When to use it

The law gives you a strong tool. Teachers who use it well save it for the situations it was written for.

When it fits

• One student keeps the whole class from learning, and the usual steps haven't changed it: redirection, seat changes, calls home, office referrals.
• A serious incident aimed at a person: the student was abusive toward you, another adult, or a classmate.
• Bullying that you saw or that was reported to you.
• Office referrals send the student straight back, and nothing changes.

When something else comes first

• An emergency. If anyone is in danger, follow your campus safety procedures now. The paperwork can wait an hour.
• One rough day from a student who is usually fine. A call home or an office referral may be enough.
• A student who may have an unidentified disability. Ask your campus about a special education evaluation. You can still remove, but the evaluation request is its own step.
• A class discussion of a controversial topic. A removal should rest on conduct, never on a student's views.

What a removal does

• Takes the student out of your class until a conference is held.
• Puts the placement decision on the principal, where the law puts it.
• Gives you the say in whether the student comes back.
• Creates a record, and a record is what moves a school toward a real plan for a student.

What it doesn't do

• It doesn't expel the student or remove them from school.
• It doesn't let you choose where the student goes.
• It doesn't guarantee the student stays out if the law's conditions for a return are met.

Check your situation with a few quick questions.