FOOD FOR THOUGHT

1. If a parent has a seclusion room, a Rifton chair, a body belt, or an electroshock apparatus in their home to use on his or her child when he or she "misbehaves", the parent is reported for neglect and abuse or arrested. When school personnel uses the same modes of behavioral intervention,neglect & abuse charges are rarely lodged and arrest of school personnel are rarely made.

2. Where does mandatory reporting begin and where does it end?
Agencies will quickly tell a parent that they are mandatory reporters if a parent removes their child from a school program, due to abuse, but agencies will rarely say "we are mandatory reporters and will report you...." when school personnel are involved.

3. If a seclusion room, body belt, rifton chair, or any other apparatus is portrayed as a positive behavioral intervention, then why is a seclusion room subtly called a "Quiet Room"?, why are seclusion rooms dismantled when parents find out that the room exist?, why does the name of the Rifton chair change to a "Therapeutic Device" used to introduce tabletop activities, used for feeding, and used for positioning when the child never had issues with feeding or positioning?

4. When is a child a harm to him or herself or to others?
For example, a child with autism walks out of the classroom, the teacher immediately places the student on the ground and restrains him or her for walking out of the class, who is the harm to others?

550 DAYS OUT OF SCHOOL BECAUSE PARENTS REFUSED TO RESTRAIN THEIR SON WHO IS DIAGNOSED WITH AUTISM ON SCHOOL VAN IN DARTMOUTH, MA.

CHILD WITH AUTISM AND SIBLINGS THROWN OUT OF DART MOUTH PUBLIC SCHOOL AFTER PARENTS REFUSED TO ALLOW THE DISTRICT TO RESTRAIN THEIR SON ON SCHOOL VAN AND ENDED WITH THE SUPERINTENDANT OF DARTMOUTH PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAVING PARENTS ARRESTED ON FALSE CHARGES

Three children remain out of school after U.S. District Court Judge Rya Zorbel in Boston denied the parents petition to assist them in getting their children back into school. The Dartmouth Public School's Special education director, Linda Maniglia, approved Arizona Jacobowitz's placement at South Coast Educational Collaborative-The Hoyle School in Swansea from Dartmouth, but refused to place an experienced aide on the school van that was familiar with children diagnosed with autism, although in the IEP. Maniglia refused to transport Arizona from Dartmouth to Swansea unless the parents agreed to restrain Arizona to his seat on the van. The parents refused to allow the van driver to restrain Arizona and appealed to the Bureau of Special Education Appeals (BSEA) who ruled that the Dartmouth Public School District did not have to provide transportation or an experienced aide, regardless of the IEP, they could restrain Arizona. Dartmouth Superintendant, Stephen Russell, had the three children removed from the custody of the parents and had the parents arrested on false charges. The parents were told by Dartmouth officials that their children cost too much money to educate. It is now a major question of how three children could remain out of school more than 550 days without school officials acting, why the U.S. District Court in Boston did not assist the children safe return back to school, and who will guarantee a safe educational environment when the children return to school? The Bureau of Special Education Appeals (BSEA), the Department of Children and Families, the Office of Civil Rights in Boston, the Child Advocate's Office in Boston, the United States District Court in Boston, and other state agencies in Massachusetts refused to assist the children in obtaining a safe and appropriate education. The children relocated to Rhode Island and their parents are awaiting a meeting with Education Commissioner Deborah A. Gist. When school officials decide to restrain a child rather than teach the child, or decide which student will attend school or not, what are the parent's realistic options?

For full story, see the stories page.

EDUCATION COMMISSIONER DEBORAH A. GIST CLEANS HOUSE IN RHODE ISLAND

Drastic changes in Rhode Island School system leads to mass firing of 93 teachers and staff in Central Falls, after only 7 % of 11th graders were found proficient in math, 33 % of the high school students were proficient in writing, and 55% proficient in reading. Education commissioner Deborah A. Gist ordered Central Falls superintendant Frances Gallo to choose from 4 reform options, one was the mass firing. A few weeks ago, Gist stated, "To me, our goal is to ensure we have excellent schools for every child...it's all about quality."

President Barack Obama mentioned the firings in national address on education and sited Central Falls as an example of the need for accountability. President Obama stated, "[I]f a school continues to fail its' students year after year, after year, if it doesn't show any sign of improvement, then there's got to be a sense of accountability."

As Education Commissioner Gist leads the nation with her aggressive reform plan for Rhode Island, Senator George Miller (D-CA) , Senator Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA.), and Senator Chris Dodd leads the nation to provide SAFE schools for ALL children- schools without the unnecessay use of restraints, seclusion, and other abuses. Accountability will be key in the introduction of H.R.4247 "The Preventing Harmful Restraint and Seclusion in Schools Act."