By: Danita Munday

Danita Munday — Wed, 29 May 2024 21:09:47 +0000

And when they hide removals of students with disabilities (constructive suspensions) they circumvent IDEA protections and falsify school records. Calling a disciplinary removal “administrative excusal, cooling off period, dismissal to parent care” is a practiced lie.

By: Martha Heineman Pieper, Ph.D.

Martha Heineman Pieper, Ph.D. — Wed, 29 May 2024 19:47:58 +0000

One reason why so many preschool and kindergarten children are being expelled is that the expectations of them are not age appropriate. For example, it is not age-appropriate to expect preschoolers to share, to wait patiently, to sit quietly in groups, to learn subjects through worksheets and mandated exercises, or to be silent during transitions. Many preschoolers who are diagnosed with mental illness and, even, expelled from preschools would perform within a normal range if they weren’t burdened by age-inappropriate requirements. For example, children who have an age-appropriate difficulty conforming to rules about sitting quietly, doing worksheets, and waiting, often receive a diagnosis of hyperactivity when what they really need is a more suitable classroom culture.
For a manual that describes age-appropriate behavior for young children and offers over 270 examples from an actual preschool and kindergarten, see The Happiest Preschool: A Manual for Teachers.

Comments on: Suspended for ‘other’: When states don’t share why kids are being kicked out of school

By: Danita Munday

By: Martha Heineman Pieper, Ph.D.