Zero Tolerance Essay - 753 Words

Zero Tolerance There are many disciplinary actions that have been used and are still in use in order to deal with problems in the school system today. However, it seems that zero tolerance is now the most widely used and most controversial policy that has came into effect. Zero tolerance means absolutely no mercy for students when accused of doing something wrong. This policy leaves no room at all for error. These cases are not judged for their individual qualities. They are all treated the same regardless of the circumstances. When zero tolerance is thought of, it seems like a very practical way of dealing with the problems that we face everyday in the school system. However, we then have to ask ourselves if it is fair to†¦show more content†¦When Rev. Jesse Jackson was asked about zero tolerance on the effect of school shootings he gave this response, â€Å"Would zero tolerance have stopped the shooting at Paducah or at Columbine? I think not. If somebody’s sufficiently malf unctioning and in confusion, shooting classmates may be their first act of violence.† This quote shows that zero tolerance is not the answer to discipline problems in the school. A student with the idea of harming other students is apparently not concerned with the consequences of their actions. In a way, zero tolerance seems like a way for the school to not have to deal with the problem. Does that seem like the right way to teach or help a student in need? To some students a suspension or expulsion is just some days that they don’t have to go to school. So when people look at zero tolerance and think of it as a good thing they are not actually looking at it in its entirety. Instead of suspending or expelling the student, they should be helped, whether it is some form of counseling or other action. Giving students free days from school with expulsion or suspension is not helping that student, it is actually making the situation worse. A majority of the time it is studen ts who feel that no one cares for them that commit crimes in schools. Zero tolerance is sending the message that we (school) don’t care what problems youShow MoreRelatedEssay about Zero Tolerance765 Words   |  4 Pages Zero Tolerance: Doubtful Indeed Many schools around the country have been faced with violence and even actual deaths. Take the incident at Columbine, for example. Many schools for this very reason have proposed and in some cases even imposed a policy called, The Zero Tolerance Policy. The article, †Taking Zero Tolerance to the Limit† by Jesse Katz, is about the absolute ban of drugs and weapons in schools. It doesn’t work. It doesn’t work because it punishes everyone for the problems of few, it’sRead MoreEssay on Zero Tolerance Policy of Education in America1379 Words   |  6 PagesZero Tolerance Policy of Education in America In Bedford, Texas, a 16-year-old honor student was expelled after a security guard noticed a kitchen knife on the floor of the students car. The knife apparently had fallen unnoticed as the student carted some of his grandmothers possessions to Goodwill. He was ordered to spend a year in a juvenile-justice education program and banished from Read MoreZero Tolerance Policies Should Not Be Banned1108 Words   |  5 Pagesto question and criticize zero tolerance policies. People are beginning to realize that zero tolerance policies (as strict as those practiced now) do not belong in universities or colleges. Students do not benefit from these policies and are often hurt by them. This happens through students being punished for minuscule acts, disproportional punishments, and the schools’ obliviousness to the plethora of other less abrasive options available. With these harsh zero tolerance policies in place storiesRead MoreZero Tolerance Policies And School Discipline10009 Words   |  41 Pagescontinued issues in overcoming the phenomenon. 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 within Virginia that have disciplined students by expelling them or placing them on long-term suspension, since these discipline measures are often used as part of zero tolerance policies, to see if these same divisions had lower on-timeRead MoreZero Tolerance Laws Are Unfair The Author Talks1384 Words   |  6 PagesIn the article Zero Tolerance Laws Are Unfair the author talks about a girl who gave an ibuprofen to her friend and was suspended for â€Å"dealing drugs†. Zero-tolerance policies are to blame. Zero-tolerance policies started to become mainstream in the mid-1990’s in an effort to get students who brought either drugs, guns or alcohol to school suspended or expelled. â€Å"A zero tolerance policy is a school or district policy that mand ates predetermined consequences or punishments for specific offenses thatRead MoreEssay on The Zero Tolerance Policy: Justified or Unreasonable?2049 Words   |  9 PagesThe zero tolerance policy has become a national controversy in regards to the solid proven facts that it criminalizes children and seems to catch kids who have no intention of doing harm. Although, there has been substantial evidence to prove that the policies enforced in many schools have gone far beyond the extreme to convict children of their wrongdoing. The punishments for the act of misconduct have reached a devastating high, and have pointed students in the wrong direction. Despite the opinionsRead MoreThe Effects Of Zero Tolerance On Our Students, Educators, And Communities Safer2146 Words   |  9 PagesEffectiveness of Zero Tolerance In what ways has educational legislation, such as Zero Tolerance, been effective in keeping our students, educators, and communities safer? Review of the Literature Zero Tolerance policies were enacted with the intent of decreasing the level of violence that was occurring within our nation’s schools. The policy required that schools pursued expulsion and suspension based upon severity of the offense committed by the student. Studies have been conducted to ascertainRead MoreShould They Stay or Should They Go?: A Look at Zero-Tolerance Policies in Schools 1022 Words   |  5 Pagesschools every where. However, zero-tolerance policies are not the answer to school discipline unless they can be reformed to have fewer gray areas and kept from being too strict, be less disruptive to the education process and allow teachers to keep their voices, and figure out how to correct claims of racial discrimination, regardless of claims that they are effective. There have been many cases where zero-tolerance has gray areas and can be too strict. In â€Å"Zero Tolerance for School Violence: Is MandatoryRead More If I had it my way, I would tone down the zero tolerance act. It527 Words   |  3 PagesIf I had it my way, I would tone down the zero tolerance act. It just punishes too harshly for some things. I think that it needs to distinguish the difference between minor problems, like playing with a toy gun, and major problems, like having drugs. Zero Tolerance The zero tolerance policies call for students to receive automatic suspensions or expulsions as punishment for certain offenses, primarily those involving weapons, threats, or drugs. I agree that safety is an importantRead MoreZero Tolerance In Schools1295 Words   |  6 Pagesfive students report being bullied at school. An intimidating physical threat at times involving aggression towards another, actions including hitting, pushing, punching, threatening, and teasing – bullying. One way to reduce bullying would be zero tolerance. This is a policy of not allowing any violations of a rule or law, which will lead to suspension or expulsion. For this reason, reports of bullying toward the 2 boys who caused the terrible school shooting at Columbine High School, in 1999. Many