Caring for the Individual Student and the Community of Learners

Understanding people and school communities is complex. Facilitating helpful and meaningful change—at an individual or school‐wide level—is challenging. As a clinician‐educator and a socially and emotionally informed educator, we describe what we do and do not understand about School ABC. We suggest that at the school and individual levels, understanding needs to be based on a reliable, valid, and comprehensive assessment of school climate, biopsychosocial strengths, weaknesses, needs of the school, and the eighth‐grade girl, respectively. Second, we delineate how our understanding leads to a series of school‐wide climate, instructional, and very specific individual student goals. Third, we outline suggested systemic methods of intervening that have the potential to support the school’s transformation into a safer, more responsible caring environment that promotes positive youth development and learning. We suggest that school climate is a helpful organizing framework that supports healthy individual relationships, educator‐parent mental health partnerships, and transformational learning for individuals and school communities.