Urban Teachers policies adhere to principles of building equitable and respectful classroom communities in which invasive physical and emotional behavioral interventions do not belong. However, should Urban Teachers participants be required by their clinical sites to engage in physical restraints in strict accordance with the district- and state-mandated policies, they should never restrain children without: 1) following crisis prevention intervention protocols and all other required training which demands prior attempts of verbal de-escalation, 2) the presence of imminent danger to self and others, and 3) knowledge of formal documentation outlining specific physical restraining protocols for each individual child as justified by professional expertise (e.g., school or clinical psychologist, IEP team etc.), health considerations, and explicit written parental permission. Any violation of this requirement will render a participant subject to disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal from the Urban Teachers program.
Our special education coursework does not address this topic beyond an "Urban Teachers participants do not restrain children" statement. The Urban Teachers and the Johns Hopkins master’s program that covers general special education EC-12 coursework and related teaching credential areas does not prepare individuals for the restraint of a child, as indicated in an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), without further specific, state-mandated training.
Nevertheless, everyone who works with children is a mandated reporter. Urban Teachers participants are ALL mandated reporters, as are our Urban Teachers coaches and other staff who enter school buildings regularly.
Further, we recommend that participants become familiar with additional resources regarding the issues of child physical and sexual abuse, time out/seclusion, positive behavior support (PBS), and child protection and advocacy at: http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/abuse.index.htm
RESIDENTS AND FELLOWS IN BALTIMORE CITY should refer to the Baltimore City Special Education Compliance Manual for official language from Baltimore City Regarding parental notification procedures should a student with a disability need to be removed from his/her current placement due to a violation of a code of student conduct, as described in COMAR 13A.08.04.04.
RESIDENTS AND FELLOWS IN WASHINGTON, DC should refer to the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) for District of Columbia municipal regulations regarding the prohibition of mechanical restraints for any DC student. These regulations are set forth in Section 5-A2817 and apply to all DC Special Education programs funded by OSSE.
RESIDENTS AND FELLOWS IN DALLAS/FORT WORTH, TX should refer to the Texas Education Agency website regarding Discipline and School Removal for official policy regarding school removals, time-out and restraint, and discipline policies in Texas Administrative Code §89.1053 and Texas education Code §37.0021.
RESIDENTS AND FELLOWS IN PHILADELPHIA, PA should refer to Pennsylvania Department of Educations (PDE) website regarding the use of restraints policies set forth in PA code 22 Pa. Code § 14.133, 22 Pa. Code § 711.46, and 22 Pa. Code § 10.25.
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