FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, April 14, 2026
Contact: Lindsay Wagner, Education Law Center-PA, 215-701-4264, [email protected]
(Apr. 14, 2026) — A new report from the Education Law Center-PA (ELC-PA) and parent advocates reveals that preschool pushout – which includes suspension, expulsion, and informal methods of exclusion – is harming Pennsylvania’s youngest learners, particularly Black and Brown children and children with disabilities.
Drawing on family testimonies, the report, Ending Preschool Pushout in Pennsylvania: Parent Testimonies and a Path Forward, documents how systemic racism and ableism impact early learning environments and lead to the exclusion of children as young as 2 and 3 years old.
“Preschool pushout is not about children failing to meet expectations – it’s about systems failing to meet children’s needs and violating their rights,” said attorney Rose Wehrman, an Equal Justice Works Fellow at ELC-PA, who represented families featured in the report. “When very young children are pushed out of early learning settings, it is a clear signal that programs lack the investment, resources, and accountability to support all children. Pennsylvania’s decision-makers must act now to end preschool pushout so every child can grow, learn, and belong.”
Marge, parent of Hank, age 4, who tells their family’s story in the report, describes her son Hank as “one of the sweetest, brightest, and most loving little boys you could ever meet.”
“The impact on my son has been devastating,” said Marge, “He experienced regression, emotional shutdown, and a loss of trust in school routines. As a Black parent of a child with disabilities, there is an added layer of concern that behaviors or needs associated with autism may be misunderstood or responded to differently. These systems were not designed with equity in mind.”
The report documents how programs frequently respond to developmentally appropriate or disability-related behaviors with exclusion rather than support. Families describe being denied services, experiencing poor communication, and encountering unequal treatment. These experiences can have lasting negative impacts on young children, including emotional distress and disrupted learning.
“The parents featured in this report have generously, and painfully, recounted their family’s experience with preschool pushout,” said Hillary Linardopoulos, policy director for ELC-PA. “Each parent shares a loving glimpse into their child’s personality and the immeasurable joy they bring to their family. And they also share gut-wrenching accounts of systemic failures that time and again shortchange Black and Brown children and children with disabilities. We urge decision-makers everywhere to center families as experts as they make urgently needed policy changes to end preschool pushout.”
ELC-PA is calling on state and local leaders to take action to end preschool pushout by prohibiting suspension and expulsion in early childhood settings, ensuring access to Early Intervention and support services, fully and equitably funding early childhood programs, and strengthening transparency and accountability.
The report also includes guidance for families navigating preschool systems and resources for those experiencing pushout.
Read the report: Ending Preschool Pushout in Pennsylvania: Parent Testimonies and a Path Forward
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