Category: Education
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Rules Feedback to the Colorado State Board of Education from the Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint
First, we appreciate that the Colorado State Board of Education is focused on the important issue of the use of restraint and seclusion in schools across the state. We also value that the intent of these rules is related to protecting students from restraint and seclusion. We have supported many families in Colorado over the…
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Passing The Keeping All Students Safe Act (KASSA) Upholds a Child’s Natural Rights
I beg readers to indulge me in a past time of mine, understanding the braiding of United States governance and education. Learning this has become both vital and necessary. Multiple readers advocate for disability and human rights. Even a few readers might argue that by supporting disability rights, their own rights become restricted. Yet, no…
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Together, We Can End Restraint and Seclusion: Why Your Support Matters Now More Than Ever
Every child deserves to feel safe, supported, and understood in school. Yet, across the country, children, especially those with disabilities, trauma histories, or neurodivergent identities, are still being restrained, secluded, and subjected to punitive and exclusionary discipline. These practices don’t teach; they harm. They fracture trust, deepen fear, and too often set children on a…
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Call To Action Wisconsin: Take Action to Protect Vulnerable Students from Harmful Discipline Bills
Call to action! –In Wisconsin, AB613 and AB614 are two new education bills that are bad news for Wisconsin families and schools. They are discriminatory, promote the use of seclusion and physical restraint, and would do nothing to solve the root cause of problems in education. We need to stop this bill to help families…
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The Invisible Exclusion in Our Education System
Our local news recently aired what appeared to be a heartwarming story: district leaders and our governor making celebratory calls to families whose children have excellent attendance. On the surface, it looked like positive engagement, a feel-good moment highlighting student success. What it did not address, however, are the very real systemic barriers fueling Oregon’s…
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A Lever Long Enough: Changing Exclusionary Discipline Policies In North Carolina and Beyond
Love Our Children NC used this concept to change the short-term suspension policy in New Hanover County, North Carolina. The non-profit organization was co-founded by me and Veronica McLaurin-Brown in March 2021. We are dedicated to ending exclusionary discipline in our state. We are working to change harmful suspension and seclusion policies and statutes. We…
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Choice Doesn’t Fix It: Why PBIS Still Harms Kids
When I was a little girl, I didn’t speak until I was four years old. I remember the way adults looked at me—like I was broken, like my silence defined me. They didn’t see the potential bubbling beneath, only the ways I failed to fit the mold. That early experience taught me something I carry…
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Cultivating Inclusive Futures: Supporting Neurodivergent Learners Through Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility
Creating inclusive and supportive environments is essential for everyone. This is especially true for neurodivergent children, people with disabilities, and racial or ethnic minority communities who often face systemic barriers. This literature review explores how Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) principles are applied in education, healthcare, and community settings to make these environments more…
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My Journey: Heart-Strong International Changemakers for Children
This past week, I was very proud to receive my certificate in the Heart-Strong International Changemakers for Children course, taught by Sandi Lerman. Signing up, I already knew that anything Sandi and Heart-Strong International had put together was going to be amazing! AASR has a long-running relationship and collaboration with Sandi and Heart-Strong International, including…
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It’s All Just Part of the Routine: How Touch Becomes Restraint in Early Childhood Education
Every child deserves to feel safe in their body. Every early educator wants to be someone a child can trust. If we truly want to build environments rooted in care, we have to be willing to pause, reflect, and make changes. There are amazing, wonderful things happening in early childhood education settings every day. I…