DC Public Schools officials say they are cracking down on what’s known as “academic redshirting,” which is when parents choose to delay their child’s kindergarten start. One DC parent is feeling "sad, frustrated, worried" for her son, who will now have to skip kindergarten and go straight to first grade. Avra Siegel says her son will be 6 years old on Sept. 30 and doesn't know the alphabet. Bowser supports the crackdown, saying it ensures fairness in classrooms. “We are not a redshirt district," Mayor Muriel Bowser said. “We don’t want some kids to be advantaged to the disadvantage of other kids – that’s why we have the rule,” Bowser said. Several families are petitioning the DC Council for an exception to allow their children to remain in kindergarten this year. So far, no legislation has been introduced.