Zero Tolerance Policies: Preparing School-aged Children for Prison
The implementation of the Zero Tolerance Policy in in the early 90s created a whirlwind of issues; mainly that it did more harm than good. This policy was originally aimed to make schools safer by penalizing any student caught with drugs or weapons. This sounds like a good thing; however, through a lot of revisions and revisiting this policy, it became clear that any minor indiscretion would receive the same punishment a large offense would. Another issue surrounding zero tolerance is the class base and racialized nature; this policy contributes the criminalization of young black and Latino students. Zero Tolerance transformed many schools into miniature prisons in which students …show more content…
Tying this anecdote with Zero Tolerance, many teachers in this position would be in favor of zero tolerance because with the policy, disruptive students would be reprimanded. Zero Tolerance creates a way for teachers and administrators to get rid of students who make their jobs difficult. Zero Tolerance symbolizes fast action and it sends a message to students that there is no tolerance for misbehaving. In their “Zero Tolerance and Alternative Strategies: A Fact Sheet for Educators and Policymakers,” NASP (National Association for School Psychologists) said …show more content…
Having Midol and talking back are not things kids should be harshly punished for. Rules are implemented to be followed; however, giving students chances helps them to understand that there is a thing as second chances. I believe that zero tolerance policies are preparing students for prison by starting them out with ridiculous suspensions, programs, and alternative schools. These tactics have a huge effect on a student’s view on the world and the way they view themselves. If you 're constantly shown that if you do something small and get kicked out of school for it, why would you want to continue to attend school? Zero tolerance is taking away from the educational aspect of schools and making them into places that produce "criminals." And that says a lot about the way we treat individuals who don 't go along with the status
The implementation of the Zero Tolerance Policy in in the early 90s created a whirlwind of issues; mainly that it did more harm than good. This policy was originally aimed to make schools safer by penalizing any student caught with drugs or weapons. This sounds like a good thing; however, through a lot of revisions and revisiting this policy, it became clear that any minor indiscretion would receive the same punishment a large offense would. Another issue surrounding zero tolerance is the class base and racialized nature; this policy contributes the criminalization of young black and Latino students. Zero Tolerance transformed many schools into miniature prisons in which students …show more content…
Tying this anecdote with Zero Tolerance, many teachers in this position would be in favor of zero tolerance because with the policy, disruptive students would be reprimanded. Zero Tolerance creates a way for teachers and administrators to get rid of students who make their jobs difficult. Zero Tolerance symbolizes fast action and it sends a message to students that there is no tolerance for misbehaving. In their “Zero Tolerance and Alternative Strategies: A Fact Sheet for Educators and Policymakers,” NASP (National Association for School Psychologists) said …show more content…
Having Midol and talking back are not things kids should be harshly punished for. Rules are implemented to be followed; however, giving students chances helps them to understand that there is a thing as second chances. I believe that zero tolerance policies are preparing students for prison by starting them out with ridiculous suspensions, programs, and alternative schools. These tactics have a huge effect on a student’s view on the world and the way they view themselves. If you 're constantly shown that if you do something small and get kicked out of school for it, why would you want to continue to attend school? Zero tolerance is taking away from the educational aspect of schools and making them into places that produce "criminals." And that says a lot about the way we treat individuals who don 't go along with the status