Category: Education
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Harwood Union Unified School District Bans Prone Restraint and Seclusion
About a year ago, an educator, Brian Dalla Mura, began sounding the alarm about the use of prone restraint and seclusion in the Harwood Union Unified School District (HUUSD). Over the last year, Brian has repeatedly spoken at HUUSD Board of Education meetings and talked to the press about the need for change. In July…
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The Dark Side of Rewards, Part 2: Why Incentives Do More Harm Than Good in the Classroom
In far too many schools today, the use of incentive programs to motivate students has become common practice. However, many research studies have shed light on the potential negative consequences of such programs, raising concerns about their impact on students’ long-term success. By examining the overlap between physical and social pain as well as the…
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The Keeping All Students Safe Act (2023): Now it’s time to get it passed
Today the Keeping All Students Act was re-introduced by Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03) and Representative Don Beyer (D-VA-08)—alongside Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Chair of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and Patty Murray (D-WA). The legislation aims to protect students from dangerous seclusion and restraint discipline…
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The Dark Side of Rewards, Part 1: Why Incentives Do More Harm Than Good in the Classroom
The use of rewards in the classroom has been a topic of debate for decades. While some argue they can be effective in promoting positive behavior and academic achievement, others believe they can be detrimental to a student’s intrinsic motivation and overall well-being.
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Seclusion and Restraint in Schools: Michigan is Ready for Change
My name is Cassie Atallah, and I’m the founder and director of Michigan Advocates to End Seclusion and Restraint (EndSaR). After my son experienced seclusion and restraint in kindergarten and 1st grade, he started exhibiting trauma symptoms, including hypervigilance, nightmares, school refusal, distorted memories of the events, and saying he wanted to die. He inspired…
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First, do no harm: “Unschooling” a Neurodivergent Child (Part 3)
Unschooling and using standard educational materials are not mutually exclusive if the child chooses to engage with the subject matter. My family has experimented with a wide spectrum of learning tools, and different approaches seemed to work well for different children at different times. Many years ago, when I began homeschooling my children, few virtual…
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HUUSD, Yes, You Can and Should Ban Seclusion
About a year ago, an educator began raising concerns about the use of prone restraint and seclusion in the Harwood Unified Union School District (HUUSD). It was pretty shocking at the time to learn that Vermont still allowed young disabled children to be forced to the ground and held in a prone restraint, a practice…
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First, do no harm: “Unschooling” a Neurodivergent Child (Part 2)
Unschooling can work very well for people on the spectrum. Autistic people often have intense “special interests” that lead to deep and comprehensive learning. In my daughter’s case, I often found it most productive to provide her with educational materials in subjects that fascinated her and then to get out of her way.
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Children in Connecticut Need Your Help!
If you are a Connecticut resident concerned and outraged by these practices, lawmakers need to hear from you. If you or your child has been affected by these practices, lawmakers need to hear from you. It does not matter if you have any direct connection to these practices; if you are a Connecticut resident who…
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Bal-A-Vis X…Using Rhythm and Connection for Regulation
Balance Auditory Vision Exercises is a series of about 300 exercises created by Bill Hubert, a long-time American educator, that are deeply rooted in rhythm and based on precise physical techniques that anyone can learn and implement with their students and clients immediately.