[chfriend]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070615/...zero_tolerance

"Critics of zero-tolerance rules cite multiple problems. Academic achievement often lags in schools with the highest rates of suspension and expulsion, even when socio-economic factors are taken into consideration, said Cecil Reynolds, chairman of the APA's Zero Tolerance Taskforce.

"The kids feel like they're walking on egg shells," he said.

Reynolds also questioned what lessons zero-tolerance rules teach, citing reports that a 10-year-old girl was expelled from a Colorado academy after giving a teacher a small knife her mother placed in her lunchbox.

"What she learned from the school was, 'If something happens and you break a rule, for God's sake, don't tell anybody,'" Reynolds said. "

The article also says that Utah has decided to let students with asthma carry inhalers! Good stuff.

While I don't personally use the schools, I believe that the folks people have entrusted their children to have enough sense, and should be empowered, to distinguish bringing something dangerous to school and normal tools of living.

 

[Marsupialmom]

Zero tolorance is zero intellegance.

Some of the rules make since for older children but not younger.

 

[angelpie545]

Because of the ridiculous implications they can have, I personally am not a fan of "zero tolerance" policies. It would seem that it would be easy for a school to distinguish between a third-grader bringing a transformer to school and a high school student bringing a butcher knife, but according to "zero tolerance" policies, they are the same thing. Like the article says, common sense is extremely difficult to legislate, but the schools need some wiggle room. Students should not have to feel like they are walking on thin ice all the time.

 

[boingo82]

Just witness some examples of stupid applications of "Zero Tolerance".
http://www.abanet.org/crimjust/juvju...tolreport.html

Quote:

A nine-year-old on the way to school found a manicure kit with a 1-inch knife. The student was suspended for one day. In Ponchatoula Louisiana, a 12-year-old who had been diagnosed with a hyperactive disorder warned the kids in the lunch line not to eat all the potatoes, or "I'm going to get you." The student, turned in by the lunch monitor, was suspended for two days. He was then referred to police by the principal, and the police charged the boy with making "terroristic threats." He was incarcerated for two weeks while awaiting trial. In Palm Beach, Florida, a 14-year-old disabled student was referred to the principal's office for allegedly stealing $2 from another student. The principal referred the child to the police, where he was charged with strong-armed robbery, and held for six weeks in an adult jail for this, his first arrest. When the local media criticized the prosecutor's decision to file adult felony charges, he responded, "depicting this forcible felony, this strong-arm robbery, in terms as though it were no more than a $2 shoplifting fosters and promotes violence in our schools." Charges were dropped by the prosecution when a 60 Minutes II crew showed up at the boy's hearing.

 

[katheek77]

I'll try to find a link to the story, but a few years ago, a kid at my old high school was cuffed, arrested, and expelled.

He was an honor student (senior) that had a FAKE Civil War-era musket in the back of his truck.

I should mention he was in the school-sponsored Civil War reenactment club and had been to a reenactment that weekend.

Found a link to a blog that has the article in it....
http://www.leftist.org/haightspeech/...es/000250.html

Yeah, zero tolerance is a bit...um...stupid sometimes.

 

[karina5]

I despise anything Zero Tolerance.

 

[CherryBomb]

Zero-Tolerance is well intentioned but incredibly misguided. My husband works with a guy who's 5 year old son was accused of sexual harassment and threated with expulsion because he hugged a little girl in his kindergarten class.

 

[karina5]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CherryBomb Zero-Tolerance is well intentioned but incredibly misguided. My husband works with a guy who's 5 year old son was accused of sexual harassment and threated with expulsion because he hugged a little girl in his kindergarten class.

SERIOUSLY???? Not that I'm saying you're lying, but I am really having a hard time believing this.

Could you elaborate?

 

[Marsupialmom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by karina5 SERIOUSLY???? Not that I'm saying you're lying, but I am really having a hard time believing this. Could you elaborate?

These are not her case but I can believe it:

Some of these cases dicipline is required but not for sexual harrassment.

http://www.wbaltv.com/news/10573391/detail.html

Quote:

In Maryland, 28 kindergarten students were suspended during the 2005-06 school year for sex offenses, including sexual assault, sexual harassment and sexual activity, according to state data. Fifteen of the suspensions were for sexual harassment.

Quote:

School administrators in Waco, Texas, recently gave a 4-year-old pre-kindergarten student an in-school suspension for allegedly rubbing his face in the chest of a female teacher's aide while hugging her

http://www.boston.com/news/local/mas...t_6_year_olds/

http://www.boston.com/news/local/mas...t_6_year_olds/

In that case the girl supposedly touched him first he retaliated.

I know of other cases were this has happen, just not made the news. Not saying dicipline shouldn't happen but how they label it is wrong.

 

[karina5]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marsupialmom These are not her case but I can believe it: Some of these cases dicipline is required but not for sexual harrassment. http://www.wbaltv.com/news/10573391/detail.html http://www.boston.com/news/local/mas...t_6_year_olds/ http://www.boston.com/news/local/mas...t_6_year_olds/ In that case the girl supposedly touched him first he retaliated. I know of other cases were this has happen, just not made the news. Not saying dicipline shouldn't happen but how they label it is wrong.

OMG! That is so awful. :-(

 

[UnschoolnMa]

Zero tolerance is often really dumb. It removes the critical thinking and evalution process involved in a situation. I agree, well intentioned but dumb.