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* By Jennifer Smith Richards, Chicago Tribune, and Jodi S. Cohen, ProPublica…
Illinois school workers physically restrained or secluded nearly 2,400 students more than 15,000 times this school year, a period when many schools were closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, new state data shows.
The data, obtained Thursday by the Chicago Tribune and ProPublica, shows that even with new rules put in place early last year, schools continued to use physical restraints and isolated timeout thousands of times. The data includes public schools, private schools and regional cooperatives that exclusively serve students with disabilities.
The release of the information comes as Illinois lawmakers weigh whether to more strictly limit when school workers can put students in seclusion and physically restrain them. The Senate voted early this week to ban locked seclusion and to prohibit schools from using other types of isolation unless students or staff are in “imminent danger” of harm. The bill, which also would end the use of prone, or face-down, restraint by the end of the next school year, awaits a vote in the House, where similar legislation stalled this year.
“This magnifies even more why we must absolutely pass this legislation and the governor must sign it into law,” said Rep. Jonathan Carroll, D-Northbrook, who has championed a seclusion ban in the House. “We have to have legislation because it has to stop.”
Opposition has stemmed mainly from a few suburban private schools that have argued prone restraint should be allowed for students in crisis. The current legislative session ends Monday. […]
More than 90% of the students subjected to the interventions since July 2020 were students with disabilities, according to a Tribune-ProPublica analysis of the data. More than 8 in 10 were boys, and a quarter were Black. Less than 17% of students in the state’s schools are Black.
More than 60% of students whom schools physically restrained or placed in timeout were in kindergarten through fifth grade. Two of every 10 students were in prekindergarten, kindergarten or first grade. This is the first time ISBE has tracked the age of students affected by seclusion and restraint.
Enough, already. Just… enough.
…Adding… Rep. Jonathan Carroll…
This morning, we were able to move HB219 out of committee and hopefully it will pass the house this weekend getting us closer to ending these practices. Despite my optimism with our legislation, I’m very disappointed that these practices are still happening in our schools. I’d like to know how during a pandemic we’re still seeing kids being treated like criminals?
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, May 28, 21 @ 9:33 am
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Previous Post: The smart one picks apart the alleged bright one’s latest argument against an elected school board
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A teacher in an area public school system walked away from teaching this year. She taught at the primary level. One student had complete breakdowns that, via state and school protocol, necessitated the removal of all students from the classroom until the student was calmed. This occurred nearly a dozen times per day, completely upending the teaching environment.
If you’ve not been in a public school lately you need to witness what is going on.
Comment by Downstate Friday, May 28, 21 @ 9:49 am
PASS THE BILL
Comment by Nearly Normal Friday, May 28, 21 @ 9:51 am
=Enough, already. Just… enough.=
It might make a lot of sense to understand what is happening and why versus reporting numbers.
I am sure there are people out there incorrectly implementing restraint. Our district is small and we do not average one restraint per year, but this year we had to restrain the same student 3 times.
This student attacked another student, a teacher and a paraprofessional twice, and the principal.
The student is in first grade. We have been working with our special ed cooperative to move him to a more appropriate setting but that does not happen overnight. With our coop, it takes months.
That is one student, but it can be informative for those who want to jump to conclusions.
It makes sense that those who would be restrained would be students with IEPS for emotional disturbance and behavioral issues, as well as younger students.
We find that as those students grow, they either “grow out of it”, learn skills to address their emotions or control their outbursts, we adapt the setting to make it more conducive, or find them a more appropriate setting (LRE compliant).
There is just much more to this than simply numbers and the belief that it is all bad.
Comment by JS Mill Friday, May 28, 21 @ 9:54 am
Start charging these teacher with felony battery.
Comment by Boomer Friday, May 28, 21 @ 10:01 am
====There is just much more to this than ===
Stop torturing children.
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, May 28, 21 @ 10:11 am
“ The student is in first grade. ”
If you need to put a first grader in a deadly prone restraint 3 times - you are exactly the school the state needs to step in and stop.
Comment by Kyle Hillman Friday, May 28, 21 @ 10:23 am
===Stop torturing children.===
I wouldn’t consider any of the physical restraint that happened in my district this year to be torture. Physical restraint was only used, as was the case for JS Mill’s district, when one student physically attacked staff members.
Comment by historic66 Friday, May 28, 21 @ 10:28 am
- I wouldn’t consider any of the physical restraint that happened in my district this year to be torture. -
You’d be wrong, find another line of work away from children.
Comment by Excitable Boy Friday, May 28, 21 @ 10:39 am
=== Stop torturing children.===
Pass this bill. The mere fact there’s discussion not to pass it is nauseating and doing a disservice, at the minimum, to these children.
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, May 28, 21 @ 10:40 am
As a teacher and occasional admin, I’m in full support of this Bill becoming law. I know of someone my age who can tell stories of being locked repeatedly as a second grader into a custodial closet, in isolation, by physical restraint, until they “settled down”. Don’t need a degree in psychology to know the emotional damage that can do to a student at such a formative age.
Only thing that has to be ironed out here: there has to be a threshold set for what student behavior is deemed egregious enough to warrant some sort of (appropriate) physical response when the student becomes a demonstrable risk of harming themselves or others in the instructional setting.
Irrespective of the legislation, sounding like this issue is going to require additional training among all school faculty/staff/admin to ensure a common understanding of how to properly handle student physical outbursts that reasonably require an intervention.. and how to go about doing that intervention.
Comment by Zoomer Friday, May 28, 21 @ 10:52 am
@Excitable Boy, did you miss the part about how the student physically attacked staff members?
Look, this is an emotionally charged topic, I get it. None of us here are in favor of torturing or abusing students. But if a student is uncontrollable and can’t be reasoned with, what do we expect teachers and staff to do?
Comment by Can Friday, May 28, 21 @ 10:53 am
===None of us here are in favor of torturing or abusing students. But===
There’s always a “but” with y’all. Always.
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, May 28, 21 @ 10:54 am
=== Look, this is an emotionally charged topic, I get it. None of us here are in favor of torturing or abusing students. But if a student is uncontrollable and can’t be reasoned with…===
… torture them?
This bill needs to pass… if only to stop the illogical thinking.
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, May 28, 21 @ 10:54 am
JSMill. My daughter , a second grade teacher, has been attacked(for lack of a better term) repeatedly this year by a very troubled young boy. You hit the nail on the head, that special help doesn’t come over night. And she works in the largest school district in the state. And this year isn’t the only time it’s happened.
Comment by Blue Dog Friday, May 28, 21 @ 11:22 am
===There’s always a “but” with y’all. Always.===
and there is always no conversation or compromise with y’all.
Why are there not video cameras in all classrooms? surely that would be the easiest solution. Then everyone could see the behaviors and if the proper course was taken to settle it.
Comment by Lowki Friday, May 28, 21 @ 11:24 am
=== and there is always no conversation or compromise===
If you’re taking the side of Pro-Torture… what is there to talk about?
It’s a “lil” discussion…
Can’t be a lil pregnant… can’t be for a lil torture.
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, May 28, 21 @ 11:27 am
=.(edit)..if a student is uncontrollable and can’t be reasoned with, what do we expect teachers and staff to do?=
I’m all for passing the bill - the question is what’s next after ending a bad practice.
What is the best way forward for teachers to protect themselves, other students and especially the student going through the trauma and acting out.
The answer can’t be clearing a room a dozen times a day just as it can’t be locking a kid in a closet.
Comment by Cool Papa Bell Friday, May 28, 21 @ 11:28 am
Lowki. Well said.
Comment by Blue Dog Friday, May 28, 21 @ 11:29 am
=== and there is always no conversation or compromise===
Um, why do you think it’s taken this long to get a bill? Stop torturing kids or quit your job.
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, May 28, 21 @ 11:38 am
I’m in favor of the bill.
I do want to hear from strong supporters about what schools and teachers should do in “imminent danger” situations. It sounds like a lot of the incidents shared by others in the comments may meet your own standards, but it’s not clear what those are.
Comment by Watcher of the Skies Friday, May 28, 21 @ 11:45 am
=Why are there not video cameras in all classrooms?=
Go check out the school code and CBA’s. Do your own leg work.
=If you’re taking the side of Pro-Torture… what is there to talk about?=
Who is pro-torture? I know I am not.
Comment by JS Mill Friday, May 28, 21 @ 12:07 pm
I will try this again since my response to some of the attacks on me didn’t make it up to snuff.
=If you need to put a first grader in a deadly prone restraint 3 times - you are exactly the school the state needs to step in and stop.=
And therein lies the problem.
At least in our case the student was not put in a “deadly prone position”. They were not taken to the ground at all. Their arms were held at their side until they de-escalated. That took several minutes, if I was in my office I could look up the exact time in the incident documentation. It was less than five minutes iircc.
The state is welcome to come here any day, any time, no notice. Our staff is trained in CPI with the documentation to prove it. That is the process we apply, including de-escalation, clearing the classroom and students are not touched unless their safety or staff safety is threatened.
We will not stand by and allow a student to harm themselves even if it puts us at risk. I can’t help it if you will.
Comment by JS Mill Friday, May 28, 21 @ 12:20 pm
- JS Mill -
===Who is pro-torture? I know I am not.===
Exhibit A:
===Look, this is an emotionally charged topic, I get it. None of us here are in favor of torturing or abusing students. But if a student is uncontrollable and can’t be reasoned with…===
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, May 28, 21 @ 12:27 pm
==2,400 Illinois students were physically restrained or secluded more than 15,000 times this school year==
Nobody is going to tell me that in every single case that it was necessary. Schools are most certainly torturing students in some instances. I have no doubt in my mind. This sort of legislation wouldn’t be necessary if schools were not doing this so excessively.
Comment by Demoralized Friday, May 28, 21 @ 1:17 pm
=Exhibit A:=
I don’t offer any “but…” comments/. I was directly told to stop torturing kids. I am not and I don’t allow it and never have.
What I do for a living is a part of who I am as a person and not just a means to an end. When ignorant trolls like @kyle hillman make the asinine statements above, well you don’t have to wonder too long why we are having a hard time finding people to do this work.
With respect.
=You’d be wrong, find another line of work away from children.=
Tell my why you know this to be certain? Cite examples of inappropriate use of restraint and what types of restraint are being used in this persons district. Since you know.
Comment by JS Mill Friday, May 28, 21 @ 1:18 pm
OW, the question was “But if a student is uncontrollable and can’t be reasoned with, what do we expect teachers and staff to do?”
No one here is pro-torture.
Comment by Can Friday, May 28, 21 @ 1:18 pm
===No one here is pro-torture.===
You can’t be lil pregnant.
I stand by that.
===Look, this is an emotionally charged topic, I get it. None of us here are in favor of torturing or abusing students. But if a student is uncontrollable and can’t be reasoned with…===
… so torture is fine?
Huh.
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, May 28, 21 @ 1:21 pm
No, torture is not fine.
Comment by Can Friday, May 28, 21 @ 1:22 pm
==Two of every 10 students were in prekindergarten, kindergarten or first grade.==
If you can’t handle a kid this age without restraining them then you should quit your job.
Comment by Demoralized Friday, May 28, 21 @ 1:24 pm
Ya told me to “look”
I looked at your comment, your comment makes clear…
“But”
Why the “but”?
So… it can be a lil torture?
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, May 28, 21 @ 1:24 pm
No amount of torture is ok. I am seriously regretting typing the three letter word that begins with B, ends in a T, and has a U in the middle.
I just don’t know what teachers and staff are supposed to do with an out of control student.
I also have other things I need to do today, so I can’t monitor this thread all day. I wish you all peace and have a good holiday.
Comment by Can Friday, May 28, 21 @ 1:30 pm
If you’re defining what JS Mills described as torture…
==At least in our case the student was not put in a “deadly prone position”. They were not taken to the ground at all. Their arms were held at their side until they de-escalated. That took several minutes, if I was in my office I could look up the exact time in the incident documentation. It was less than five minutes iircc.==
…then we’re clearly at an impasse.
I think that’s a really unfair characterization even if you think physical restraint is never justified.
Comment by Watcher of the Skies Friday, May 28, 21 @ 1:39 pm
It is possible to restrain a child without torturing them. The goal is to safeguard the child and others with minimal force.
Comment by Last Bull Moose Friday, May 28, 21 @ 1:54 pm
I’m in the “stop torturing kids” camp. Feel like that’s the right place.
Comment by Anon E Moose Friday, May 28, 21 @ 1:54 pm
- Can -
It’s all good. Be well.
OW
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, May 28, 21 @ 2:12 pm
===if you think physical restraint is never justified.===
It’s justified to physically harm a child for obedience?
So… you can condone physical contact of a student.
There’s no ambiguity. Can’t have a “lil” physical contact either. It’s physical contact
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, May 28, 21 @ 2:15 pm
A reasonable scenario to pose to the group directly related to this topic:
One student initiates a physical fight against another student in a classroom. By definition, the student initiating the fight is a physical threat to others, as well as a disruption to the learning environment.
What is the proper way school leaders and/or teachers should handle this?
(Note well: I AM NOT implying forced physical restraint is the best/only answer. But these scenarios do occur in schools, and schools do need to be equipped with some logical, reasonable strategy to address such scenarios. This is why I pose this scenario.)
Comment by Zoomer Friday, May 28, 21 @ 2:42 pm
=== A reasonable scenario===
Apply your scenario to the bill being discussed.
That’s reasonable to this discussion
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, May 28, 21 @ 2:47 pm
**Apply your scenario to the bill being discussed.
That’s reasonable to this discussion**
OW, a fair request.
In my experience, in the posed scenario, individual staff members (and/or school police resource officers) trained specifically for such scenarios do use physical force to break up a fight. And yes, on occasions when tempers are high enough that the students involved are clearly showing signs of reengaging in a fight, again, **reasonable** forms of physical restraint are used.
I believe the scenario I posed is germane to this discussion and the bill being discussed, but if I’m off the mark, my apologies. Just trying to add potentially helpful context to consider..
Comment by Zoomer Friday, May 28, 21 @ 3:06 pm
Further, what’s missing in the data posed in the Tribune/Propublica article is specifically how physical restraint was applied to the students.
Comment by Zoomer Friday, May 28, 21 @ 3:12 pm
- Zoomer -
=== More than 60% of students whom schools physically restrained or placed in timeout were in kindergarten through fifth grade. Two of every 10 students were in prekindergarten, kindergarten or first grade. This is the first time ISBE has tracked the age of students affected by seclusion and restraint.===
For context.
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, May 28, 21 @ 3:14 pm
**For context.**
OW - Understood, completely. At the end of the day, we’re talking about children here - and the majority are young. Clearly there is a problem here, and again, I support this bill without condition in addressing this problem.
I just hope that there is clear guidance in the ultimate form of this legislation - should it become law - in defining under what conditions and using which techniques school staff can ensure the physical and psychological safety of all students/staff when one student is (A) clearly exhibiting a threat to themselves and/or others and/or (B) is a clear disruption to the learning environment. It does not have to be physical restraint. But provide something reasonable as an alternative given either of the above.
Comment by Zoomer Friday, May 28, 21 @ 3:29 pm
To OW….I respect and always look forward to your comments on state politics and from reading at this great blog know that you have a wealth of knowledge and insight far, far above the little I have. You are a master to me in this realm.
I on the other hand worked with special ed students, jr high to 22, who were autistic and behaviorally challenging for thirty years. I completely understand, and agree with, the comments from JS Mill. It appears to me he, like me, has encountered the child/teenager, who becomes so out of control everyone, including the student, can be in grave danger. In fact, often the student can be extremely self abusive. Like banging their head repeatedly against a desk as hard as they can. Now, if you think a raised voice saying “Please stop” will cool the situation you are deceived. I used CPI techniques to help calm students in extreme physical and emotional situations, incidents that could last for over an hour or more sometimes. Like JS Mills said, I had to have a classroom cleared numerous times due to a student causing harm to others as well as to self. I saw teachers get physically hurt by students. Bringing calm to an out of control situation takes learned skills derived by professionals. Torture is not in their minds nor in their vocabulary.
While I agree with your views that the child/student must be protected, your comments on this subject seem to me to veer toward a mighty righteous view that I believe should be slightly tempered. I feel confident to write that I am sure you have never encountered, nor attempted to deal with an extreme out of control non verbal, special education student. Please continue your support for students safety, but realize that in some cases measures that have been certified by professionals to work with out of control students are not torture.
Comment by product of the '60's Friday, May 28, 21 @ 3:37 pm
- Zoomer -
I guess I’m at a very planted position, to the intent of the bill and the “don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good”… and the student’s safety too
- product of the ’60’s -
You are far too kind to me and your thoughts to me. It’s unearned by me, so thank you for your words.
I read to you very thoughtful and even - JS Mill -‘s own thoughts to my response above to - Zoomer -
It has to stop. There can’t be “lil”… and this bill, my hope is that it passes, and I hope that not only it’s intent but what it hopes to stop, both are realized.
Your words here, I’m sure I’ll revisit often for *me* to also have a broader context.
Best to you both,
OW
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, May 28, 21 @ 3:48 pm
This particularly, - product of the ’60’s -;
=== Please continue your support for students safety, but realize that in some cases measures that have been certified by professionals to work with out of control students are not torture.===
As I also humbly hope you do not think me flippant, or one not a friend of education.
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, May 28, 21 @ 3:55 pm
I’m a Dem, a lib, and a school social worker. I’ve had to use CPI to restrain students. Always the last resort per our training. That said in my career, spanning 33 years, restraint done properly helps children regain their composure and it can be done safely. I have seen staff violently injured in my time and I am proud to say I have never seen a student hurt. Most people have no idea what today’s classrooms are like and placed in our shoes they rarely produce any solution. I have seen classrooms torn apart, teachers threatened, whole classrooms emptied to deal with one student, and have had teachers quit on the spot saying “ I can’t do this”. These were caring and dedicated professionals. Walk a mile in our shoes folks before you attack teachers as cruel, arbitrary, or uncaring. Sorry for the rant but we are losing staff at a rate that I have never seen before.
Comment by Stormsw7706 Friday, May 28, 21 @ 4:00 pm
- DD -
Are you against the bill?
Thanks.
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, May 28, 21 @ 5:05 pm
OW,
Confession first: I’m in LE and view these bills through that lens. I am not “against the bill” but I have seen first hand the struggles teachers face and believe that a blanket “no restraint” law, with no viable alternatives, is not the answer.
Have a nice weekend.
Comment by DD Friday, May 28, 21 @ 5:13 pm
===…believe that a blanket “no restraint” law, with no viable alternatives, is not the answer.===
You’re against the bill.
Same to you, be well.
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, May 28, 21 @ 5:17 pm
- through that lens -
The “unarmed children are a horrific threat to my well being so physical force is justified” lens? Sounds about right for a cop.
Comment by Excitable Boy Friday, May 28, 21 @ 7:28 pm
Excitable Boy
Your name fits.
Comment by DD Friday, May 28, 21 @ 7:54 pm
OW - you are incorrect about the bill. The is not a “no restraint” law.
It does leave room for restraint as a last resort. It bans certain types of restraint.
Section 34-18.20(c)
https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=&SessionId=110&GA=102&DocTypeId=SB&DocNum=2296&GAID=16&LegID=134950&SpecSess=&Session=
Comment by Watcher of the Skies Friday, May 28, 21 @ 8:52 pm
=== It does leave room for restraint as a last resort. It bans certain types of restraint.===
Is that not a good thing?
I stated how I felt about the bill, can I not feel that enough is enough too?
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, May 28, 21 @ 9:19 pm
- Your name fits. -
Awesome comeback officer.
Comment by Excitable Boy Friday, May 28, 21 @ 10:56 pm