Md. schools ban zero-tolerance discipline policies

[squeeze berry]

Md. schools ban zero-tolerance discipline policies
Published 08:00 a.m., Wednesday, July 25, 2012

BALTIMORE (AP) — Maryland education officials have approved changes to the state's discipline policy that are meant to cut back on suspensions and expulsions.

The State Board of Education approved the new regulations Tuesday. The changes come amid a national debate about whether too many students are suspended or expelled for offenses that could be handled in other ways.

Zero-tolerance discipline policies with automatic consequences will be banned under the regulations. Schools will now be required to adopt a rehabilitative approach to discipline, and suspensions and expulsions are referred to as a last result.

The state will also require school systems to track data to ensure that minority and special education students don't receive harsher punishment and to eliminate any such disparities.

A final vote on the policy is set for next month.

Md. schools ban zero-tolerance discipline policies - SFGate

what do you think the pros and cons are to this action?

ramifications anyone?

 

[old navy]

We had to do the same in my system. I do not agree with easing disciplinary rules but zero tolerance is not fair to the students or parents and gets the organization in trouble at times.

I don't agree with suspending girl lacrosse players when they got caught with small knives and lighters. Why did they have them? To work on and make repairs on their sticks.

Do I think a kid should be able to take a motrin or antibiotic to school with parents' permission and not get suspended like a kid who is caught with a bag of weed? yep.

On WMAL this morning, some voice said that with a slip in discipline, the teachers would be stuck with handling the problem students. That will be true in some cases. At my school, the administrators spend probably 90 percent of their time dealing with discipline issues. The other 40 or 50 percent they work on curriculum, standards, mentoring teachers and whatnot. Yeah, I know the math doesn't add up. That's why I do not aspire to be an administrator.

 

[blimpo]

Good move. There are always circumstances that need to be evaluated.

They need to get serious with the disruptions..

Under today's high pressure system teachers shouldn't have to tolerate that.

 

[DGS49]

"Zero tolerance" was an outgrowth of out-of-control parents. Any time a school administrator exercised discretion with respect to a child's discipline it was challenged ad nauseum by the parents, until the administrators begged for the discretion to be taken out of their hands. Then they could just shrug their shoulders at the parents and say, "What can I do? It's an ABSOLUTE policy."

This is still the most complained-of problem in todays K-12 education.

And not to cast aspersions, but the last time I saw a serious study of discipline as applied to school children of black African-American ancestry, the uncomfortable conclusion was that teachers and administrators were MUCH MORE LENIENT with them than they would have been with "white" kids engaging in the same sorts of conduct. If they threw out every black kid who was sleeping in class, intentionally disrupting class, or being grossly disrespectful to the teacher and other students, there would only be a few Black males remaining.

But liberal politicians want to pretend that the only reason Black kids get in trouble more often is because of their race. Therefore different treatment = racist application of standards.

A pox on those who are not blind but refuse to see.

 

[Friends]

Hundreds of thousands of young people cannot be educated and violently interfere with the education of others. These should be permanently expelled so that teachers can teach and students can learn. What will happen to them when they are expelled? The same thing that happens to them anyway. They will end up in prison. The sooner they get there and the longer they stay the sooner the United States will become a safe place for decent people to live in.

 

[DGS49]

No, the solution is to wage a giant campaign to reduce the number of "dropouts," on the assumption that those statistics make the schools look bad.

Then, rather than saying "Good riddance!" to the troublemakers, they can be retained to continue their disruptions (etc), thus making the entire process of education more difficult for the remaining students.

It's the American Way!

 

[rightwinger]

Zero tolerance means zero common sense

We pay administrators to make tough decisions. The specifics and mitigating factors of each case needs to be considered

 

[editec]

Md. schools ban zero-tolerance discipline policies
Published 08:00 a.m., Wednesday, July 25, 2012

BALTIMORE (AP) — Maryland education officials have approved changes to the state's discipline policy that are meant to cut back on suspensions and expulsions.

The State Board of Education approved the new regulations Tuesday. The changes come amid a national debate about whether too many students are suspended or expelled for offenses that could be handled in other ways.

Zero-tolerance discipline policies with automatic consequences will be banned under the regulations. Schools will now be required to adopt a rehabilitative approach to discipline, and suspensions and expulsions are referred to as a last result.

The state will also require school systems to track data to ensure that minority and special education students don't receive harsher punishment and to eliminate any such disparities.

A final vote on the policy is set for next month.

Md. schools ban zero-tolerance discipline policies - SFGate

what do you think the pros and cons are to this action?

ramifications anyone?

I think pretty much all ZERO TOLERANCE responses are dumb.

The invite us to turn off our brains, and pretend that absolutely NOTHING is relevant to an issue other than whatever is being ZERO tolerated.

 

[squeeze berry]

in our SD All meds including aspirin have to be dispensed by the school nurse.

a couple years ago one of the autistic students had a pill bottle on his desk. It was technically a controlled substance and the kid could have been suspended.

i grabbed the pill bottle and hustled the kid up to the nurse.

As it turnd out the mom was supposed to bring the meds to the school., but she is too lazy to do anything like that.

The school nurse got on the phone and really gave it to the mom.

We didn't involve administration, but I'm certain that in this case they would want to look the other way.

No one could see the wisdom in punishing the child for the parent's laziness and stupidity.

 

[Gem]

I hate zero-tolerance policies because I believe that they hamstring teachers and administrators in disciplining the students who truly need the harsher punishments (i.e. the bully who punches a smaller kid) because they have to give the same punishment to the students who need a consequence, but not something as serious (i.e. the bullied kid who finally hauls off and punches the bully in the face).

That being said...I'm not sure I support the idea if it means more of the discipline of the worst behavior being re-delegated back to the teacher. By the time I send a student to the office, I have tried MULTIPLE interventions in my room and before, during, after school hours. At that point, I need my administration to know that we are dealing with a student who has gone WAY above the normal behavior problems.

 

[SayMyName]

Look for Maryland schools getting even less safe than ever before, and the private school population rising.

 

[IanC]

"Zero tolerance" was an outgrowth of out-of-control parents. Any time a school administrator exercised discretion with respect to a child's discipline it was challenged ad nauseum by the parents, until the administrators begged for the discretion to be taken out of their hands. Then they could just shrug their shoulders at the parents and say, "What can I do? It's an ABSOLUTE policy."

This is still the most complained-of problem in todays K-12 education.

And not to cast aspersions, but the last time I saw a serious study of discipline as applied to school children of black African-American ancestry, the uncomfortable conclusion was that teachers and administrators were MUCH MORE LENIENT with them than they would have been with "white" kids engaging in the same sorts of conduct. If they threw out every black kid who was sleeping in class, intentionally disrupting class, or being grossly disrespectful to the teacher and other students, there would only be a few Black males remaining.

But liberal politicians want to pretend that the only reason Black kids get in trouble more often is because of their race. Therefore different treatment = racist application of standards.

A pox on those who are not blind but refuse to see.

lol....if it werent for double standards, then liberals wouldnt have any standards at all!

seriously though, Toronto had to give up zero tolerance because of the huge disparate impact it was having on black students. they may not discipline and expel as many black kids now but it sure has been harder on the other kids who have to put up with common black (bad) behaviour.

 

[Friends]

seriously though, Toronto had to give up zero tolerance because of the huge disparate impact it was having on black students. they may not discipline and expel as many black kids now but it sure has been harder on the other kids who have to put up with common black (bad) behaviour.

How do black and white crime rates compare in Canada? I have not been able to find information for that on the internet. In the United States blacks have a murder rate that is over seven times the white rate.

Bureau of Justice Statistics Homicide trends in the U.S.: Trends by race

 

[IanC]

seriously though, Toronto had to give up zero tolerance because of the huge disparate impact it was having on black students. they may not discipline and expel as many black kids now but it sure has been harder on the other kids who have to put up with common black (bad) behaviour.

How do black and white crime rates compare in Canada? I have not been able to find information for that on the internet. In the United States blacks have a murder rate that is over seven times the white rate.

Bureau of Justice Statistics Homicide trends in the U.S.: Trends by race

the canadian govt is loathe to give out racial info but the little I have seen is in the same ballpark as US figures, or any western democracy with a black subpopulation. education is as big a problem as crime but there is no solution in sight that seems to be able to deal with either.

 

[Friends]

seriously though, Toronto had to give up zero tolerance because of the huge disparate impact it was having on black students. they may not discipline and expel as many black kids now but it sure has been harder on the other kids who have to put up with common black (bad) behaviour.

How do black and white crime rates compare in Canada? I have not been able to find information for that on the internet. In the United States blacks have a murder rate that is over seven times the white rate.

Bureau of Justice Statistics Homicide trends in the U.S.: Trends by race

the canadian govt is loathe to give out racial info but the little I have seen is in the same ballpark as US figures, or any western democracy with a black subpopulation. education is as big a problem as crime but there is no solution in sight that seems to be able to deal with either.

The best solutions are to keep them out, and to find ways to get them out.

 

[rightwinger]

Look for Maryland schools getting even less safe than ever before, and the private school population rising.

Why?

What part of zero tolerance policies make you safer?