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On 11/02/16, Lisa wrote:
> Yes, I do teach a special. I was wondering, can a regular
> ed teacher, legally, hold a student from my class as a
> punishment or to do make-up work?

Each state has different laws, and it probably also depends
on what the special is - there may be laws about
participation in your subject area, number of hours per
week and so on. But it will be difficult for you to get a
clear "yes" or "no" answer on a chatboard that includes so
many different states/regions.
Legal or not it doesn't sound like a very good choice of
"punishment" or consequence to use regularly. Have you
talked to the teacher? There may be a reason for doing it
that way that you don't know of (which may or may not be
considered a "good reason"). The teacher may also be
unaware of your concerns if you have not talked to him/her.
It's even possible that the teacher thinks he/she is doing
you a favor by not sending you a student who has been
misbehaving. I would start with that conversation and work
towards something you both find acceptable. If that doesn't
work or it has already been tried, ask your admin about the
laws or school policy. (You might want to ask in any case,
for your own future info, even if you resolve this
particular issue with the teacher on your own.)

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