ARCHIVED ARTICLES

Week of February 25, 2011

Va. teen’s suicide prompts Md. review of disciplinary policies, The Washington Post
School board wants to know if policies that contributed to suicide exist in Maryland, The Baltimore Sun
Maryland’s state board of education wants to make sure that Maryland doesn’t have policies like the one in Fairfax.

School Board adjusts discipline policies, Loudon Times
Some changes to the hearing procedures and other disciplinary policies in Loudon County, VA.

DOJ looks at Huntsville school’s discipline records, WAFF.com
The DOJ highlight’s racial disparities in Huntsville, Alabama schools.

Parents rally against suspension of black students, The Tennessean
Metro Schools Re-Examine Zero Tolerance, WSMV-TV
In Nashville, Tennessee local activists are rallying against racial disparities in school discipline.  A critical piece of the argument is that suspensions help exacerbate achievement and graduation gaps by keeping students of color out of the classroom.

Senate kills bill to require more parent notification of school discipline, The Washington Post
The Virginia state senate kills a bill that would have required more parental notification around school discipline.

School’s peacemakers are key to its turnaround, Indystar.com
An article highlighting the role of positive, prompt, and engaged discipline in turning around struggling schools from Indiana.  It really is not surprising that treating youth well, taking care of them, and trying to keep them in school works better than criminalizing them.

9-year-old suspended for ‘kick me’ sign, New York Post
In NYC, a nine-year-old was suspended for putting a “kick me” sign on another student.

CPS discipline rule changes have brought down suspensions – but not enough, critics say, Medill Reports
In Chicago, suspensions are down, but not by enough.

Evanston mines suspension data for insight, Evanston Review
Evanston, outside of Chicago, is looking at its discipline number and trying to make a change.

Obama Administration’s ‘Disparate Impact’ Policy Draws Criticism, Education Week
At the USSCR hearing, the President’s effort to combat disparate impact in school discipline was criticized.

Opinions/Editorials

NYC Schools Disintegrating Under Bloomberg, The Village Voice
Nat Hentoff in the Village Voice has a must-read piece on the role that zero-tolerance school discipline has played in New York City school policy.  His conclusion is that the schools are struggling and getting worse and that harsh discipline is an integral part of this “disintegration.”

‘Zero Tolerance’ rules criminalizing kids, The Picayune Item
And, also from Nat Hentoff, a syndicated column directly making the argument that zero tolerance criminalizes youth.  And he calls out President Obama, demanding that students be treated according to the Constitution.

More coverage of the fallout from a Fairfax County, VA student’s suicide that was linked to zero tolerance school discipline:
Fairfax County should reconsider its zero-tolerance school discipline, The Washington Post
The Washington Post calls for reexamination of the discipline policies, without actually taking a strong position

Alternative disciplinary methods for teens, The Washington Post
And a local mediator calls for a broadened discussion of restorative justice as an alternative to harsh discipline.

Dale Points to State Zero Tolerance Policies, Stubans Recount ‘Inhumane’ Discipline Process, Falls Church Patch
Superintendent Jack Dale is now blaming zero tolerance on state policies, not on the district’s policy.

The rationale for strict high school discipline, The Washington Post
A teacher from Centreville comes to the defense of the policies.

The dangers of expelling kids in trouble, The Washington Post
Even Jay Mathews seems befuddled by the practice of removing youth from their communities needlessly.

Teens don’t deserve zero-tolerance punishment, The Washington Post
A local doctor weighs in noting how inappropriate zero tolerance is to adolescent brain development.

A temperance movement springs up to combat Fairfax County schools’ zero-tolerance policy, The Washington Post
A scathing and moving op-ed in the Washington Post looks deeper in to Nick Stuban’s case and concludes that criminalizing youth the way that Fairfax did and does is cruel.

Why school zero tolerance policies make no sense, The Washington Post
Valerie Strauss comes out against zero tolerance, noting that it fails to help youth learn from their mistakes.

“Zero Tolerance” strikes again, Pajamas Media
Another horror story in Colorado, where an 11-year old boy with a learning disability was summoned to the principal’s office for drawing a scene with a gun.  The principal sent him back to class, but when the police were notified, they came to the boy’s house that night and took him away in handcuffs.

School suspensions – Balance discipline with reaching students, Winston-Salem Journal
A story from Winston-Salem, NC about work by the district and by advocates to increase graduation by reducing suspensions and trying to engage students better.

Community Advisory Board: Suspend schools’ flawed system of punishment, FayObserver.com
An excellent piece from Fayetteville, North Carolina laying out just how ineffective suspensions are as a form of school discipline.  The author says that the only worse way of disciplining a student is paddling them.

The Talking Cure: Keeping Kids Out of the Juvenile Justice System, The Crime Report
An important and necessary article from “The Crime Report” examining the school-to-prison pipeline and the criminalization of school discipline.  The article calls for more use of restorative justice and other alternatives aimed at keeping youth out of the criminal justice system.

Week of February 18, 2011

N.C. looks to lower discipline disparities, The Associated Press
North Carolina education officials finally recognize that lowering discipline disparities is necessary to increase academic achievement.

Columnist John Whitehead to appear on ‘The View’ with student charged with shooting ‘spitwards,’ Fort Madison Daily Democrat
Zero Tolerance opponent John Whitehead is going to appear on “The View” with the Virginia student who was arrested for shooting spitballs.

Fairfax wrestles with school discipline issues in wake of suicides, The Washington Examiner
School Superintendent Jack D. Dale defended Fairfax County’s discipline policies, The Washington Post
More coverage from Fairfax County, VA, where the debate continues over what role harsh school discipline played in a student’s suicide.

Gilbert school district studying seclusion discipline policy, The Arizona Republic
In Arizona, a district reconsiders its “time out” and seclusion policy.

Rare disease or not, Colorado teen can’t have medical pot at school, not even a lozenge, Los Angeles Times
There is more news from Colorado Springs about the student who faces discipline for his medical marijuana. The LA Times picks up the story.

Colorado teen marijuana case attracts more TV coverage; district says hands are tied, The Colorado Independent
In Colorado Springs, the district claims its hands are tied by state law

Cannabis Council reaches out to help Colorado Springs medical marijuana teenager, The Colorado Independent
Not surprisingly, the CO medical marijuana case is becoming a lightning rod for advocacy.

Sen. Hinojosa eyes school-discipline reform, The Monitor
A Texas state Senator seeks to get involved in school-discipline reform after reading Texas Appleseed’s report.

Week of February 11, 2011

Putnam delegate wants paddling back in schools, Charleston Daily Mail
A West Virginia state delegate is pushing to reinstate corporal punishment there.

Sparing the Rod: Spanking in Schools, MyFox Memphis
Corporal punishment is an issue in the debate over whether Shelby County and Memphis schools should merge.

Va group challenges 14-yr-old’s suspension, WSET.com
John Whitehead’s Rutherford Institute is coming to the defense of the Virginia student accused of assault for shooting a spitball.

Fairfax board questions link between school discipline and suicide, The Washington Examiner
In Fairfax County, VA, there are lingering questions about the connection between a student’s suicide and the harsh discipline policies that he was facing.

U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Announces Speakers for Briefing On School Discipline and Disparate Impact, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights
The USCCR announces its panel for the upcoming hearing on school discipline and disparate impact.  It includes the principal of TC Williams High School in Alexandria.

School Shuns Teen Medical Marijuana Patient, High Times
The story of a Colorado student getting kicked out of school over medical marijuana is also in High Times, which notes that the school would have no problem if the student had come in while under the influence of Vicodin for an ankle injury.

A Trio of Bills on Student Ticketing, The Texas Tribune
In response to the recent Texas Appleseed report detailing the overuse of tickets and arrests in schools in Texas, a legislator has filed three new bills that would address the issue.  The bills would seek to limit the often high fines associated with tickets, and create more training and supervision for juvenile case managers.  More could be done, but these bills are a good start and proof that public shaming moves power.

Deputy prosecutor says Muncie school administrators adding to chaotic environment, The Associated Press
A prosecutor in Muncie, Indiana is complaining that schools are handling school discipline issues themselves, rather than reporting them to the police.

Limits proposed on school police, News & Observer
Advocates for Children in North Carolina has released an important report detailing the human, educational, and financial costs of having armed police in the schools and arresting youth.  The report calls for reform – spend less money on police and more money on education, counseling, and support for youth.

Students Expelled Over Prescription Drugs, WSMV-TV
7 Stewart Creek students expelled, dnj.com
Seven Tennessee middle school students have been expelled for having prescription drugs on school grounds.

Seven-year-old charged after bringing toy ‘Nerf’ gun to school, Daily Mail
The Daily Mail (from the UK) picks up the story of a seven-year-old NJ student who was charged with a misdemeanor for bringing a NERF gun to school.

Black students suspended most at Oak Park middle schools, OakPark.com
A story from Oak Park, IL detailing the ongoing racial disparities in school discipline there.

The Lords of Rikers, New York Magazine
More reporting on the dismal conditions and violence at Rikers Island juvenile facility in New York.

Opinions/Editorials

Zero tolerance policies: Are the schools becoming police states?, Online Journal
John Whitehead of the Rutherford Institute argues that schools are turning into police states.  He begins his piece (which is all over the web, including the HuffPo) by quoting professor Russ Skiba.

Brian Walsh: Sometimes, ‘zero tolerance’ makes zero sense, Tallahassee.com
Brian Walsh of the Heritage Foundation focuses on knee jerk discipline and the double whammy of criminal charges.

Zero-Tolerance Policies: Discipline and Punishment in Schools, Gather
A piece on gather.com argues that schools have become too punitive arguing that they are punishing kids for “being kids.”

Medical Marijuana Gets Teen Kicked Out of School, The Stir
In Colorado Springs, a student is being faced with expulsion because he was prescribed a marijuana lozenge to help with his seizures.  He is being punished because the lozenge was being digested while he was in school.

When whacking kids at school is legal, The Washington Post
Valerie Strauss takes on corporal punishment in the Washington Post.

Bullying: Why Zero-Tolerance Policies Don’t Work, The Huffington Post
In the HuffPo, a piece on why zero tolerance won’t work to combat bullying.

Schoolboy Arrest Crosses The Line, Chestnut Hill Patch
A piece from New Jersey expressing outrage over the arrest of a 7 year old for bringing a nerf gun to school

Editorial: Zero tolerance not realistic, The Topeka Capital-Journal
An editorial from Topeka urges the schools to reevaluate their zero tolerance policies.

Spare the rod and spare the child, Daily News & Analysis
A story on punitive discipline in schools in India – including the story of a 13 year old who committed suicide after being caned in school.

Jeff Gerritt: Zero Tolerance rules can doom some good students, Detroit Free Press
An excellent op-ed from Detroit discusses the school to prison pipeline in Michigan and notes that many students feel like they are walking into prison when they walk into school.  The author argues that if we really want to stem the tide of students being pushed out of school, we have to stop suspending and arresting them there.

‘Zero tolerance’ part of the nation’s overcriminalization trend, The Bellingham Herald
Brian Walsh of the Heritage Foundation writes an op ed decrying harsh zero tolerance policies as part of a national trend towards overcriminalization.

Rules, Children, Schools, and Prisons, Education Week
Deborah Meier has an important piece on how schools, by becoming coercive and punitive institutions, are becoming more and more like prisons.  She describes her process, when she was a school administrator, of trying to create as few rules and mandates as possible to create the most liberated and open learning environment possible.  This is not how most schools operate, to the detriment of their students.

Thomasson: A school overreacts to a ‘lethal’ weapon, Scripps News
An op-ed from Scripps criticizes the recent discipline of a student in Virginia for shooting spitballs as an abuse of zero tolerance.

Week of February 4, 2011

Racial Disparity In Polk School Discipline Questioned, The Ledger
In Winter Haven, Florida a group of concerned community members is questioning the ongoing racial disparities in school discipline – asking why Black youth are more likely to be disciplined than White youth.

Texas student fined $637 for cursing in class, The Washington Post
Valerie Strauss at the Washington Post picks up the story of a student in Texas who was given a $637 fine for cursing in class.  The fine began with a ticket, then was escalated when the student didn’t show up for court, and was further escalated when a warrant was issued for the student’s arrest…all for “disturbing the peace.”  This is precisely the kind of unnecessary criminalization that we see happening in schools across the country.

Deputy prosecutor: Discipline in Muncie schools ‘lacking or completely non-existent,’ thestarpress.com
Police in Muncie, Indiana are seeking more power to intervene in schools, calling discipline ineffective.

Zero tolerance ‘insane madness’ in Virginia, WorldNetDaily
Plastic pellet incidents at Va. school ends in expulsion, assault charges, The Washington Post
A student in Virginia was suspended for the year for shooting spitballs.

Has Texas Outsourced School Discipline to the Police?, Yahoo! News
School Misdemeanors, Education Week
Yahoo! News and Education Week pick up the Texas Appleseed report about criminalizing young people in school.

Birmingham Schools Respond to Pepper Spray Lawsuit, Education Week
Schools in Birmingham, Alabama deny that they have any constitutional responsibility to protect students from the police.

Officials were given advanced warning on special-ed suspensions, memo shows, NY Daily News
The Daily News reports that officials were warned that too many special education students were being suspended.

Education Interrupted, NYCLU
City schools are suspending more students, and for longer, GothamSchools
Sharp Rise in Suspensions at City’s Schools Is Cited, The New York Times
Number of Students Suspended Doubles This Decade: Report, WNYC
An important new report from the Student Safety Coalition and the NYCLU exposes the fact that suspensions in New York City have skyrocketed over the last 10 years.  The patterns in the city are familiar: students are suspended and arrested for minor misconduct, more money is spent on police than on school counselors, and students of color are more likely to be disciplined than their White peers.

Opinions/Editorials

The zero-tolerance debate, The Notebook
A very good response to the recent op-ed challenging YUC and AP’s recent report in Philadelphia.  The author, a member of YUC’s board, rebuts the op-ed point by point.  It urges readers to take an honest look at the data and the facts on the ground and recognize that a problem exists and that there are ways to solve it.

Less than ‘zero tolerance,’ Philadelphia Inquirer
An op-ed piece by a teacher in the Philadelphia Inquirer takes issue with YUC, Advancement Project, and the Education Law Center’s recent report detailing the problems with zero tolerance in Philadelphia schools.  The author makes the familiar argument that schools need to get rid of the bad apples so the other students can learn.  First, there are no bad apples – there are just students with different needs.  Second, years of experience and research shows that the harsh discipline schools use to get rid of the supposed bad apples actually harms all students and makes schools less safe.