Iowa City, IA: Restraint/seclusion and "increasing special education needs"

Sept 8, 2017, Iowa City Press-Citizen: Hemingway: Iowa City school bond does not address technical, special education http://www.press-citizen.com/story/opinion/contributors/guest-editorials/2017/09/08/hemingway-iowa-city-school-bond-does-not-address-technical-special-education/644320001/ I am deeply concerned about our special education program in the past five years. Due to serious violations of law, the Iowa State Department of Education intervened in 2016. They will continue to oversee our special education program for two more years due to past deficiencies. The racial disproportionality we have in the use of seclusion rates is alarming. The need for proper facilities to handle growing special education needs are not specifically addressed in the general obligation bond language despite increasing special education needs. The absence of a specified commitment in bond language to special education facility needs, such as conversion of seclusion rooms to calming rooms, shows a lack of concern for our present and future special education students. Let’s plan for it, let’s budget for it, let’s bond for it, let’s build it. "So let it be written, so let it be done."