Trump Administration's Proposal Could Make It Easier to Suspend or Expel Head Start Students
The proposal would end federal limits on suspensions and expulsions, and a recent analysis found only 14 states and Washington, D.C., match Head Start rules.
- The Trump administration proposed a rule change for the 61-year-old Head Start program that would eliminate federal discipline guidelines, allowing states to establish their own policies. The public may submit comments through Tuesday, October 6.
- Currently, federal regulations ban expulsion within Head Start, which serves nearly 700,000 predominantly low-income children. Temporary suspensions are limited to extreme circumstances, requiring programs to first attempt interventions like home visits or mental health consultations.
- If the proposal takes effect, 70% of states would be left with fewer guardrails, as only 14 states and Washington, D.C. have policies aligning with Head Start's strict exclusionary discipline standards, according to Children's Equity Project researchers.
- Washington State Association of Head Start executive director Joel Ryan warned that if rejection becomes permissible, "I think a lot of teachers would, because they're just feeling so much strain," amid fears of increased exclusions.
- Walter Gilliam, executive director of the Buffett Early Childhood Institute at the University of Nebraska, warned that excluded preschoolers "don't just magically vanish or magically get cured." They are passed between programs, harming children and providers alike.
19 Articles
19 Articles
Trump Plan Would Remove Federal Limits on Expelling Head Start Children
Washington, DC — The Trump administration is proposing to eliminate federal restrictions that sharply limit suspensions and prohibit expulsions in Head Start, potentially leaving hundreds of thousands of low-income preschool children subject to widely varying state discipline rules. Head Start currently requires programs to use interventions such as mental-health consultation, parent engagement and individualized support before excluding a child…
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PressNewsAgencyTrump administration’s proposal could make it easier to suspend or expel Head Start students
It was sometime around Xavier Rogers’ second birthday that his mom and Early Head Start teachers noticed a shift in his demeanor. Xavier, usually a happy baby, now mostly wanted to play alone and would sometimes bite and hit other kids in his class. Instead of removing Xavier from his class, his Chicago-area preschool gave...
Trump administration’s proposal could make it easier to suspend or expel Head Start students – WTOP News
It was sometime around Xavier Rogers’ second birthday that his mom and Early Head Start teachers noticed a shift in his demeanor. Xavier, usually a happy baby, now mostly wanted to play alone and would sometimes bite and hit other kids in his class. Instead of removing Xavier from his class, his Chicago-area preschool gave...
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