Should "zero tolerance" school policies be abolished?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Absolutely. It's been proven anyway these idiotic policies don't result in kids behaving any better anyway.

These of course are the type of stupid policies that result in idiotic standards like bringing a Boy Scouts pocketknife to school is considered no different from bringing a gun, or having aspirin on hand is considered no different from having cocaine, or where kids are investigated for "terroristic threats" for writing stories that involve murders and that sort of stuff. I heard once about a kid who was suspended for bringing a "gun" to school, albeit a very small gun, considering that it was a plastic one for a GI Joe action figure.

[Gabu]

"Zero tolerance" policies would be fine if you lived in a fantasy world where you could actually identify with complete accuracy what is and isn't something that will be used as a weapon.

In reality, zero tolerance is nothing more than an excuse for zero intelligence on the part of the school administration in their quest to expel students for bringing a butterknife to school.  So yes.

[DownWithTheLeft]

Considering every school administrator I've dealt with is an idiot (and I'm sure it's no different anywhere else), it wouldn't matter they either love to displine and do it too much or don't at all

[Gabu]

Considering every school administrator I've dealt with is an idiot (and I'm sure it's no different anywhere else), it wouldn't matter they either love to displine and do it too much or don't at all

If they don't have a zero tolerance policy, the school at least has to justify their actions instead of saying "well that's just the zero tolerance policy, durrrrr".

[DownWithTheLeft]

Considering every school administrator I've dealt with is an idiot (and I'm sure it's no different anywhere else), it wouldn't matter they either love to displine and do it too much or don't at all

If they don't have a zero tolerance policy, the school at least has to justify their actions instead of saying "well that's just the zero tolerance policy, durrrrr".

Exactly, most administrators have a view of what happened and the situation and just make a punishment before they know the details.  Everything is so by the book.  I did something last year that clearly violated harassment policies and probably should have been suspended two weeks but wound up with two days detention.

[Undisguised Sockpuppet]

Yes

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

That's the most intelligent post Straha has ever made.

[DownWithTheLeft]

That's the most intelligent post Straha has ever made.

I wish I had pot/kettle black pic to post, could someone do it for me?

[AkSaber]

Absolutely. It's been proven anyway these idiotic policies don't result in kids behaving any better anyway.

These of course are the type of stupid policies that result in idiotic standards like bringing a Boy Scouts pocketknife to school is considered no different from bringing a gun, or having aspirin on hand is considered no different from having cocaine, or where kids are investigated for "terroristic threats" for writing stories that involve murders and that sort of stuff. I heard once about a kid who was suspended for bringing a "gun" to school, albeit a very small gun, considering that it was a plastic one for a GI Joe action figure.

Have you heard the one where some students were suspended cause they were playing cops and robbers at recess?

Or how about when a girl was suspended cause she brought one of those small backpacks to school, and attached to the bag was an over sized key chain that might be used as a weapon.

Yeah, pretty dumbass policy.

[Dr. Cynic]

Zero Tolerance is a stupid policy... Each and everything is a seperate issue with its own story and background... Zero Tolerance is the policy that basically states:

"We don't give a damn about justice!.... We want QUIET!!!!!!"

[Gabu]

Zero Tolerance is a stupid policy... Each and everything is a seperate issue with its own story and background... Zero Tolerance is the policy that basically states:

"We don't give a damn about justice!.... We want QUIET!!!!!!"

Actually, it doesn't even say that, because zero tolerance policies turn things that should be non-issues (such as a person with a Swiss Army Knife in his backpack) into huge problems that often result in flabbergastingly ridiculous explusions.

[Colin]

I have to agree with what everyone else said about zero tolerance policies. They are really just bad for a school and don't delineate between severity or any other cirumstance that may be involved in the case. Not only does it make stupid things like Swiss Army knives possible crisis creators but it also treats the kid with the Swiss Army knive the same as a kid with a gun. Really it's just a way for administrators to get rid of anything that is even slightly problematic without actually having to do any work or investigate things further.

[specific_name]

Yes to abolishing them. In the wake of various acts of school violence, these types of laws have been passed to give parents and others a false sense of security. If the government did nothing, everyone would be complaining (or at least more so)... that's how we end up with such laws.

[Gabu]

I'm interested to hear what the three "no" voters have to say.

[MaC]

Absolutely. It's been proven anyway these idiotic policies don't result in kids behaving any better anyway.

These of course are the type of stupid policies that result in idiotic standards like bringing a Boy Scouts pocketknife to school is considered no different from bringing a gun, or having aspirin on hand is considered no different from having cocaine, or where kids are investigated for "terroristic threats" for writing stories that involve murders and that sort of stuff. I heard once about a kid who was suspended for bringing a "gun" to school, albeit a very small gun, considering that it was a plastic one for a GI Joe action figure.

Ah, I remember the artist who was Killerpollo telling me in real life "look, they list no knives, guns, daggers, ......."   "they don't list icepicks, machetes, weapons of mass destruction"   

[John Dibble]

We must have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to intolerance.

[Ban my account ffs!]

Considering every school administrator I've dealt with is an idiot (and I'm sure it's no different anywhere else), it wouldn't matter they either love to displine and do it too much or don't at all

When I was in high school the principal (a new guy after the old one had been demoted for openly telling teachers that they'd be cut in front of students) announced that we'd be having random dog sniffing searches of the locker areas while we were in class.  The student body booed him off the stage.  Alas, the program was implemented anyway, though the principal, actually being a decent guy, made a concession and allowed for these searches to be announced the morning of.

[Citizen James]

"Zero tolerance" policies would be fine if you lived in a fantasy world where you could actually identify with complete accuracy what is and isn't something that will be used as a weapon.

In reality, zero tolerance is nothing more than an excuse for zero intelligence on the part of the school administration in their quest to expel students for bringing a butterknife to school.  So yes.

Yes, but....

It's not the school admis which set these policies - it's the politicians.

Meant to vote yes, but this poll seems to have zero tollerance for error correction.

Zero tollerance means the politicians don't trust the administrators to use sound judgement.

[Gabu]

"Zero tolerance" policies would be fine if you lived in a fantasy world where you could actually identify with complete accuracy what is and isn't something that will be used as a weapon.

In reality, zero tolerance is nothing more than an excuse for zero intelligence on the part of the school administration in their quest to expel students for bringing a butterknife to school.  So yes.

Yes, but....

It's not the school admis which set these policies - it's the politicians.

Meant to vote yes, but this poll seems to have zero tollerance for error correction.

Zero tollerance means the politicians don't trust the administrators to use sound judgement.

Yes, it's true that it isn't the school administrations that set the policies, but it certainly is the school administrations that enforce the policies in such a braindead manner.  It seems to me that zero tolerance for weapons doesn't necessarily mean that every single thing made of metal is a weapon, for example.

But yes, the politicians who dreamed up this ridiculous idea certainly have their fair share of the blame.