...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...
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...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...
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...Academic Outcomes As a result of zero tolerance policies which proved to be a factor in the overrepresentation of African American male students in receiving exclusionary discipline consequences, missed classroom time was severely affected. When students are absent from the classroom due to suspensions or expulsions, they miss valuable classroom contact hours which places them at risk of falling behind their classmates leading to academic failure, increased school dropout rates, and brushes with law enforcement (Steinberg & Lacoe, 2017). Allday and Christle (2015) concluded that students who were recommended for expulsion tended to perform at a lower level than their counterparts. As students moved into higher grades from lower grades, their...
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...The zero tolerance approach is an aggressive police tactic in which officers are more proactive towards trying to significantly reduce certain types of offenses (Fritsch, Liederbach, Taylor & Caeti, 2009, pg. 87). This tactic allows officers to have more interaction with citizens so that the officers can identify those citizens who are committing the crimes that the police department is trying to eradicate through the zero tolerance approach (Fritsch et al., 2009, pg. 87). In the zero tolerance approach the officer-citizen interaction usually occurs through aggressive traffic stops, field interrogations, and through the enforcement of all laws including those laws that applied to minor offenses in which the officers usually have a lot of discretion...
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...Title: Not on Our Watch! By Glading, Randall article tells how the administration at Yorktown High School, in Yorktown Heights enforced a zero tolerance policy. It was brought to one of the administrators’ attention that some of the student in the school had been drinking at football games. A zero tolerance policy was enforced immediately. Yorktown High administrators and staff came together to monitor the students more closely at the foot games. The first game after the policy was enforced. Two students were found to be under the influence. Those student were suspended immediately for three day. When the students returned to school they had to do mandatory meetings with the school counselor. I agree with the zero tolerance policy when it is not being abused. Teachers should not have to tolerate extreme miss behavior. I do believe with this issues of alcoholism the zero tolerance policy was the right thing for this school. There is nothing wrong with setting rules and following through with consequences. Biblical insight on zero tolerance took me to 2 John 1:10-11“If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds. As Christian we have the right to say we cannot and will not tolerate sin. Glading, Randall. Principal Leadership, High School ed.8.7 (Mar 2008): 7-8. 10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into...
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...“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...
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...Imagine a world where a student could get arrested for failing to properly clean up a piece of birthday cake. This was the reality for a sixteen-year-old attending school in Los Angeles (Nolan 2011, pg. 19). Crime and violence that lives around inner-city public high schools has found its way inside some public urban schools. In order to counteract these problems, these schools have implemented zero tolerance policies and have increased police presence in these schools. While maintaining a safe school environment is necessary for students to learn, zero tolerance policies and high police presence have resulted in situations like the case of the spilt birthday cake. This case is one of the more extreme cases that these policies have caused, but many...
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...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...
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...Tolerance Test for Rancho: A Case Analysis Rancho Elementary School is situated in Carterville Unified School District. It is believed to be the best elementary school within the district. Families within Carterville are committed to preserving the history and charm of the community. The school district entails a multicultural student body from different socioeconomic backgrounds. The school district’s superintendent and school board approve a zero-tolerance policy that pertains to all schools within the district. The zero-tolerance course of action applies to any truancies from school, weapons of any kind, physical assaults, and verbal/sexual harassment. The school administrators assumed responsibility to ensure that all personnel, students and parents are aware of the policy. The school site was to distribute revised copies to the parents of each student. The principal appointed a fifth grade teacher, Ms. Idleman, to develop a school plan that incorporates the new zero-tolerance policy. Following the completion of the school plan, Ms. Idleman sent it to the office for approval. The principal was away tending business. Ms. Boxer the assistant principal takes full authority in the event that the principal is unavailable. Ms. Boxer signed off and approved of the...
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...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. ...
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...Isaac Cooke Mrs. Fountain English 10 13 January 14 Gone I was born in a town just outside of Houston, Texas. I lived in a house on Lake Houston. Growing up in that neighborhood was very nice, there were plenty of other kids in the neighborhood for me to be friends with and there were also many places to go and play. I loved my home town. The school that I attended was quite large, it was a 5a school and in the state of Texas there is no 6a so it was as big as it gets. The school had a wide diversity of all kinds of people from different places. I played football, baseball, and basketball. I had a pretty nice life there. One day my dad pulled my family aside and told us he had some very important news for us. He explained to us that he had received a job offer and that he was going to accept it. This job was in the state of Alabama. This meant that we were moving. I was not very excited and did not know what to do. My dad had to leave and start his new job before the rest of the family could with him. We had to stay behind until our house was sold. I really did not want to leave any of my friends. The house was sold within a couple of months. It wasn’t very much time to say goodbye to all of my childhood friends. Our flight was booked. I had a window seat and I remember staring out of the window thinking about my friends and all of the fun times we had shared. The plane I was on went to Atlanta, which took about three hours....
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...1. In my opinion there should be a zero tolerance policy for sexual harassment. If you are found guilty of it I think you should be fired right there on the spot. I don't care if the person being "harassed" is at the same level as the harassor or if they are a superior and a subordinate. No one should have to deal with that in a work place. Now the issue would be was it without a doubt sexual harassment or does it fall into the gray area. 2. If a sexual harassment claim has been made the human resource department should investigate the claim thoroughly to make sure the claim is valid. If the claim is found to be invalid the accuser should be either terminated. 3. I know there are some cases that would fall into the gray area. Not every case is as clear cut and isolated to one event. Sometimes there are cases when a female coworker could be wearing a outfit that is not 100% appropriate for work, as an example. A male colleague could say something to her about her outfit that was not meant to be sexual but that's the way the female coworker took it and reported him to HR. In this case what the male colleague said could be taken out of context and in an absolute zero tolerance policy he could be fired on the spot. There does need to some room for these types of situations and others like it. An investigation needs to be had by a non biased person, the work record of the people who are involved should be taken into consideration and a counseling session with the outcome of the...
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...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...
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...Harm Reduction Bryon Wilson BEHS 364 August 5th 2014 There have been two different strategies of society dealing with alcohol; harm reduction and zero tolerance. The method of harm reduction is focused primarily on reducing the negative effect of alcohol society and the people who drink. This is usually implemented by our government. They create policies and social programs that can treat those afflicted with alcoholism. There are several ways that this can be accomplished, such as limiting access, and taxing the substance to reduce demand. There are also social programs put in place that can help educate, rehabilitate and help recover. This a strategy compared to zero tolerance carries a unique ability to be tailored to suit individual needs as opposed to a one size fits all blanket policy. The harm reduction policy stands on a principle that alcoholism will not be completely eliminated so it would be more benefit to address the negative harms. For instance as alcoholism can be a major problem at work, some companies provide someone as an advocate and counsel. These counselors can work with them to modify behavior and reduce alcohol related incidents and further harm to their self on the job and in their personal life. That is something prohibition policies cannot do for an individual person. The proponents of zero tolerance see the alcoholic epidemic as a disease and therefore cannot allow continued usage if the person is to be treated and recover. It is not looked at as...
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...He appointed William Bratton as the city’s police commissioner in 1994 (Greene, 2014, p.186). Bratton established the city’s zero tolerance policing as part of police reforms. The key elements of the policing included the increase of police officers who were to be on foot patrol from 30000 to 38000 police officers in 1990 to 1996. The New York Police Department also established the compstat intelligence system (Greene, 2014). It is a computer based system that uses data and crime mapping techniques to inform police officers of crime hotspots. Bratton also empowered precinct commanders in the city to be autonomous in developing and implementing methods meant to reduce locally based...
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