Category: Advocacy
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Laramie County School District is Seeking Public Comment on Seclusion and Restraint Policy
The Laramie County School District in Wyoming recently voted to put an amended “Seclusion, Restraint, Forcible Physical Contact and Corporal Punishment” policy out for a 45-day review. Potential changes to policy can be reviewed on the Board’s webpage. Public comments will be accepted until September 19, 2025, at 4 p.m. online or via email. We…
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The River of Cruelty – My Experience
I have dedicated my life to understanding what motivates people. Why do we behave the way we do, and how can we improve when life, families, groups, and others’ actions negatively impact us? I believe this desire to understand and help others led me to become a pastor. After 20 years in ministry, I started…
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Awareness and Repair: We All Experience Dysregulation
Sometimes, when learning about the neuroscience behind human behavior, we mistakenly think that dysregulation is this big bad thing that should always be avoided. We think that the only way to keep ourselves and our children feeling safe is to become experts at only experiencing regulation. We think that regulation means being calm or happy. …
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Running for Cole
I have always had a passion for running. I don’t run fast, and I’m not breaking any records, but that doesn’t matter because running means so much more to me. Running is my release, a way for me to process my emotions and whatever is happening in my life at any given moment. I didn’t…
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You Don’t Get to Clutch Your Pearls at the Destination You Helped Build the Road To
Ableism is deeply embedded in early childhood education. It appears in our policies, practices, and the casual, everyday language and behaviors of educators and administrators. It shows up in how we pathologize children’s behaviors, dismiss their needs, and treat their differences as disruptions to be managed through compliance. And it shows up in how we…
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From Tough Love to Trauma-Informed: An Educator’s Journey Toward Transformational Teaching
Twenty-six years ago, I began my teaching career with a passion for making a difference and the advice, “Don’t let them see you smile until January.” My first position was teaching third grade in a predominantly Black, low-income community. I entered the classroom ready to love my students and lead them with firm expectations and…
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The Department of Justice Has Restored and Updated a Critical Online Resource Related Combatting the Improper Use of Seclusion
I have some great news to share. Many of you may have noticed that the Department of Justice (DOJ) removed webpages related to the improper use of seclusion earlier this year. You might have wondered what this meant and whether this critical work would remain a priority. Today, I learned that the webpages related to…
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Neurodivergent Students Don’t Need a Calm Corner, They a Whole Classroom Rooted in Calm, Connection, and Compassion
“Just make a calm-down space in your room!” they say, as if emotional regulation can be solved with a bean bag chair, a glitter jar, and a cute sign that says “breathe.” But here’s what so many people miss: when I’m dysregulated when my nervous system is in fight, flight, freeze, or fawn I’m not…
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Parallel Battles: Advocacy in Healthcare and Education for Vulnerable Populations
Every day as a nurse and mother of a child with a disability, I find myself navigating two very distinct worlds – one rooted in healthcare and the other in education, both, however, interconnected by a demanding commitment to advocacy. Through my experience as a nurse and my daughter’s experience within the public school system, I…
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A Step Forward: Department of Justice Settlement with Montcalm Area ISD Signals Ongoing Commitment to Protecting Students from Seclusion and Restraint
The Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint welcomes the recent announcement by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Educational Opportunities Section regarding its investigation and settlement agreement with the Montcalm Area Intermediate School District (MAISD) in Michigan. This development is a powerful signal that there are those in the federal government who remain committed to protecting the…