Zero Tolerance Policy In Schools

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A little boy is excited about advancing to the next level of Cub Scouts. So excited, that he decides to bring some material from his fire starter kit to school. At recess, he gathers up his buddies and shows them his material. Little does he know that a part of his kit, matches, are considered dangerous to his school. Immediately, the teacher rushes over, takes his matches and enforces a zero tolerance policy disciplinary action on him. His suspension from school will cause an aftermath of effects on his future academic life. The zero tolerance policy is not the answer to every disciplinary action in schools and hinders students’ academic success with unfair treatment of students, increases in suspension and expulsion rates, and lowers aspirations of students. Many view the zero tolerance policy as a “one size fits all”, nonetheless, they are unaware of what the zero …show more content…
The zero tolerance policy is known as a “school to prison pipeline” (Skiba 1). By forcing kids out of school, students are finding an outlet in criminal activities. A study in 2010 that took place in Pennsylvania concluded that the number of students placed in the juvenile system due to the zero tolerance policy has tripled compared to the last seven years (Skiba 3). For example, a student in Connecticut was kicked out of his school for selling marijuana. He was relegated to a school that was not as satisfactory as his first. His criminal record increased with misdemeanors upon the years. He decided to drop out when he was wrongly accused of a crime and put in handcuffs. Through the implications of the zero tolerance policy, he continued his crime and is now an inmate at a prison (Curtis 1). With such strict actions enforced on students as a mean of discipline, children are discouraged from going to school leading them on a path to

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We all grow up being told you can’t do this you can’t do that in our lives and now in schools. Now zero tolerance policy strives to reduce violence in schools and make schools a safer place for students. Zero tolerance was thought of in December 12,1989 but in 1994 “zerotolerance became a very big ordeal and started spreading like a wild fire, when the gunfree schools act was passed. (Gale,2014). These policies are any policy that allows no exception; “a zerotolerance policy towards pedophile priest.” (google.com) but also…

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series of policies and practices have created circumstances that predictably, if not systematically, funnel millions of students from school into the juvenile justice system. The phrase that has emerged to describe the phenomenon is the school to prison pipeline (Wald & Losen, 2003). This study explores zero tolerance policies and school discipline to better understand its effect in to bring awareness to an issue that may help in dismantling this pipeline. Particularly looking at those school divisions…

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Zero Tolerance policies within public schools has brought severe and unjust punishments for students; these policies need to be reformed or replaced with other policies that will ensure just punishments, promote self-defense, encourage appropriate behavior, independence, and guarantee the safety of the school. These policies most often pertain to the possession of drugs and weapons to violence within schools. The policies are in place to create a better image for the school, but serves harsh punishments…

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Schools are meant for students to learn. Schools are supposed to help students learn how to interact with others. Parents do not send their children off to school to be bullied and terrorized on a daily basis. The controversial “Zero Tolerance” policy should not be adapted in all schools. Although bullying should never be tolerated for any reason, how can a child become expelled from school without even trying to figure out what the underlying problem is? Studies have shown that school bullying…

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School safety and student achievement have been debated topics in public education for many years. A safe school is a productive school yielding higher student achievement and grade point averages (Brunner & Lewis, 2009). The Zero Tolerance (ZT) policy has a 20-year history in our public schools. In the early 1980s, the zero tolerance policy was implemented as a deterrent of drug infractions in schools. In the 1990s the policy included more serious infractions such as weapons as a response to…

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