ARCHIVED ARTICLES
Week of August 26, 2011
Parents Protest DISD Discipline Policy, My Fox Dallas-Fort Worth
30-40 parents of Dallas ISD students protested policies that contribute to the school-to-prison pipeline and urged board members to implement PBIS.
Colo. panel meets to discuss school discipline, The Associated Press
A legislative panel that includes representatives from community groups will meet to discuss zero tolerance.
School Teacher Accused of Weapons Possession, Right Side News
A 2nd grade teacher in Chicago, who was required to give a “tool discussion,” faces possible termination after bringing deadly weapons like a pair of pliers and screwdrivers to school.
Markell signs bill streamlining school discipline, criminal record expungement, WDEL 1150AM
Delaware’s governor recently signed a bill that will expunge minor offenses from young people’s criminal records.
ACLU says police respond to schools too often, The News-Herald
The ACLU says police are too involved in school discipline. Unsurprisingly, school officials disagree saying that not all students who are arrested end up with a criminal record. Yes, but a student who is referred to law enforcement is far more likely to drop out and/or enter the juvenile justice system. Why take that risk at all if it’s unnecessary?
Can Schools Punish Students for Posting Racy Photos Online?, TIME
Judge: Indiana teens’ racy social media photos are protected speech, CNN
A federal court ruled that an Indiana school was wrong to punish two girls who took racy photos and posted them online, outside of school.
Texas students sent from classroom to courtroom, The Washington Post
School Discipline Continues to Draw National Attention, Scrutiny, Spotlight On Poverty
An important Post article about the school-to-prison pipeline in Texas. Students can receive tickets for minor fractions such as foul language and class disruption, with some fines of up to $500. Rather than putting students back on track academically, harsh discipline pushes kids out of school. Other sites are reporting on the Post article.
Teacher: How to address bullying school — and how not to, The Washington Post
A teacher writes what he seems to think is a scathing criticism of PBIS, but does not actually advocate for anything like harsh discipline. Rather, he calls for a variety of policies that could be implemented in addition to PBIS, like better data collection, trained PBIS instructors, and school building designs that are less conducive to bullying.
In age of terror, there is no such thing as a prank, The News-Sentinel
Op-ed on the case of the teen whose sex doll in a box was confused by school security for a bomb. The writer misses the point that the school totally overreacted. The punishment (five days in jail) does not fit the non-crime (walking into a school, carrying a box).
Why ticketing students in schools is counterproductive, The Washington Post
A school psychologist explains why ticketing students does more harm than good.
Letter: Lack of discipline sparks violence, The Commercial Appeal
A mother in Memphis argues that the devil is to blame for violence in schools, and that more violence, i.e. spanking, is the answer.
A tale of two schools: Who’s to blame for the differences?, The Washington Post
A New York City assistant principle argues that administrators setup underperforming schools to fail. For instance, the district tracks students into different levels within grades, creating an educational apartheid. Unfortunately, his response to school climate issues is misguided, recommending harsher discipline.
Week of August 12, 2011
Bully-Ridden Schools Have Lower Test Scores, FoxNews.com
A study by the American Psychological Association finds that schools in which bullying is frequent tend to have lower passing rates on standardized tests. Previous studies have shown that low test scores also correlate with high rates of suspensions and expulsions. If exclusionary discipline were an effective means to reduce bullying, one would expect the opposite.
School board begins revisions on discipline policies, ENCToday
A school board in NC is considering revising its student code of conduct to allow school administrators to consider the age and intent of a student who brings a firearm, such as a BB gun, to school.
DOJ Settles With Ala. School Board Over Racial Disparities, Main Justice
The DOJ settled its lawsuit with an Alabama school board, requiring it to eliminate racial disparities in student retention, discipline, scholarships, and graduation rates.
School Discipline Often Meted Out Unevenly, NPR
NPR covers the recent six-year study on Texas secondary students, which found great racial disparities in suspensions and expulsions.
NYC’s most dangerous schools: ‘Kids run wild, teachers are scared’ at many public schools, NY Daily News
Surveys from various NYC schools paint a grim school climate picture. Absent from this article is the fact that surveys show that students tend to feel safer at schools that utilize PBIS and restorative justice policies over zero-tolerance policies.
Opinions/Editorials
Clearer rules are needed for school districts, Loveland Reporter-Herald
A Colorado state representative argues that individual school districts need more discretion when it comes to school discipline. That’s certainly true if we’re talking about eliminating zero tolerance policies to give school administrators more discretion to differentiate between a kid who brings a butter knife to school and one who brings a switch blade. However, racial disparities in school discipline are partly a result of individual school districts interpreting state laws differently and employing different policies.
8 Years In Prison for a Harmless Prank? Handcuffed for Doodling? The Increasing Criminalization of Students, AlterNet
AlterNet devotes a lengthy op-ed to the absurd over-criminalization of students due to zero-tolerance policies.
Editorial: In the years since Columbine, zero tolerance hasn’t worked, The Denver Post
A good op-ed, which argues that zero tolerance policies have done more harm than good, resulting in countless unnecessary suspensions and expulsions.
Learning Curve: Making students feel like criminals, The Santa Fe New Mexican
A review of Kathleen Nolan’s “Police in the Hallways: Discipline in an Urban High School.” Unsurprisingly, putting police officers in schools makes the students feel like criminals.
