Vicarious trauma is the issue. Effective, culturally responsive educators find themselves burdened by the intense and complex challenges presented. It’s important to recognize that teachers and other school personnel can’t blame or punish students for high ACES ( Adverse Childhood Experiences) but need to address the systemic reason why ACES exist (racism, lack of affordable housing, healthcare inequality). Being trauma-informed means challenging oppressive policies, not the people (students or families) impacted and carrying the burden. This doesn’t mean that students are excused from taking responsibility but the burden of punishment or error shouldn’t be shouldered by our young people of color and others marginalized. Radical self-care and ensuring that there are whole school trauma-informed policies and practices will help to reduce teacher burnout and turnover when working in schools and communities impacted by trauma.