News Articles
Week of September 3, 2010
September 2, 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.
September 2, 2010
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.
August 31, 2010
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.
August 31, 2010
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.
August 31, 2010
Ackerman: Zero tolerance for violence at S. Phila. High, Philadelphia Inquirer
In Philly, Ackerman renews her “zero tolerance” rhetoric.
August 31, 2010
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.
August 30, 2010
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.
August 30, 2010
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.
August 30, 2010
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.”
August 29, 2010
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.
August 28, 2010
Worst of ‘blackboard jungle,’ New York Post
16 New York City schools were designated as “persistently dangerous.”
August 26, 2010
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.
August 26, 2010
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.
August 26, 2010
Markell signs school crime reporting bill, WHYY
More coverage on the recent Delaware school crime reporting bill.
August 26, 2010
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.
August 25, 2010
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.
August 25, 2010
Missouri schools take on cyber-bullying with new law, stltoday.com
Missouri anti-bullying statues have been re-written to explicitly prohibit cyber-bullying.
August 25, 2010
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.
August 25, 2010
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
September 1, 2010
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.
August 29, 2010
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.
