Over the coming weeks, kids will be heading back to school – over a million of them to preschool. And while many of these preschoolers will learn about colors, shapes, and the ABC’s, thousands will learn what it’s like to be suspended for the first time. On average 250 preschoolers are suspended each day of the school year. Compared with K through 12 students, preschoolers are suspended at nearly 3 times the frequency of older students.

Our guest today has spent decades raising awareness about this trend and its effect on a child’s long-term outcomes. Dr. Rosemarie Allen is an associate professor at the School of Education at Metropolitan State University of Denver where she teaches students about power, privilege, and the education system. She joins us today to discuss the preschool to prison pipeline, the punitive culture in educational spaces, the mental health care of students, and alternative approaches that teach rather than punish.