A $1 million donation from a Denver couple will allow the school district to train all teachers in how to understand and respond to the trauma students bring to school.

It’s a pertinent topic given that the past two weeks have seen Denver Public Schools rocked by the suicide of a 9-year-old boy who was a fourth-grader at a Denver elementary school, and the unrelated, non-fatal shooting of a teenage boy outside of his middle school.

“Traditionally, in our culture, we’ve often seen trauma and the response has been, ‘Keep it inside. Don’t talk about it,’” Superintendent Tom Boasberg said at an event Thursday to announce the $1 million gift. “That’s not the best way to deal with trauma.”

The donation is not tied to the recent tragedies, but district officials said it could prevent future ones. The training teachers and other school staff receive will help them understand how trauma affects brain development, and how to build the skills and confidence to talk to students about the sadness or anger they might feel after experiencing it at home or at school.

What looks like bad behavior can have its roots in difficult experiences outside the classroom, and teachers need training to learn how to better respond. The 92,600-student district has taken steps to reduce punitive discipline, especially for its youngest learners.

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