The room at McAuliffe was created in December 2022 using a former psychologist's office Two McAuliffe employees — one holding each arm — would escort a student to the room, said former principal Kurt Dennis
McAuliffe International School Principal Kurt Dennis
Dennis said the students weren’t alone because administrators, including himself, watched through a window in the closed door. But that still violates DPS’s policy around “monitored seclusion,” which requires at least one adult to be in a closed room with students, district officials said Tuesday.
DPS officials on Tuesday could not provide The Post with a tally of how many schools in the district have de-escalation rooms. Officials said, in a statement, that setting up such facilities “are building-based leader decisions and that information is unique to each school.” “We had decided it was best if we just did a rotation system,” he said, adding that the system involved having a staff member hold the door closed.Either a school psychologist or social worker was present when the room was used and would enter the room once a child was calm and talk to the student, Dennis said. Then the student could return to the classroom, he said.
Her son has been in the room with the door closed and everyone — including his mother — watches him from the window, she said. “The two students I knew really well and had good relationships with the kids, so I think it was important I’d be present,” Dennis said. DPS policy allows for “monitored seclusion,” where a student is locked in a room but they are not left alone. Ideally, at least two school employees are with the student, but at least one is required to be with the child at all times, according to district policy.
The costs of building de-escalation rooms fall on the schools, rather than the district, and because Dennis hadn’t anticipated needing the space before, the former principal hadn’t set aside money for its creation, he said.Board members have shared photos of the room that showed locks on the windows and outside of the door, which would prevent anyone inside from leaving.
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