...| Zero Tolerance for Ineffective Zero Tolerance Policies | Can Zero Tolerance be Tolerated? | | Terrance Baker | LAWS310 | 12/14/2009 | Students are being handcuffed, arrested and expelled for possession of a butter knife or water gun, punishment that disproportionately targets African-American students, students being alienated and never returning to school after being suspended or expelled are all byproducts of the zero tolerance policies adopted by their school district. School administrators have abandoned common sense due to their adherence to zero tolerance policies by applying the same discipline to students that are guilty of minor offenses and non-violent rules violations, or just poor judgment as they due to students that are repeat offenders that pose serious threats to the safety of the school. Under the Zero Tolerance policies African-American students are suspended at an approximate rate of 2.3 times that of Caucasian students nationally even when socio-economic factors are taken into consideration. These one-size fits all policies are also contributing to the elevated dropout rates related to repeated use of suspension and expulsion. The illusion that zero tolerance policies are making our schools safer has blinded school administrators to the fact that these draconian policies are contributing to the education problem in America. | Abstract . The Zero Tolerance policies that have been implemented in public school systems has eliminated...
Words: 2331 - Pages: 10
...Analysis I Zero Tolerance Policies Angelina Swofford October 27th 2013 CJA/464 Paul Brouillette Policy Analysis In this paper we are going to be discussing Zero-Tolerance policies and how they affect everyone in the community including the accused and the victim as well as those on the outside. We are going to discuss if this is a regulatory or a legislative policy and if there is any issues with the constitution with implementing this policy. There will also be a discussion of who started this policy and the reason for it being implemented into a policy. Zero-Tolerance Policies Zero Tolerance is something that happens in a lot of areas but the places we hear of it most is in schools and when it has to do with drugs. It is the intent of the legislature to promote safe and supportive learning environments in schools. This is to help protect all of those who are within the school building including staff and students. Zero-Tolerance Policies have to cover everyone within the school and all the same rules have to apply to everyone. In order to prosecute or give disciplinary actions within a school that hosts zero tolerance policies has to be based on a particular circumstance of a student’s misconduct (Florida Department of Education, 2005). Schools have a zero tolerance for bullying and drugs so these two zero tolerance polices go hand in hand. They also have zero tolerance policies that center just around drugs like in Elk Point South Dakota it is absolutely zero tolerance...
Words: 864 - Pages: 4
...Zero Tolerance By Purple Team Grand Canyon University: EDA 555 Instructor: Norman Hale February 25, 2015 Zero tolerance policies began in 1994 following the passage of the Gun-Free Schools Act (GFSA). It was generated in response to numerous school shootings that had taken place across the United States (US). The Gun-Free Schools Act entail policy that forces schools to expel students who possess or carry a gun(s) while they are on school campuses and/or property. Zero tolerance policies are in schools all across the United States and are coined “Zero-Tolerance Schools”. Zero-tolerance policies are found in schools ranging from elementary through universities/colleges. The court rulings, laws and policies of zero-tolerance are designed to create a safe learning environment by keeping drugs and weapons off of school property. Punishment relinquished in zero tolerance schools range from detention to expulsion from the school. Some individuals believe that zero tolerance policies go too far, as the punishment is swift and unyielding for various types of inappropriate behaviors enacted by students (Lawyer.com, 2015). This paper examines the effects of zero tolerance policies as it relate to David Silverstein, 13, was inspired to build a model rocket after seeing the movie October Sky, a biography of NASA rocket scientist, Homer Hickam. The boy took his rocket, made out of a potato chip canister and fueled with three...
Words: 503 - Pages: 3
...available at http://www.emeraldinsight.com/0957-8234.htm JEA 41,1 The ethics of zero tolerance Kevin Gorman Sylvania Northview High School, Sylvania Public Schools, Sylvania, Ohio, USA, and 24 Patrick Pauken Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio, USA Received May 2002 Revised September 2002 Accepted October 2002 Keywords Decision making, Ethics, Violence, Schools, Discipline, Legislation Abstract “Zero tolerance” has become the international “buzz word” of the secondary building administrator. As school violence has increased so have the legislative and regulatory policymaking mandates c a l l i n g for increased disciplinary consequences for inappropriate stud ent behavior. Ethical problem-solving and decision-making have taken a back seat to reactive discipline by school officials. Media publicity has forced proactive principals to become reactive impulsive decision-makers. In this article, Starratt’s three-part model for ethical school administration – encompassing the ethics of critique, justice, and care – is applied to a fictional scenario and the ethical dilemma that evolves. Recommendations for practice are offered in a proposed resolution of the dilemma within the context of a central conclusion: if the school administrator of the twenty- first century is to build and maintain an ethical educational setting where all students can learn, zero tolerance cannot dictate the only outcomes for inappropriate student behavior. Journal of Educational...
Words: 6330 - Pages: 26
...Does School Violence Warrant a Zero-Tolerance Policy? While violence is becoming a common occurrence in many schools across the country, we must ask, does violence deserve a zero-tolerance policy? Studies have shown that there are many positives and negatives to having the zero-tolerance policies in schools today. The amount of violence in schools has continued to rise in recent years and this has led to people wanting a way to change it. Are zero-tolerance policies the way to do it? Studies have shown pros and cons to the policies. Zero-tolerance policies have specific consequences for each action that a student might commit (Rice). This allows the school to treat all of the students fairly. Every student will be punished to the same...
Words: 418 - Pages: 2
...Running head: ZERO TOLERANCE Zero Tolerance Tara Harrigan, Udawna Neal, Shamada Platt, Shareese Williams Grand Canyon University Legal Issues in Education EDA 555 Dr. Denise Geier February 06, 2013 Zero Tolerance Zero tolerance began as a government plan to keep our schools safe and is now believed to be a major contributing factor to the downfall of the public education system. This policy stems from the Gun-free School Act (GFSA) of 1994. The act mandated that any student found to have brought a firearm to school would be automatically expelled from school for at least a year. The act was later initiated to encompass nonviolent offenses such as possession of drugs, persistent profanity, rebelliousness toward authority, vandalizing school property, and activities associated with gangs on school property. (Fries & DeMitchell, 2007) However, what was meant to be accomplished by this act, and what actually happened were very contrasting events. The GFSA was the first law which took control of disciplining students out of the hands of administrators and left it up to the written “rule” provided by state legislation (Martinez, 2009). The discretion of the discipline process was placed at the hands of the classroom teachers and administrators interpretation of that rule. The most notable complaint is the complete ridiculousness of some of the harsh responses to petty offenses that fall under the guidelines of what defines a punishable offense or weapon possession...
Words: 1588 - Pages: 7
...Henri Fayol and Zero Tolerance Policies Lee SCHIMMOELLER1 Abstract Zero tolerance policies have been increasingly popular in both education and business. Henri Fayol was the one of the earliest and influential thinkers in modern management theory. He defined management as a body of knowledge and defined his 14 administrative principles. It is an interesting exercise to apply Fayol’s teachings to the theory of zero tolerance and attempt to determine what Fayol would think of this new management technique. Keywords: Management, Fayol, zero tolerance, administration. JEL classification: B10, L20. Introduction Zero tolerance is a management technique that is finding its way into many of the administration policies of organizations, including the school systems in the United States. Administrative decrees declare that this organization with have zero tolerance for weapons or illegal drugs, or sexual harassment. Administrators often endorse zero tolerance as it makes a strong statement of organizational discipline and takes little discretion which may be criticized. Critics of zero tolerance claim it is ineffective and leads to random punishments such as 10 year olds suspended for 365 days because her mother packed a knife in her lunch to use to cut up her apple. When she opened her lunchbox she immediately turned it in to her teacher but was still suspended‘(American Psychological Association Zero Tolerance Task Force). What would the early theorist of management thought think...
Words: 3406 - Pages: 14
...Describe in detail the “Zero Drug Tolerance Policy” and explain its impact on drug use prevention. Drugs are substances that can be good or bad for an individual depending on how they are used. In today’s society there are many drugs that we as citizens abuse prescription or non prescription. Drugs can harm the body if they are abused in any way. So, the government decided to put the “Zero Drug Tolerance Policy” in effect. Zero means absolutely NO DRUGS AT ALL. Drugs are not supposed to be tolerated if they are illegal. People who break this law are punished with fines and even prison sentences. Also, people who misuse prescription drugs are punished, but illegal drugs are more prone to this policy. Have you just really thought about what the phrase Zero Tolerance means? Well, this is a term that refers to government and private employer policies that require specific punishments for certain offenses. Today, many schools have the zero tolerance policy for certain things such as weapons, firearms, alcohol, tobacco, and especially drugs. All of these items are things that can harm a person. One may seem more severe than the other, but they are all in the same category when dealing with zero tolerance. Zero tolerance is a policy where the rules must not be broken at all. Even if the rules are broken by accident, ignorance, or other circumstances, a person has to be punished regardless of what the situation maybe. All schools have a Zero Drug Tolerance Policy for students, faculty...
Words: 1250 - Pages: 5
...Zero Tolerance This essay will discuss the contemporary educational issue of Zero Tolerance Policies and how personal beliefs and values may conflict with legal and societal expectations. The first item for discussion will be the “Tweety Bird Key-chain-case.” Next, this paper will look at the action legislators that have taken in response to the threat of violence in educational institutions, which lead to the creation and implementation of Zero Tolerance policies. Lastly, the ambiguity and unfairness of these policies when administrators and districts enforce punishment will be examined. One example of how zero tolerance policies have caused nightmares for schools, parents, and students is the Tweety Bird Key-chain-case. The case involved a Cobb County, Georgia sixth-grader who was suspended for 10 days when school officials ruled that a chain on her Tweety Bird wallet violated the weapons policy. A group of lawmakers filed a bill reminding local boards they can take into account whether students intended to harm someone when deciding how to discipline them for bringing “weapons to school” (Salzer, J. 2002). In this case, there seems to have been an over reaction to what had taken place by the school officials. They failed the student by not using a combination of ethical moral judgment along with good old common sense. This sixth-grader had no intention of using the chain on her wallet to hurt another student, but school officials did not take that into account. ...
Words: 1453 - Pages: 6
...“Zero-tolerance” is the policy of applying laws or penalties to even minor infringements of a code in order to reinforce its overall importance and enhance deterrence. In the reading “Zero Tolerance”, Shawn Hubler stands on the opposite side about “zero-tolerance” on campus and even in our society. “Zero-tolerance” is a blind rule that is focusing on punishment only. There is no judgment and no discretion about the offenders and the cases. “Zero-tolerance” may cause bad influence on the offenders’ future. I strongly agree with her position about against “zero-tolerance”. First, zero-tolerance is conflict with my cognition about “rules”. There is not just “black-and-white” in our judging measurement. Grey areas exist. There are some special circumstances that the offenders are naïve or lured to make the mistakes, especially teenagers. Zero-tolerance is too extreme for teenagers. Hubler mentioned an example in her article, which is about a poor little kid who just pretend to have a sip on a vodka-and-orange juice. He was so innocent to admit he drank. Can we say he really did something wrong? However, zero-tolerance policies will never give him any chance other than punishment. Therefore, zero-tolerance has no consideration about the content of the cases. It only focuses on punishment. In addition, zero-tolerance may push the offenders to an abyss for their careers. Hubler wrote, “ So every kid suspected of wrongdoing-drunk or sober, troubled or just uncharacteristically stupid-face...
Words: 466 - Pages: 2
...No Tolerance and No Bulling Policies: Why They Do Not Work "Zero Tolerance Policies" were first instated into schools, to enforce suspension and expulsion, in response to students; violating; weapons, drugs and violent act policies that were already in place. Shortly after, schools began to instate “No Bulling Policies” partly to a high suicide rate among teenagers due to bulling. The consequences for violating these policies can now go beyond expulsion, and have legal implications. In theory these policies are a great idea. Unfortunately, these policies are rarely implemented and carried out correctly, causing them to not just be ineffective; but causing them to have adverse effects. We have tried these policies in our schools , it has been proven that they have done more harm than good; it is now time to remove these policies from our schools. The “school to prison pipeline," is a recent national trend where children are pushed out of public schools, and into the juvenile and criminal justice systems. Many of these children have learning disabilities, histories of poverty, and histories of abuse and neglect. There students would benefit from additional educational and counseling services. Instead, they are isolated, punished and pushed out. Many "Zero-tolerance" policies criminalize minor infractions of school rules. Cops in schools are criminalizing behavior that should be handled inside the school. Students of color are especially vulnerable to push-out trends and the...
Words: 1610 - Pages: 7
...administration of penalty. At the same time company executives must be aware of not only the legal ramifications of the policies they institute but also the environment they create in the workplace that will aid or harm their ability to hire and retain good workers which is critical to the bottom line. Companies try to resolve these differences in many ways including: Team building exercises, training, group projects, and Zero-Tolerance policies. In fact, one of the fastest growing trends firms are using to combat serious potential problems is the use of Zero-Tolerance Policies. Zero-Tolerance policies are policies that enforce pre-determined punishments for pre-determined offenses. By instituting these policies firms show employees, potential employees, and those outside the company that the environment of this company is and shall be free of certain types of detrimental behavior. Having these policies in place helps to create at a minimum the perception of fairness and also are used in legal proceedings should the need arise. Even with the great benefits of Zero-Tolerance policies...
Words: 1811 - Pages: 8
...Zero-Tolerance in Memphis The Memphis School District had a transformational change happen, when Superintendent Willie Herenton left his position to become the first black mayor of Memphis, the school district hired Dr. Gerry House, in 1992, from the outside because they felt that her experience in a school district that had already been restructured would lead Memphis school reform. It was noted in that case written by Ferrero (1998) that school board thought she could unite “progressive white and African-Americans, based upon an unassailable intellectual vision of high quality schooling” (p. 4). There was escalating violence against staff in the Memphis School District. They adopted the National Gun-Free School Act into their Student Code of Conduct and later added battery of school personnel and drugs possession as a Zero-Tolerance offense. The teachers looked at the revised policy and as a tool to get what they considered as problem students out of their classroom so they could concentrate on teaching the students that wanted to learn. This caused a conflict between Superintendent Gerry house and the Memphis Teachers Association. Superintendent Gerry House put incremental changes in place with her “Basics Plus” plan that allowed the schools to choose one of eleven school improvement models by 1999. The School Boards adoption of Zero-Tolerance reversed a long tradition of keeping...
Words: 2161 - Pages: 9
...environments—schools,...
Words: 1079 - Pages: 5
...The term “Zero Tolerance” (ZT) refers to those policies that deal out severe punishment for all offenses ranging from severe (such as weapon possession) to minor (defiance or chronic tardiness). In many cases, punishment for a violation under the policy is usually suspension or expulsion from school. Zero Tolerance Policy was originally applied to the criminal justice system as an approach to enforcing drug laws. Due to overwhelming tide of violence, educators in the early 1900’s were seeking a solution to respond towards drugs, gangs and weapons. Eventually the policy has been implemented nationwide through the Gun Free Schools Act of 1994, which mandates a one-year expulsion for students who have been determined to have brought a firearm or any instrument that can be used as a weapon to school as reported in a study done by Boccanfuso C. & Kuhfeld M. Following the Columbine High School massacre by two senior student (“Columbine Highschool massacre”, 2010) and an intense brawl between students involving gangs during a football match (Slater, 1999) in 1999, raised awareness in the...
Words: 604 - Pages: 3
