Tag: Pennsylvania
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A Difficult Truth: I May Never Know What Happened to My Daughter
When I read that three former employees from Greensburg Salem School District’s Nicely Elementary School pleaded guilty and received only probation for abusing disabled students, my heart sank. This wasn’t just another news story. One of those employees had been my daughter’s preschool teacher, and another had been her Therapeutic Staff Support (TSS). In this…
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Providing Public Comment: Raising the Alarm on Restraint and Seclusion in Pennsylvania Schools
At the January 22 meeting of Pennsylvania’s Special Education Advisory Panel (SEAP), which advises the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) on the education of children with disabilities, public comment highlighted the troubling rise in the use of restraint across the Commonwealth’s schools. The day before, PDE presented its 2024–25 annual report on physical restraint, revealing…
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Join the Pennsylvania Project of the Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint
The newly established Pennsylvania project of the Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint (AASR) invites parents, educators, advocates, and community members to join the fight to end the harmful use of seclusion and restraint in schools and youth facilities across the state. The goal of this project is to develop legislative recommendations for stronger restraint and…
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A Call for Action: Pennsylvania Schools Need to Do More to Reduce the Use of Physical Restraint
Since 2020, Pennsylvania schools have seen a concerning increase in the use of physical restraints on students, particularly those with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). This trend raises significant safety concerns and highlights the urgent need to review and improve the current practices governing the use of restraints in educational settings.