News: Seclusions and Restraints

How the “System” Forces Schools into Decisions that Harm Struggling Students: The “Groundhog Day” Impact of Fear on Staff Mental Health and Job Retention

The movie Groundhog Day is metaphorically used to describe recurring experiences with MTSS Teams across the country who continue to use “mystifying” procedures, practices, and strategies—typically wit...

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Judy Heumann, Special Education’s History of Litigation, and the Continuing Fight: Complacency and Defensiveness Still Stand in the Way of Students with Disabilities’ Rights

The passing of Judy Heumann, a special education advocate and legend, prompts this Blog’s review of the history of special education. The author reflects on his interactions with the advocates and lit...

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Was a First Grade Virginia Teacher Shot Because Her Student was Denied Special Education Services?

Blog describes how some districts do not have access to a continuum of special education services for students with behavioral challenges—including self-contained special education, day treatment, or...

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The Year in Review (Part II): Schools’ Pursuit of Effective School Discipline, Classroom Management, and Student Self-Management Strategies

Prevention, Disproportionality, Trauma, and Seclusions & RestraintsDear Colleagues,Introduction   With the whole New Years thing going on, and our transition into a new decade, I was in the mood to st...

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An Open Letter to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Regarding Its Report, "Beyond Suspensions: Examining School Discipline Policies"

Begin with the End in Mind:  It’s about Root Causes and Intervention—Not About Policies or PositionsDear Colleagues,Introduction   Over the past year (at least), I have been writing som...

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Revisiting the School Seclusion and Restraint Epidemic: The Federal Government Says It's Worse than Thought

While the Numbers are Important, We Need to Focus on the Reasons and SolutionsDear Colleagues,Introduction   Back in March, we wrote a two-part Blog Series on the issues related to the number of seclu...

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