Tuesday, October 31, 2023

School board candidates answer: Do they support isolating kids?


The Arc is working to end isolation* and limit restraint in schools, so we asked local school board candidates in King County about the issue.

  • Are they worried about use of isolation and restraint in their school district?
  • Do they support ending isolation, chemical restraint, prone (floor) restraint, and supine (wall) restraint?
  • Do they want to invest in training for alternatives to restraint and isolation?  
  • And, what should voters know about their commitment to keeping everyone, including students with disabilities, safe in school? 

We shared this background information to educate them about the issue.

We heard back from 14 candidates in Auburn, Federal Way, Highline, Kent, Lake Washington, Northshore, Seattle, and Tahoma school districts. 

  • Most (11) were worried about use of isolation and restraints in their school district.
  • Most (12) supported ending the practices; 1 did not want to end isolation and certain types of restraint; another wasn't sure
  • Several cited work underway in their school district to implement trauma-informed and therapeutic alternatives. Several also cited personal experience with the practices and its impact on them or a loved one.
  • All supported investing in training on alternatives to restraint and isolation

We link to the responses, below. Candidates are organized by school district, which listed alphabetically. The Arc of King County does not endorse candidates. We asked about restraint and isolation and are sharing responses to educate candidates about the practices and to help voters assess what candidates knew or thought about the practices.

*Nationally, the practice is often referred to as seclusion. Washington state uses the term isolation.


Auburn School District

Auburn School District, No. 1

Sheila McLaughlin

McLaughlin questionnaire 

McLaughlin supports ending isolation and certain types of restraint.
“I believe in the work we are doing in the Auburn School District to include students with disabilities in general ed classrooms and what we are doing to prevent the needs for restraints in our classrooms.  More work always need done, but we are doing good work here in Auburn.”


Auburn School District, No. 2

Arlista Holman

No questionnaire response

 

Auburn School District, No. 3

Valerie Gonzales

Gonzalez questionnaire

Gonzalez supports ending isolation and certain types of restraint.
“The Auburn school district board directors approved the adoption of a new training program called "Safety cares." This program is a way to train staff how to safely manage difficult behaviors by use of prevention and de-escalation techniques and how to avoid the use of any form of restraints or any form of isolation when encountering such situations involving students presenting with physically escalating behaviors. I believe if relationships are built, and staff are properly trained, the use of any type of restraint would become very rare to non-existent in any district. There may be special situations to prevent harm to another person, the child, or staff. Those cases would be seen only on rare occasions and other plans should be proven to have been properly used as ineffective interventions and me ones put in place."

Dirk Dearinger

No questionnaire response

 

Auburn School District, No.  4

Laura Theimer

Bellevue School District

No responses


Enumclaw School District

No responses


Federal Way School District

Federal Way School District, No. 2

Jennifer Jones

No questionnaire response

 

Daniel Kukhar

No questionnaire response

 

Federal Way School District, No. 3

Luckisha Phillips

No questionnaire response

 

Christopher Dowllar

No questionnaire response

 

Federal Way School District, No. 5

Gavin Downing

No questionnaire response

 

Joan Marie Murphy

Murphy questionnaire response

Murphy does not support ending isolation and certain types of restraint.
"I have taught in Federal Way School District as a special ed teacher ancertain types of restraint.d have been trained and used de-escalation methods.  I found that asking the kiddo: "Hey, what's going on?" gives them a chance to verbalize , and moves them out of their emotive state."


Highline School District

Highline School District No. 401, Director District No. 1

Stephanie Tidholm

No questionnaire response

 

Michael T. Lewis

No questionnaire response

Highline School District No. 401, Director District No. 4

Melissa Petrini

No questionnaire response

 

Carlos M. Ruiz

No questionnaire response

Highline School District No. 401, Director District No. 4

Azeb Hagos

Hagos questionnaire response

Hagos supports ending isolation and certain types of restraint.
She did not comment on what voters should know about her commitment to keeping everyone safe in school.

 

Issaquah School District

No responses


Kent School District

Kent School District No. 415, Director District No. 1

Andy Song

No questionnaire response


Kent School District No. 415, Director District No. 2

Andy Carter

No questionnaire response

 

Meghin Margel

No questionnaire response


Kent School District No. 415, Director District No. 3

Leslie Kae Hamada

No questionnaire response

 

Donald Cook

Cook questionnaire response

Cook is not sure if he supports ending isolation and certain types of restraint.
“I believe in providing a safe space for all students and staff in every school. The reason I chose "Not sure" for my response is due to experiences relayed to me from classroom teachers in our district. I do not wish for any student to be restrained at any time, but I also understand the extreme difficulty in handling a violent student in the moment. My goal is to make these types of options unnecessary by providing an appropriate amount of trained professionals who can handle a situation that currently might require these types of options due to the lack of trained staff. If our state legislators will commit to providing funding at appropriate levels to end these practices, I fully support the changes required in our schools to make that happen.”


Lake Washington School District

Lake Washington School District No. 414, Director District No. 1

Eric Laliberte

No questionnaire response


Andy Market

No questionnaire response

 

Lake Washington School District No. 414, Director District No. 2

Lisa Guthire

No questionnaire response


Lake Washington School District No. 414, Director District No. 5

Lindsey Yocum

Yocum questionnaire response

Yocum supports ending isolation and certain types of restraint.
“I am fully committed to ensuring that ALL students are able to learn in safe environments. Our district has policies in place to deal with reports of restraint and isolation, but I also know that laws established by Washington State will benefit all students in our state. As a teacher, I've witnessed restraint and isolation being used against marginalized students. As a mom to an IDD child who is minimally verbal, this is something that truly worries me and is always on my mind. Our state and district need additional training for staff, better evaluations of our learning environments for all students, and a need for less punitive measures.”

 

Janel Schermerhorn

Schermerhorn questionnaire response

Schermerhorn supports ending isolation and certain types of restraint.
“Often when people take inappropriate actions, it's the result of inadequate resources, training or education. Appropriate management of student actions is one of the many components of inclusive education that need to be reviewed in partnership with stakeholders to ensure that the classroom environment, teacher training, and allocated resources set students and teachers up for success.”

 

Mercer Island School District

No responses


Northshore School District

Northshore School District No. 417, Director District No. 2

Elisabeth Sotak

Sotak questionnaire response

Sotak supports ending isolation and certain types of restraint.
I am committed to creating policies which require training around behavior management, alternatives to removing children from their least restrictive environment and reassessing what gaps in skills educators have where they feel the need to touch or inhibit a child in ways that do not support a child's social emotional and physical well being. Behavior is communication and what tools do we need as adults to understand and support skill building for our children who need support and understanding and a plan to keep them safe the most? Those children who are impulsive, who have trauma, whose behavior doesn't fit neatly into the expectations of neurotypical society. Children often communicate in difficult ways, it is the adult caring for and teaching the child to figure out how to unlock that child's potential and give them skills to get their needs met safely and without restraint."

Northshore School District No. 417, Director District No. 3

Han Tran 

No questionnaire response

 

Myriam Juritz

Juritz questionnaire response

Juritz supports ending isolation and certain types of restraint.
“This is a difficult area overall. I believe the law is a big step in the right direction. I am committed to do what is best for our students and families, so I have reached out to families to understand their point of view. Some parents have acknowledged that their "daughter has been isolated a few times, the biggest time was for the right reasons. This was to avoid injury for herself and to the para, and to keep her from running off the campus (which she would have done).” I am committed to appropriate professional development. As mentioned before, parents have shared that “[they] have witnessed the isolation of a student by a large group of teachers. This child was restrained when he should not have been. Had the paras and teacher known how to work within the scope of his disability, the restraint would not have been required." I am committed to transparency. Again, as a follow up from the previous conversation, it was shared with me that “even more startling was that the school did not report the isolation. [This parent] told the mother [she is friends with her]. She then did not get a report from the school even when asked. She had to get legal involved in order to get the reports."


Renton School District

No responses

 

Riverview School District

No responses

 

Seattle School District

Seattle School District No. 1, Director District No. 1

Liza Rankin

Rankin questionnaire response

Rankin supports ending isolation and certain types of restraint.
"In my first term on the Seattle School Board, I have demonstrated my commitment to student safety through leading on gun violence prevention efforts, advocacy for increased support for student mental health, and I lead the changes in SPS policy to eliminate isolation and limit restraint. I have also worked with advocates from across the state to reduce isolation and restraint in all school districts, and have been endorsed by Guy Stephens, founder and Executive Director of Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint who says, ‘Liza is committed to reducing and eliminating restraint and seclusion and creating safer and more inclusive schools for all children, teachers, and staff.’

 

Debbie Carlsen

Carlsen questionnaire response

Carlsen supports ending isolation and certain types of restraint.
“I am committed to advocating for policies like eradicating restraint and isolation and other policies that support student safety. I support educators to be trained in Universal Design to help prevent disruptive behaviors in the classroom. To learn more about my commitment to safety, especially for students with disabilities please go to my Disability Justice page https://debbie4seattleschools.org/disability-justice...”

 

Seattle School District No. 1, Director District No. 2

Christina Posten

No questionnaire response


Lisa Rivera Smith

Rivera Smith questionnaire response

Rivera Smith supports ending isolation and certain types of restraint.
"As the parent of a student with an IEP, I know the fear that students like mine will not receive an educational experience on par with their non-disabled peers. So we need to be intentional about making our schools safe and welcoming for those throughout the beautiful spectrum of abilities found in our student body. I agree with the Crisis Response Workgroup’s recommendation to eliminate isolation and chemical restraint; improve access to student supports; increase training in de-escalation practices, and improve incident reporting."

Seattle School District No. 1, Director District No. 3

Evan Briggs
Briggs questionnaire response

Briggs supports ending isolation and certain types of restraint.
“I adamantly oppose the use of isolation and restraint on students and recognize that these methods can cause lasting trauma, especially to children already experiencing marginalization within our school district. If elected I pledge to uphold and enforce the policies recently put in place by the current board to end the practice of isolation and restraint in schools.”

 

Ben Gitenstein

No questionnaire response

 

Seattle School District No. 1, Director District No. 6

Gina Topp

No questionnaire response


Maryanne Wood

No questionnaire response

 

Shoreline School District

No responses

 

Skykomish School District

No responses

 

Snoqualimie School District

No responses

 

Tahoma School District

Tahoma School District No. 409, Director District No. 2

Michael Wiggins

No questionnaire response

 

Tahoma School District No. 409, Director District No. 3

Malia Hollowell

No questionnaire response


Stephen “Dutch” Deutschman

No questionnaire response


Tahoma School District No. 409, Director District No. 4

Pete Miller

Miller questionnaire response

Miller supports ending isolation and certain types of restraint.
"My daughter is on the autism spectrum, and in her first few years of school, she had some severe sensory sensitivity and behavioral outbursts. This led to faculty needing to redirect her, mostly using positive alternatives, but sometimes using restraint. I have first-hand experience with this issue. I am proud to say that our school district has taken steps to remove restraint from our system and I
will continue to advocate for that."


Vincent Powell

No questionnaire response


Tukwila School District

No responses

 

Vashon Island School District

No responses

 

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