MINNEAPOLIS — There's a troubling trend nationwide, more preschoolers are getting expelled and suspended.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says the rate is three times more for preschoolers than children in K-through-12, and educators are sounding the alarm.
At a community briefing Thursday hosted by St. David's Center, Doctor Tim Zeng with the Institute for Early Education Leadership and Innovation in Boston presented his research. Among other observations, Zeng found that 49% of pre-school teachers said they suspended a child in the past year.
Black children account for almost 50% of public preschool suspensions but less than one-fifth of all preschoolers. Children with disabilities are also more likely to be suspended, and boys are expelled 4.5 times more than girls.
"The children have to learn about problem solving skills in the classroom setting, instead of just sending them home," Zeng said.
Grace Neighborhood Nursery School in Uptown aims to be part of the solution in turning the page on expulsion and suspension rates. The preschool's executive director, Barb Murphy, says these early developmental years are foundational for lifelong success, and the school takes an individualized approach with each student.
"They are living in the real world, and we have to understand their world, so that we can tailor our strategies to meet them where they are," Murphy said. "We want every child to leave here to say, I like school and I know how to do school."
Murphy says in the 10 years she has been at Grace Neighborhood, they have never expelled a child. She believes a big reason for their success is because class sizes are small, and they have the staff to be able to give students the one on one time they may need. Unfortunately, this is a luxury not all preschools have.