More Zero-Tolerance Stupidity

[Kythas]

A high school senior mistakenly took her dad's lunchbox to school with her, which contained a paring knife to cut an apple. The knife was found during a search for drugs and the honor student athlete who has never been in trouble is now expelled from school and banned from stepping foot on campus. Also, she's criminally charged with possession of a weapon on school grounds which could affect her college eligibility.

Absolutely ridiculous. Something needs to be done about zero-tolerance policies. We need common sense back in our schools.

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/8845676/

[i8godzilla]

Unfortunately "Zero Tolerance" policies, in relation to public school, really turn out to be: ZERO USE OF COMMON SENSE!

[Purplehood]

Baaaaahhhhh! Baaaaahhhhh!

The sheep are on the move!

[Charles L. Cotton]

Unfortunately "Zero Tolerance" policies, in relation to public school, really turn out to be: ZERO USE OF COMMON SENSE!

All "zero tolerance" policies do is provide a convenient excuse for a lack of judgment and/or outright stupidity.

Chas.

[phrogg]

A 7th grader in my neighborhood was suspended for "Making a Terrorist Threat" because she and her friend were using their fingers as guns and shooting the math homework on the board and the teacher took it as a threat and had her suspended.

Even when you don't have a zero tolerance policy, stupid people can make stupid judgement calls.

[Ameer]

Even when you don't have a zero tolerance policy, stupid people can make stupid judgement calls.

There's a funny saying that those who can't do, teach. There's a sad but true saying that in the education system, those who aren't smart/competent enough to teach, administrate.

[Excaliber]

Unfortunately "Zero Tolerance" policies, in relation to public school, really turn out to be: ZERO USE OF COMMON SENSE!

All "zero tolerance" policies do is provide a convenient excuse for a lack of judgment and/or outright stupidity.

Chas.

Their other use is to generate statistics on action taken so numbers can be pulled out when needed to show they are "doing something."

Apparently, in the "educational" world, doing something really stupid and unjust with undeserved horrific consequences for a student counts for that category.

[canvasbck]

Post Edited:

Apparently there is more to this story than the paper put out. One of the School District's administrators has commented on this. Apparently, there was a student who was caught with marijuana and other students in the area were searched. The knife was found in her purse, not the lunchbox. The girl is NOT on long term suspension as was reported, she was given the ten day and that's it.

I'm against zero tolerance policies as much as anyone, but there seems to be more to this story than meets the eye.

[Kythas]

Post Edited:

Apparently there is more to this story than the paper put out. One of the School District's administrators has commented on this. Apparently, there was a student who was caught with marijuana and other students in the area were searched. The knife was found in her purse, not the lunchbox. The girl is NOT on long term suspension as was reported, she was given the ten day and that's it.

I'm against zero tolerance policies as much as anyone, but there seems to be more to this story than meets the eye.

Source?

The linked story has none of this information. I would assume if this were true, the story would be updated.

[ELB]

Post Edited:

Apparently there is more to this story than the paper put out. One of the School District's administrators has commented on this. Apparently, there was a student who was caught with marijuana and other students in the area were searched. The knife was found in her purse, not the lunchbox. The girl is NOT on long term suspension as was reported, she was given the ten day and that's it.

I'm against zero tolerance policies as much as anyone, but there seems to be more to this story than meets the eye.

Source?

The linked story has none of this information. I would assume if this were true, the story would be updated.

Just google on some of the quote, and you will come up with it. It also approximates a statement that the school superintendent gave to WRAL.

BUT.

Over at Pajamas Media, Bryan Preston found a photo of the item, and guess what -- it is a "lunchbox" that looks remarkably like a carrying bag...or a purse. It is not your tin, square covered in Batman figures like I had in 2nd grade, nor one of the industrial-looking worker lunchboxes with the thermos in the lid. Certainly not the traditional look, but it is not so girly that her dad wouldn't use one just like it either...

http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/model-stud ... epage=true" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

There may be more to the school's statement than meets the eye, as well.

[ELB]

It gets curiouser and curiouser. (And the school is not looking too good, I am not surprised)

Summarizing the following links:

The superintendent says she was not suspended and she is still enrolled. According to a comment to the Pajamas Media report (updated since my post above), what he apparently is not saying is that she banned from setting foot on school property and has to take the one class she needs for graduation online, and she may not attend graduation. If this is true (and added to the "purse" that is really a lunch tote), the superintendent is grossly misleading the public -- his words might be superficially true, but implies that she is back in school like a normal student.
http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/model-stud ... epage=true" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?secti ... id=7872258" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And then there is this:
http://www.lee.k12.nc.us/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

PUBLIC NOTICE

This is notice that the Lee County Board of Education will hold an emergency meeting regarding a student disciplinary issue on Friday, December 31, 2010, at 9 a.m. The meeting will be held in the Heins Education Building, 106 Gordon Street, Sanford.

Please use the back entrance of the building and take the elevator to the Basement. The meeting will be held in the Assembly Room which is directly across from the elevator.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[chasfm11]

Situations like this are not unique or recent. Our daughter (now 31) "had a problem" with excessive absences even though I personally delivered doctors' notes to the school, met with the vice principals and explained as much as I was willing to about her medical condition. She was called out of class and disciplined in public by an administrator who hadn't taken the time read her file. I contacted administrators at another school to verify that I understood the laws on absences and then escalated to the principal and finally the superintendent. I wasted my time. They all quoted a "zero tolerance" guideline, even though it specifically didn't apply to medical cases. The disciplinary action that they took against her could not be rectified and I elected not to take the matter to the school board.

There are no checks and balances in the educational system. Administrators, dealing with individual students, are accountable to noone unless the press gets involved, as appears to be happening in this case. The superintendent's misrepresentation of the facts doesn't surprise me at all. I only hope that the reporters continue to take him to task for his mis-statements.

[TexasGal]

We are raising an entire generation to think this is the normal way to deal with anything "against the rules". Look out because it is the same mindset that has has led the UK and others to prosecute the housewife who raises a kitchen knife on a home invader as if she is the criminal. Zero tolerance of "violence" includes the victim trying to defend himself/herself. There is an agenda here coming from the liberal minds of those in power in the upper levels of our education system. We need to stop this stupidity before it's too late.

[Purplehood]

We are raising an entire generation to think this is the normal way to deal with anything "against the rules". Look out because it is the same mindset that has has led the UK and others to prosecute the housewife who raises a kitchen knife on a home invader as if she is the criminal. Zero tolerance of "violence" includes the victim trying to defend himself/herself. There is an agenda here coming from the liberal minds of those in power in the upper levels of our education system. We need to stop this stupidity before it's too late.

I have to agree. I saw this coming years ago as an elementary school student in the 60's when the PTA started getting really militant. Even back then it scared me.