Oh does this getting me going. The Husband and I can get into some pretty bleak arguments over the grey. I try to look at all angles & possibilities; while he is cut & dry. I don’t think either one of us is wrong or right but he thinks he’s right/I’m wrong (perfect example of our differences).
What brings this up for me is I came across an article/video regarding a 6 year old who brought a pocket knife to school—a combination folding knife, fork, and spoon. You may be more familiar with this story in The States . The no tolerance policies we have these days resulted in his 45 day suspension to an alternative school for children with behavior problems.
Luckily this case was overturned by the board and “sentencing” reduced. Zach is probably back by now playing with his friends. Not all children are so fortunate. For example, an Arkansas first grader was put on 3 day suspension for pointing a chicken finger at someone saying “pow, pow, pow.” A 16 yo honor student in Texas was expelled because his grandmother’s cake knife was left in the bed of his truck after a move. 14 yo, cheerleader, student council member, violinist, science fair winner got sent off to boot camp for bringing a 7up with alcohol mixed in it and passed it to her 11 friends who also got suspended. I could go on and on… just google “Zero tolerance, Schools” and you’ll find all you need.
A decade ago, a friend of mine in high school bought a new truck. Just so happens the drug dogs came to do their sweep of the school and found a “seed of marijuana” (A SEED!) in his new truck. This was a kid who was in this and that clubs, a super smart studious student (I’m sure smarter than some of our teachers). He was questioned in the principals office like a common criminal. Didn’t put a dent in his life though… apparently people came to their senses and realized he was no threat to the safety and wellbeing of our happy little community. No Tolerance policy adverted. Happy ending… he’s a big fancy shmancy Ph.D. scientist at Harvard.
So what do you think about Zero Tolerance policies?
I’m curious to hear a teacher’s perspective?
A parents?
I have my own opinions for sure with my history of working with the kids who really do need behavioral programs. Oy vey, I have plenty of those stories for another blog time…
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Cheers!
Cheers!
Black and white thinking is easy in most instances. common sense thinking is superior because you cant make a rule that is easy to understand yet covers all possibilities. Unfortunately this issue you bring up is dealing with schools only. At the local High school here I feel that the policies set and followed in school leave no room for common sense. when common sense is applied screams of fraud and favortism and racism arise. school teachers and employees who could take positive action and become a positive influence in students lives often become labeled as troublemakers or rulebreakers when they apply common sense to policy. often those in power – school board, principals, administrative – that set the policy also have a zero policy for using common sense to do the right thing. So it seems impossible to write the perfect policy. I say write the policies and enforce them strongly with the ablility to appeal to a higher court within the school to implement common sense when needed. It should be a committee of at least 3 people and all 3 should be required to apply common sense. If 5 people then a majority. why not 1 person? the more people that make these types of decisions the better. It's just common sense.
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