ARCHIVED ARTICLES

 

Week of September 24, 2010

Broward School District affirms gun policy for toys, Sun Sentinel
A story from Broward County, FL about a district that still feels compelled to apply its zero tolerance policy strictly with respect to a toy gun.

Paddling as Punishment, How Schools Stack Up, KATV Channel 7
A report from Arkansas says that last year students were paddled nearly 35,000 times.  The article reports that paddling is part of the “Southeastern Culture.”  It is true that corporal punishment is most prevalent in the Southeast, it is also true, however, that research has shown that students of color are more likely to be corporally punished than White students and that corporal punishment can have long term damaging effects to students educational lives.

Student Suspensions, Education Week
Edweek reports on the recent Losen and Skiba report.

School officials back zero tolerance for serious offenses, Highlands Today
From Florida – a rather typical article where school officials talk tough about needing to have zero tolerance for violence.

At Riverdale High School, message of a tattoo stirs debate, news-press.com
A student in Florida will be expelled for her tattoo.

Parents say schools are too quick to expel students, Chicago Tribune
An important series of stories coming out of Chicago drawing attention to the problems with school discipline there.  The Chicago Tribune uses a situation in Maywood to highlight parents who are fighting back against schools that are too eager to expel youth and push them out.

High School District Kicks Out 1 in 3 Students, WBEZ91.5
WBEZ in Chicago reports that Proviso High School in Maywood kicks out 1 in 3 students – shocking.

Study showing race divide in suspensions not surprising, local officials say, Middletown Journal
Officials in Middletown, OH pick up on the Losen/Skiba report and say that it’s not a surprise – good local coverage.

Oceano girl suspended over laser pointer, SanLuisObispo.com
A 10-year old in California was suspended for using a laser pointer in school.

Samuel Burgos: Toy Gun Earns Boy 2-Year Suspension, Right Celebrity
A boy expelled for a year for a toy gun may face another year before returning to school.

One Strike, They’re Out, ConnectionNewspapers.com
A story from Fairfax County, VA recounts the tragic suicide of a student on the night before he was to face an expulsion hearing for possessing marijuana.

Swarthmore Students Contribute to Growing Chester Youth Court, The Daily Gazette
A report on Swarthmore students who are volunteering and helping in youth court as an alternative to suspension near Philly.

Lorain High student arrested after refusing to change into gym clothes, The Morning Journal
A good example of the problems with having police serve as disciplinarians – a student was arrested in Ohio for refusing to change into his gym clothes.

Low pants, low-cut blouse are top violations, Highlands Today
Dress code crackdown in Florida.

Parents of autistic student sue Allen School District over excessive discipline, The Southeast Texas Record
Parents in Texas sue the school district for using physical restraints and isolation on their autistic child.

Opinions/Editorials

The Record: Students’ Rights, NorthJersey.com
An editorial from New Jersey in support of a recent court decision holding that schools may not punish students for actions that they take off of school grounds and outside of school control.

Public School Lockdown: The Politics of School Safety in New York City, Politic365
An excellent piece on school security in New York City in support of the School Safety Act, and calling out the city for the criminalization and institutionalization of youth of color.  The piece highlights the prevalence of metal detectors and the culture of oppression that they and other security infrastructure create.

One Strike and They’re Out, The New York Times
A very strong editorial from the NYTimes highlighting Losen and Skiba’s report and arguing that we need to address the problem by collecting more data and putting pressure on states and districts where the problem is most severe.

The Stupid People In Charge Of Schools, MenNewsDaily.com
Unlikely ally “Mens News Daily” has a piece on the situation in Broward County where a student has now been expelled for TWO years for bringing a toy gun to school.

When Teachers Discipline Students, The Wall Street Journal
Another example of the curmudgeonly and dangerous attitude that sees youth as threats that need to be neutralized and “taught a lesson” from this op-ed in the Wall Street Journal.  Students need support, not violent discipline – and pieces like this that glorify get tough strategies are what gave us zero tolerance and our pushout crisis.

Dear Sen. Feinstein & Sen. Hatch, Let’s Stop Sending Our Kids to Prison!, The Huffington Post
Russell Simmons with a good piece supporting the youth promise act in the Huffington Post.  The crux of it is the argument that we need to change our priorities on dealing with youth – instead of fearing and criminalizing them, we need to support them and keep them in school.

 

Week of September 17, 2010

Study: Racial imbalance in suspensions, UPI.com
Study finds racial gap in suspensions of middle school students, UCLA
Study: Blacks Suspended from School More than Whites, Opposing Views
More coverage of Losen and Skiba’s report on racial disparities in middle school suspensions from UPI, UCLA’s website, and SPLC’s Opposing Views.

District rethinks approach to discipline, Morning Sentinel
An interesting report from a town in Maine that is employing a comprehensive approach to restorative justice aimed at building community and trust in the classroom.

Loss of assistant principals spreads Mobile County school staffs thin, Press-Register
Budget cuts are hitting school discipline programs too – this story from Mobile illustrates how much work it is to discipline students.

Program helps CUSD achieve fewer discipline referrals, Coolidge Examiner
More news about positive behavior approaches cutting back on discipline referrals and improving school climate from Arizona.

Norwegians learn discipline strategies at Kiefer School, Journal Star
School officials from peaceful Norway are visiting Illinois to learn more about restorative justice and conflict resolution in school – it might be a good idea of officials from our major cities would do the same.

Baltimore Forum: Stop attacks on public education! Money for youth jobs and schools!, PSLweb.org
The Baltimore Algebra Project is speaking out about school resources and the school to prison pipeline.

Era of ‘no child left alone,’ The Examiner (San Francisco)
An excellent piece from San Francisco decrying the growing trend of treating youth as a threat and a nuisance.  The writer draws a connection between the “human bug zapper” recently installed in Washington D.C. to deter loitering youth to the dystopian security state we have created at many schools.  He calls schools a “12 year shuffle through a giant TSA security line.”

Racial Disparity in School Suspensions, The New York Times
Middle Schools Are Disciplining Kids by Throwing Them Away, Colorlines
Dan Losen and Russ Skiba have released a new report highlighting racial disparities in school discipline – especially in middle school.  It’s an important report that both presents data and rebuts common arguments that seek to downplay the problem.  NYTimes covers the report and challenges Milwaukee and Palm Beach to respond.  Colorlines has a story too.

Schools adopt “good behavior” discipline program, Superior Telegram
A story on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports in Wisconsin.

There’s apparently no limit to zero tolerance drug paranoia., Drug WarRant.com
In Texas, a student was suspended because they suspected he was high – but he was just grieving for his father.

Schools average in paddling, Desoto Times Tribune
A report on corporal punishment in DeSoto County, Mississippi – 10.5% of all students were paddled.

Opinions/Editorials

The doctor’s Rx for Philadelphia school violence, Philadelphia Daily News
But there’s another op-ed that strikes a different tone.  Charles Williams argues that the cause of school violence should be traced to adults and their policies rather than unruly youth.  The piece calls for the city to revisit its security policies and start treating youth with respect and care.

City schools’ trust problem, The Philadelphia Inquirer
Philadelphia’s former “safe schools” head has an op-ed arguing that Ackerman is not being tough enough on school violence. It’s more of the same mistaken bad apples logic.  Moreover, the piece argues that the schools have a trust problem – but it gets it entirely backwards.  In order for schools to gain student and public trust, they have to stop talking about zero-tolerance, and start talking about real support and learning.

Torturing Children to Protect Them From Drugs, StoptheDrugWar.org
StopTheDrugWar picks up the story of the mistakenly suspended student in Texas who was not high – just grieving.

Keep children out of jail, trib.com
In Wyoming, a letter to the editor calling for an end to the School to Prison Pipeline there.

 

Week of September 10, 2010

Positive behavior program shrinks discipline problems, WyomingNews.com
Another positive story about positive behavior supports – this time from Wyoming.

Desk Arrest Stirs Protest, The Wall Street Journal
A very good story in the Wall Street Journal about the progress of the School Safety Act in New York City.  The story focuses on the recent arrest of a 12-year old student for doodling on her desk and on how that incident has increased pressure on the city to take action to limit the role of police in schools.

Wake School Board changes rules for long-term suspensions, News 14 Carolina
More reporting on the very promising news out of Wake County, North Carolina, where the board is backing away from zero tolerance.

School discipline changing in Wake, NewsObserver.com
The News Observer reports on the board’s process, which was marked by a realization that zero tolerance wasn’t working and that other strategies to keep students in school would work better.

At a Bronx school, new metal detectors attract a new neighbor, GothamSchools
A striking photo and story from outside Lehman High School in the Bronx where new metal detectors were installed for the new school year.  Someone has figured out a way to make money off of the students subject to search by charging them to hold their phones for the day.

Midwestern Kids Feel Unsafe At School, NBC15.com
A study from Wisconsin finds that 20% of students in the Midwest feel unsafe at school and that 40% feel unsafe going to and from school.

School Safety Agents sworn in, The Queens Courier
Near 100 new school safety agents were sworn in in New York City.

Wake school administrators seek discipline revisions, NewsObserver.com
Wake County, North Carolina is unveiling a plan that would put an end to zero-tolerance and put more emphasis on shortening suspensions and providing alternatives to exclusionary discipline.  It is a very positive step – and proof that well coordinated advocacy (in this case from Advocates for Children’s Services) can make real change.

In Philadelphia, back to school or pay $25 fine, WHYY
Philly is going to fine parents when students skip school.

Summit to Discuss School Suspension and Policy in North Carolina, PR.com
A statewide summit on school discipline and suspensions is set in North Carolina for November 12.

Recess before lunch means better appetites, fewer discipline problems, Middletown Journal
In Middletown, OH, schools are finding that putting recess before lunch leads to better appetites and fewer discipline issues.

Options Closed for High School Dropouts, New America Media
Article chronicles how high school dropouts are less likely to become find legitimate employment, putting them on a track to prison.

Opinions/Editorials

Williams: Monsters in the classroom fueled by society, FayObserver.com
Hateful article dismisses the school-to-prison pipeline, claims that students are disciplined because they are “monsters,” and insists that Black males are disproportionately worse.  Perversely, the columnist is a Black male himself.

We need a prison alternative, Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel
Op-ed calls for an alternative to incarcerating students, making a good economic argument.

Our Youth Don’t Need Bootstraps, They Need Us, The Huffington Post
Op-ed explains how the school-to-prison pipeline disproportionately affects Black males and cannot be overcome simply by “trying harder” in school.

 

 

Week of September 3, 2010

Task force: Minority male dropout rate is horrific, Philadelphia Inquirer
Black and Latino boys disrespected, task force finds, Philadelphia Public School Notebook
In Philadelphia, the School Reform Commission issues a scathing report calling the dropout rate for Black and Latino males a “crisis.”  The report recommends reforms that would ease zero tolerance and seek to more actively engage youth.  It will be interesting to see how the district responds.

Asian leaders express doubt on South Phila. High plan, The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Asian American community responds by questioning the “zero tolerance” rhetoric and calling for a more constructive school culture.

Pastors fight to get 3 expelled students back in Maywood high school, Chicago Tribune
Near Chicago, the community is pushing back against the expulsion of three Black youth from school in Maywood.  Pastors are drawing links between this case and the Decatur case in 1999.  Importantly, a big part of the argument is that Black youth are often punished more harshly because of societal racial assumptions – even by Black administrators.

Suing a School They Loved, The New York Times
Parents are suing the prestigious school Horace Mann NYC because their son was suspended for three days – a mark on his permanent record.  This story is an example of how commonplace punishments in many schools can cause outrage in communities with more privilege and college expectations.

Ackerman: Zero tolerance for violence at S. Phila. High, Philadelphia Inquirer
In Philly, Ackerman renews her “zero tolerance” rhetoric.

Minnesota Law Enforcement Leaders Say Quality Early Learning Programs Reduce Violent Crime, Save Millions in Special Education Costs, PR Newswire
The Minnesota law enforcement establishment is arguing that good early-childhood education saves millions of law-enforcement dollars.

Study: Special ed students more likely to be disciplined, Abilene Reporter News
More coverage of Texas Appleseed’s report on disparities in school discipline in Texas.

Sexual pantomime earns middle-schooler expulsion, The Daytona Beach News-Journal
A 14-year old in Florida was expelled for “sexual” actions while he was horsing around on the back of a school bus – and charged with a felony.

Focus says gay groups pushing agenda in schools, The Durango Herald
Focus on the Family claims that anti-bullying laws are proxies for a “gay agenda.”

Bring it: Boys may benefit from aggressive play, TodayShow.com
NBC has a story that suggests that aggressive play may help children develop – and that punishing it harshly may impede development.

Worst of ‘blackboard jungle,’ New York Post
16 New York City schools were designated as “persistently dangerous.”

Jurupa mandatory expulsion votes under grand jury scrutiny, The Press-Enterprise
Two school district trustees in Jurupa, CA are being investigated by a grand jury for their policy of voting no on all “mandatory expulsions” that come before the trustees.  The story is a case of school administrators resisting the state’s zero tolerance law and being challenged for it.

4th Grader Suspended For Sniffing Hand Sanitizer, cbs13.com
A 9-year old in California was suspended for sniffing hand sanitizer – he didn’t know it was against the rules.

Markell signs school crime reporting bill, WHYY
More coverage on the recent Delaware school crime reporting bill.

Study: Spanking still widespread in N.C., The Seattle Times
A recent study finds that fifty-nine percent of all school districts in North Carolina permit corporal punishment.

Governor Markell to sign school crimes mandatory reporting bill, WGMD.com
In Delaware, one of the Zero Tolerance Task Force’s recommended changes takes effect today – raising the minimum age for reporting school misconduct to police.

Missouri schools take on cyber-bullying with new law, stltoday.com
Missouri anti-bullying statues have been re-written to explicitly prohibit cyber-bullying.

Murphy hosts education summit, New Britain Herald
More than 300 people showed up to Rep. Chris Murphy’s summit on keeping youth in school and out of prison in Connecticut.

District 145 programs to prevent problems, JournalStandard.com
Reporting on a district in Illinois that is implementing Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS).

Opinions/Editorials

Editorial: Setting the right tone, Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer continues its zero-tolerance drumbeat, praising Superintendent Ackerman for her zero tolerance stance at South High School and asking for more.

America’s real school-safety problem, Salon.com
Salon publishes an interview with Aaron Kupchick, who’s recent book about the follies of zero tolerance has been getting some national attention.  It’s a very good interview, and a very favorable treatment of his arguments against zero tolerance.