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Last year Education Week Research Center analyzed data from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights and found that nearly 70,000 special education students were restrained or secluded during that school year and the number of incidents was over 200,000. Unfortunately, many advocates, as was stated in the Ed Week article believe the number of students being restrained or secluded as well and the number of incidents recorded is significantly understated. In June 2015 Disability Rights California published Restraint and Seclusion in Schools: Recommendations for California. The report details California laws addressing the use of restraints and seclusion in the school and makes recommends steps that California can take to align with national recommendations. Currently, California lags behind many other states in developing and implementing laws and policies centered on best-practices related to behavioral interventions in the classroom. In fact, in 2013 the state repealed a requirement that had been in place for decades that required schools to take specific steps to proactively address challenging behaviors as well as report the number of times restraints or seclusion was used.
In recognizing the need to address this issue California Assembly Member Shirley Weber had introduced AB 2657 Pupil Discipline: Restraint and Seclusion which would establish minimum safeguards for the use of restraint and seclusion on the school. Two key provisions in this proposed legislation is the requirement that when restraint or seclusion is used a debriefing meeting with the parent or guardian must occur within 2 days and school would be required to collect and report data consistent with U.S. Department of Education regulations. This bill is being heard in the Assembly Education Committee on Wednesday April 25, 2018 at 1:30. If you are a constituent of a member of the Education Committee please call their office and let them know how important it is to strengthen protections for kids with challenging behaviors in classroom. Assembly Member Shirley Weber is the author of the bill and on the Education Committee so if you are a constituent of hers you can call her office and thank her for her dedication to ensuring classroom safety.
To read the DRC report click here.
To read the bill click here.
Assembly Education Committee Members
Assembly Member Patrick O’Donnell, Chair
Long Beach – Assembly District 70
Capitol Office # 916-319-2020
Assembly Member Kevin Kiley, Vice Chair
Rocklin – Assembly District 6
Capitol Office # 916- 319 2006
Assembly Member Ash Kalra
San Jose – Assembly District 27
Capitol Office # 916-319-2027
Assembly Member Kevin McCarty
Sacramento – Assembly District 7
Capitol Office # 916-319-2007
Assembly Member Marc Steinorth
Rancho Cucamonga -Assembly District 40
Capitol Office # 916-319-2040
Assembly Member Tony Thurmond
Richmond – Assembly District 15
Capitol Office # 916-319-2015
Assembly Member Shirley Weber
San Diego – Assembly District 79
Capitol Office # 916-319-2079
Teresa Anderson, Policy Director, The Arc of California