Tag: Seclusion
-
National Education Association remains neutral on the Keeping All Students Safe Act
The National Education Association (NEA) has said they remain neutral on the Keeping All Students Safe Act. It is disappointing to see an organization whose vision is a great public school for every student standing on the sidelines while children suffer. Sadly today, there are many students who are not experiencing a great public school…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
An Open Letter to Harwood Unified Union School District from an Educator
The only reason I have heard from the administration and board for keeping seclusion is “advice from legal counsel” and “liability.” These reasons only protect the adults. What about the students? Are hypothetical scenarios about the district being held liable really worth secluding children? I would say protecting students with disability’s civil rights is worth…
-
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…
-
First, do no harm: “Unschooling” a Neurodivergent Child (Part 1)
A Breach of Trust Today’s guest author is Ann Gaydos. Ann worked in the software industry in a former life, but she decided to homeschool her four children after her daughter Paige was abused by a teacher within the Cupertino Union School District in California, and she could get no help from the administration or…
-
Tell Nebraska Senators to “just say no” to LB811
The Arc of Nebraska is asking for help to stop a bad bill LB811. They are asking allies to take action ASAP to call Senators on the Education Committee and tell them not to vote LB 811, the Restraint Bill, out of Committee! This is another bad iteration of a bad bill. Despite amendments, it…
-
Time to End Seclusion in Connecticut Schools
Hearst Media has recently covered the issue of restraint and seclusion in Connecticut schools. Now legislation is being introduced in Connecticut that would prohibit the of seclusion of special education students and would update the rules around the use of restraint. Representative Theresa Wood and Representative Tiffany Bluemle introduced Bill 1200. The bill is set to have a…
-
“People in the Physical Sense”: Historical Perspectives on the Restraint of Autistic Children in Public Schools
Ensuring safety in our schools has become a focus over the past few years, typically discussed in terms of external threats such as gun violence. However, for many special education students, it’s not active shooters or bomb threats they need to concern themselves with- it’s their teachers and therapists. In 2009, the congressional watchdog agency Government…