It's a Mindset that Starts with the Administration
The Englewood Board of Education is planning to take action on a policy entitled, "Use of Physical Restraint and Seclusion Techniques for Students with Disabilities" (click here) at an upcoming board meeting. The board is seeking comments from the community and has invited SEPAG to offer comments beyond what was previously provided (click here). I appreciate the Board's willingness to be inclusive as they gather thoughts and opinions on this matter.
While preparing to speak on this topic at the January 26th SEPAG meeting, I found a presentation that was delivered by licensed, credentialed staff from a school district that had and subsequently moved away from an environment of restraint and seclusion. Listen to this two-minute audio clip of what these educators had to say.
Source: Youtube; speaker Dr. Ed Nientimp, Director of Pupil Services, Millcreek Township School District, 9/18/2018
I strongly urge SEPAG to ask the Board of Education and administration to create a restraint-free environment with a district-wide/school-wide positive behavior support program that uses a positive behavior management system. Please click here and add your name and email if you agree. If you disagree, continue reading.
In a 2017 Education Week article (click here), it was observed that "One out of every 100 special education students was restrained by school personnel or secluded in school." According to the NJ Department of Education, in the 2016-2017 school year, Englewood classified 528 children as requiring Special Education. That would suggest that at least five children in Englewood would be restrained, possibly with a mechanical device, and/or secluded (held in isolation). Will your child be one of the five?
Maria Duran said
My son is currently placed out out of district because of behavioral problems. When he was in Englewood, he was restrained and secluded daily. To the point where he hated school and believed all they wanted to do was hurt him. They would not provide notices that he was seen by the nurse. Once he came home with his forehead red from him trying to be released from the hold (which was wrongfully done because he was able to bang his head on the floor repeatedly). The worst was while he was under the Grieco administration. He has been a year at the other school, surrounded by positive behavioral support, I have been called to be informed he was restrained I believe only 3 times. And he has been sent to “reset” several times. The difference is that the reset rooms although they are seclusion rooms, they are meant to calm. In Englewood, the rooms are not even safe. They are old offices emptied out with brick or cement walls painted completely white. They will drag students screaming from their rooms to place them there and all it does is continue to escalate the problem. None of the staff is trained to de-escalate situations, provide postive support, or properly restrain. My son would be removed many times by the security staff. All this mishandling and he is a special needs student that struggles with communicationg his emotions, which is in his IEP. However, the administration, his special ed inclusion teachers, his 1:1 aide, the behaviorist assignes to him, they all treated him as if he was intentionally acting out and misbehaving. They made him think he was a “bad kid” (those words came from him several times). EPSD provides no training and the board should not implement this policy whatsoever. They should take a close look at positive behavioral support schools that are successful and adopt their models.