Senators call for stronger rules on off-the-books suspension

By ANNIE MA
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth are urging the Education Department to strengthen regulations against excluding kids from class because of behaviors related to a disability — a practice known as informal removal. Since the pandemic began, parents of kids with disabilities say the practice is on the rise, denying their kids their legal right to an education. In a report Tuesday, The Associated Press and The Hechinger Report documented the impact of these informal removals on children and families. In interviews with 20 families in 10 states, parents said they were called repeatedly to pick up their children. Some said they left work so frequently they lost their jobs.