How do children grieve? How do schools deal with grieving children?

Teachers in Washington state public schools are not required to be trained to deal with children who have suffered a loss. Our teachers are also not trained to instruct the schoolmates of the child that suffered a loss on how to act toward that child.

Where does this leave children who are grieving? Where does this leave the teachers?

A large risk factor for juveniles becoming delinquent is the loss of a parent.

The American Federation of Teachers offers grief training presentations that should be a minimum requirement for all administrators and teachers in Washington state.

It is imperative that we set a precedent in Washington state, for other states to follow, in training our school teachers how to approach students whom have suffered a loss.

Rachael McCrady, Bellingham