wbir.com

As students across East Tennessee wrap up the school year, many families of students with disabilities are meeting with educators to discuss how to support their children moving forward. However, a recent report from the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office of Research and Educational Accountability (OREA) highlights that not all removals of students from classrooms are being documented, raising questions about how these students are being supported. These instances, known as “informal removals,” happen when students with disabilities are sent home during the school day due to behavioral issues, but the removal is not recorded as a suspension or expulsion. Without documentation, families miss key protections under special education law. “It was both concerning because we were removing these kids from the learning environment,” said Jeff Strand, a former special education teacher. “But also I watched as it didn’t accomplish anything. It removed the child, it didn’t solve any problems and we just kicked the can down the line and that’s not how you help these kids be successful.”