Category: Education
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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…
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What We Got Wrong About Discipline
It is common to associate discipline with punishment, for some, that includes spanking, beating, and other severe forms of what is now considered abuse. I know that some claim they are “okay” even after experiencing these practices. However, I have yet to see any credible evidence that disproves my belief that they did little more…
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When a Field Trip Ends in Prone Restraint
The most recent restraint occurred while on a field trip. My son was having an anxiety attack related to his aide leaving and his crush telling him that she did not want to be his friend that day. Restraints were placed on him, and his safe people were not around. Instead of the special education…
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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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Yes, the Preschool-to-Prison Pipeline is a Real Phenomenon
In recent years, advocates have drawn attention to a troubling and embedded trend in our society: the preschool-to-prison pipeline. While the phenomenon may sound hyperbolic at first, it reflects an ingrained pattern of harmful and disproportionate disciplinary actions and systemic inequalities that can begin as soon as a child is born. The continuation of the…