Informal Removals: The System Strikes Back
A recent article brings light to increasingly disturbing trend in American K-12 schools, “informal removals.” “Informal removals” refer to instances where a school day is shortened or cut short for a student with a disability in order to address behavioural issues. This could involve sending the student home early from school or calling parents to collect them part way through the day. These removals are described as “informal” because they bypass the formal disciplinary procedures and legal protections outlined under education laws for students with disabilities. Schools may use informal removals as a way to deal with “disruptive behaviour” without having to record it as a suspension or expulsion. However, disability advocates argue this approach means the removals happen “off the books” and allows schools to frequently remove students without reviewing whether the behaviour relates to their disability or providing continued educational services, as legally required.
Off the books = a lack of accountability for schools
It is difficult to ascertain exactly how often “informal removals” are utilised in schools, as by their very nature they happen “off the books” and go unrecorded in formal discipline data. However, disability rights groups estimate these shortened or cut-short school days occur fairly extensively each year. As noted in the article, the National Disability Rights Network suggests “informal removals occur ‘hundreds and perhaps thousands of times per year.’” Their report also states that “repeated and shortened school days” was highlighted as “one of their most common areas of focus concerning school discipline” by the Protection and Advocacy Systems that legally advocate for students with disabilities. Without proper tracking it is impossible to fully grasp the scale, but disability organisations fear “informal removals” could be taking place numerous times annually across American schools whilst evading disciplines protections and remaining unseen in school records. More transparency and formal recording of all removals is likely required to reveal whether these “under-the-radar” informal removals present a substantial issue.
The impact on families
Recent guidance updates seem to be in part responding to issues raised in 2023 blog posts by a senior Department of Education official, Valerie Williams. In one such post, Williams highlighted the difficulties unpredictable informal removals can create for families. She shared how some parents have been suddenly called out of work to come and collect their child from school partway through the day in order to calm them down. These short-notice removals can significantly disrupt work and family routines. Advocacy groups emphasise this is especially challenging for families of autistic students, for whom consistency, routine and predictability are paramount. Sudden changes inherent with informal removals can severely distress autistic students, which may further exacerbate behaviours schools are attempting to address. Unforeseen shortened school days also reduce vital learning time and opportunities for students to develop appropriate skills. Overall, the unpredictable nature of informal removals risks negatively impacting students, families, and school communities.