Are zero-tolerance policies a good idea? Zero-tolerance policies generally mandate specific punishments for various types of misconduct in school. Do they make sense?YES Most students come to school ready to learn and behave appropriately. But for the minority of students whose behavior is dangerous, threatening, or chronically disruptive, schools must outline clear and consistent consequences. Certain offenses have no place in school and should result in firm and appropriate sanctions Sanctions is the plural of sanction. Depending on context, a sanction can be either a punishment or a permission. The word is a contronym. Sanctions involving countries: policy - a line of argument rationalizing the course of action of a government; "they debated the policy or impolicy of the proposed legislation" for lethal weapons, illegal drugs, and violent behavior give schools an effective tool to keep students safe. Some people believe that zero tolerance The policy of applying laws or penalties to even minor infringements of a code in order to reinforce its overall importance and enhance deterrence. Since the 1980s the phrase zero tolerance has signified a philosophy toward illegal conduct that favors strict imposition of always means automatic expulsion EXPULSION. The act of depriving a member of a body politic, corporate, or of a society, of his right of membership therein, by the vote of such body or society, for some violation of hi's. for even minor student offenses. Discipline policies, including zero-tolerance policies, should include a range of appropriate consequences, reserving the most extreme responses for the most serious offenses. Zero tolerance should not mean zero common sense. Carrying aspirin aspirin, acetyl derivative of salicylic acid (see salicylate) that is used to lower fever, relieve pain, reduce inflammation, and thin the blood. Common conditions treated with aspirin include headache, muscle and joint pain, and the inflammation caused by rheumatic to school should not be treated the same way as bringing illegal drugs, for example. But it is equally illogical to fail to enforce policies for serious offenses, or to enforce them in a discriminatory dis·crim·i·na·to·ry adj. 1. Marked by or showing prejudice; biased. 2. Making distinctions. dis·crim or selective manner. All school districts should adopt discipline policies because the entire school community--staff, parents, and students--must be aware of and understand what's expected of them so that they can abide by and uphold the rules. We owe students and parents the reassurance that schools will not tolerate behavior that puts them in jeopardy. At the same time, we must be reasonable, consistent, and fair. Zero-tolerance policies allow us to balance those equally important principles. Nat LeCour Executive Vice President American Federation of Teachers American Federation of Teachers (AFT), an affiliate of the AFL-CIO. It was formed (1916) out of the belief that the organizing of teachers should follow the model of a labor union, rather than that of a professional association. NO Imagine being taken to the local jail for talking during a school assembly. Or being arrested and charged with making terroristic threats for playing cops and robbers with a paper gun. That's right, arrested! Both incidents actually happened--in Indianola, Miss., and Irvington, N.J., respectively. These are examples of zero tolerance discipline policies. Each year, more than 3.1 million students are suspended from school and thousands are arrested, many for minor misconduct. Students are losing out on classroom time for things like playing cops and robbers, talking out of turn in class, throwing spitballs, and arguing with their peers. What is the impact? These students are more likely than their peers to fall behind academically, fail, and drop out of school altogether. Many of these students are labeled "troublemakers" by administrators and teachers, and they are left with the emotional trauma of being handcuffed and carted off from school in a police car. So why do some schools have zero-tolerance policies? They were a response to fears of growing school violence. But schools remain the safest place for kids to be. Instead of creating safe environments, zero-tolerance discipline policies deprive de·prive v. 1. To take something from someone or something. 2. To keep from possessing or enjoying something. young people of an education. Such policies often put common sense aside and permit unnecessary, inflexible punishments. Ultimately, derailing children from an academic track to a police track creates a lose lose situation for us all. Judith Browne Senior Attorney, Advancement Project The Advancement Project is an US nonprofit public charity founded in 2001. It has offices in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.. Co-Directors The Advancement Project's co-directors are Stephen English, Molly Munger (daughter of Charlie Munger), Constance L. (a Washington advocacy group that has studied zero-tolerance policies) |
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