Dive Brief:
- Firm discipline policies got their start during years of rising crime in this country, but critics argue they went too far and now ensnare students in the criminal justice system for infractions that should only get them a stern lecture.
- The evolution of zero-tolerance discipline policies has created a system that leaves students who would benefit most from school connectedness out in the cold, and some principals are now turning to restorative justice alternatives as a better approach, The New York Times reports.
- Highlighting the issue, a piece from The Hechinger Report and The Huffington Post details Taser use in schools, reporting that four students have been tased this school year: two for fighting each other, one for blocking a classroom door and ignoring instructions to move, and one for becoming agitated over two trespassers who entered his school building and not calming down when ordered by a school police officer.
Dive Insight:
Zero-tolerance discipline policies were a marked culture shift in U.S. education and reversing them will require another significant shift. Principals who jumped on the zero-tolerance bandwagon convinced themselves they were doing what was best for students who needed to respect discipline, creating a learning environment that would be better for the students who remained in school. With research clearly showing these policies have not helped the students who are kicked out of classrooms, the question administrators must grapple with is who they are responsible to. Surely some students can learn better without distractions made my troublemakers. But if schools are responsible to all students, they need to find ways to keep them all in class.
The Obama administration announced last month a new rubric to help schools consider partnerships with local police. While critics say police shouldn’t be anywhere near schools, this rubric recommends schools clarify the roles of officers in their buildings and outline data-informed methods of tracking their impact.