Eagle Point SD 9 introduces Ukeru behavioral support training for special‑education staff

At a 2025 work session of the Eagle Point School District 9 board, district staff described a new behavioral support program—referred to in the meeting transcript as “Kakeru” and variously spelled—that trainers introduced to reduce staff and student injuries in special‑education classrooms. Missus Sullivan, a district special‑education staff member and one of two district trainers, told the board the program is a trauma‑informed, nationally certified, non‑restraint approach and that staff began using the techniques April 28.

The district said the program uses medical‑grade pads with handles that can be displayed in classrooms and used for de‑escalation, sensory replacement and protective buffering between students. “It’s actually a Japanese word, and it means to accept,” Sullivan said, adding the program’s philosophy…