Sappey bestowed Foot Soldier of Justice Award by NAACP for championing trauma-informed education in PA

Rep. Christina Sappey    December 18, 2019 | 2:52 PM

MEDIA, Dec. 18 – State Rep. Christina Sappey, D-Chester, received the prestigious Foot Soldier for Justice Award from the NAACP Media Area Branch on Saturday.

Sappey was chosen for her demonstrated commitment to children’s education throughout Pennsylvania. In July, Gov. Tom Wolf signed legislation to implement trauma-informed education in schools throughout the commonwealth, largely thanks to a bill authored by Sappey.

Sappey introduced H.B. 1415 to train teachers and administrators to recognize the signs and symptoms of trauma and how to formulate education-based policies, procedures and practices through trauma-informed approaches. During the budget process in June, Sappey’s bill was incorporated into S.B. 144, which is now law.

“Every child deserves a fair chance to succeed in the classroom,” Sappey said. “The passage of this legislation was certainly a triumph for our education system and all of Pennsylvania’s students coping with Adverse Childhood Experiences. I am so grateful for the positive response this bill has received, and I am honored to accept the Foot Soldier for Justice Award. I am committed to continuing my fight for students across the commonwealth and advocating for children who have experienced trauma. A trauma-informed approach in education now will ultimately give us a healthier adult population in the future.”

More information on the award or trauma-informed education can be obtained by emailing RepSappey@pahouse.net or calling her office at (484) 200-8264.

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