Zero Tolerance Research Paper

Words: 654
Pages: 3

Fox News hosted a panel to discuss zero tolerance policies in the American school system. With the premise of President Barack Obama’s recent speech regarding the excessively large number of students leaving school in handcuffs, and the dire need to find a better way to discipline students, the panelist call for swift action. Although the panelists are from the Texas area, they were clear that this is not a localized problem, but extends nationwide. While the days of swats for misbehavior have passed, abusive zero tolerance policies are not the answer.
The three panel members all agreed that the students are facing unreasonably harsh consequences all too often. Zero tolerance policies were born out of the idea that administrators needed backing to help remove students who commit felonies from the school and be placed in an alternative education setting. However, when students are suspended for ninety or one hundred and eighty days for Midol or over-the-counter allergy medicine, it is time to revise the policies. Common sense judgment is not being used and it is making a mockery out of our school system. Unfortunately, zero
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When law enforcement agencies begin to take on the responsibility of disciplining students, consequences become larger and more permanent (records begin). Law enforcement officers are not trained in human and social development the way teachers and administrators are educated. This creates an immediate disparity between how different situations are handled. While the panelists discussed the number of resources at the federal and state level that are not in the hands of the teachers, like in the past, I argue that resources do in fact exist. The Internet is a wonderful resource of evidence-based multi-tiered management strategies. There are ways we can deescalate situations without the implementation of