Keep seclusion rooms in schools

I am writing in response to The Gazette's inflammatory Dec. 2 editorial, 'End use of seclusion rooms.”

I have been associated with elementary education in Iowa for 45 years. The purpose of these rooms is for the safety of the disruptive student, other students and staff, not 'to punish children for not tracing in pencil and for stepping outside of the lines.” I am concerned about the teachers who have required stitches, received broken bones or have required surgery as a result of the behavior of disruptive students. I am concerned about the thousands of dollars of damage that is done to the classrooms because of disruptive students and the school district pays for these repairs which ultimately means the tax payer pays the bill. I am concerned about the other students learning when they must leave the classroom to another location in the building when a disruptive student will not leave the classroom. Teachers are not mental health professionals. Their job is to give students a quality education. Placement of disruptive students needs to be addressed so all students are afforded a quality education. Please present all sides accurately in your editorials.

Linda Daly

Cedar Rapids