WASHINGTON (7News) — A major change is coming to D.C. classrooms this fall—and some parents say it’s coming too fast. D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) is now enforcing a long-standing law that effectively ends the practice of “academic redshirting,” where families delay kindergarten for a year to give children more time to develop emotionally or academically.
Under the new enforcement guidelines, children who turn five years old on or before Sept. 30 must be enrolled in kindergarten that same school year. If a child turns six by that date and has not yet attended kindergarten, they will be placed directly into first grade, regardless of prior educational experience.
For years, families could submit letters from doctors or learning specialists requesting a delay in enrollment. However, DCPS states that flexibility is no longer permitted…