Today's Question Blog

What’s the best way to handle behavior problems in kindergarten?

The Minneapolis Public Schools have stopped suspending the youngest students for all but the most serious disciplinary reasons. The moratorium, ordered by Superintendent Bernadeia Johnson, covers students in the first grade and below.

bernadeia-johnson_33
Superintendent Bernadeia Johnson, Minneapolis Public Schools. (MPR photo/Tom Weber)

The school district had come under criticism for a record of suspensions that disproportionately affected children of color and children with mental-health difficulties.

According to figures reported by the Star Tribune, suspensions of children kindergarten through the fourth grade had jumped in the last year, in contrast with declining suspensions among older students.

"For some of our youngest scholars, this is their first time in a structured learning environment," Johnson said. "Understanding and navigating the new rules and environment simply takes longer for some students than for others."

Today’s question: What’s the best way to handle behavior problems in kindergarten?