Answer: Lawyers and fear.
The reason why School districts end up with “Zero tolerance” policies is not a question of protecting students. It is about protecting school districts and administrators from any kind of lawsuit.
School districts know that if they the actual source of fear in schools, such as gangs and drugs they will get civil liberties objections, they also know that parents are much more likely to back up their kids bad behavior than to stick with school administrations, teachers know a single accusation of any type can finish them professionally.
Much easier to have a broad set of rules that involve no thinking or common sense and let the school committee lessen the sentence.
The seven-member Christina School Board voted unanimously Tuesday to reduce the punishment for kindergartners and first-graders who take weapons to school or commit violent offenses to a suspension ranging from three to five days.
Zachary Christie, 6, had faced 45 days in an alternative school for troublemakers after he took the utensil – a combination folding knife, fork and spoon – to school to eat lunch last month. Now, he could return Wednesday.
Oh he can return WEDNESDAY, so that makes everything all right now.
Tort reform can’t come fast enough.
Update: Michelle misses the point it’s all about fear not idiocracy.
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