even by age 5 – show the deleterious effects of toxic stress exposure. This does not mean we should throw up our hands and say, “let’s not waste time and money on poor kids. It’s not going to work.” But it certainly puts the “No Excuses” mindset at a disadvantage, particularly when most children only begin school in kindergarten. Given the scientific consensus cited by the report, holding to the idea that schools or teachers should be able to reverse unilaterally the worst effects of toxic stress in all cases begins to sound ill-informed and hopelessly naïve.
At present, the standard reform recipe for improving educational outcomes for all children living in poverty is high expectations, improved teacher quality and muscular accountability. For many low-income kids, perhaps even most, this may indeed be enough. For others, more – much more – is clearly required. It is critical that educators and policymakers begin to differentiate between the two.
— Robert Pondiscio, discussing a new report in Pediatrics that “links ‘toxic stress’ in early childhood to a host of bad life outcomes including poor mental and physical health, and cognitive impairment.” Pondiscio believes the report ”has the potential to transform the way we think and speak about children who grow up in poverty–and education as a means of addressing its worst effects.”
