Zero tolerance policies are “school-to-prison pipelines”
Rather than documentation of any specific incident, an article yesterday by Kathryn Hemenway in the Battle Creek Enquirer provides excellent insight into the problems of taking discipline problems to the general corrections system instead of to an in-school system. Take the time to read what she has to say.
Brilliant obsevations. I would add that not all students who become involved in fights, even those who throw the first punch, are always engaging in violent criminal behavior. Self- defense is not considered an excuse for fighting in school; be a tattler and run tell the teacher is what students are told, but they are then invariably blown off and left to fend for themselves, with an additional strike against them by their peers.
Bullying is a national epidemic in schools that cowardly teachers and administrators are far more unwilling to address than they were a generation or two ago. Let the police and the courts club both parties into submission and sort it out at taxpayers expense later.
And then they wonder why so many students end up hating their school years. So much for alumni boosters of the future!
The link seems to have gone bad. ‘Invalid story key’ Is there somewhere else I can read this?