Zero Tolerance

[Ranger Mom]

What are your thoughts on it??

I read this article in Reader's Digest a couple of months ago and just got an email that referred to it and it just made me wonder what everyone else's opinion was.....

Personally, I think it started out being a good idea...but then you always get the ones making mountains out of molehills!!

Reader's Digest Article (http://www.rd.com/content/thats-outrageous-no-mercy-kid/)

[Ranger Mom]

Here is the website of the Texas dad who is fighting back...

Texas Zero Tolerance (http://www.texaszerotolerance.com/)

[carter08]

I don't like Zero Tolerance.

I get 3 days in ISS for hitting someone with an eraser.

Thats just not right.

[Macarthur]

Zero tolerance is a tool.

It's a simpleminded approach to problems. Everyone wants to "feel" better about being tough on problems. The problem with that is each situation is unique and should be handled as such. It doesn't give folks flexiblity to deal with these unique situations and ends up causing more problems than it solves, IMO.

[coiled2strike]

inconsistency is a big issue w/ discipline...zero tolerance is a poor attempt to implement consistency, i think...especially since you hear about stories where common sense should have been applied and wasn't...also, it is ridiculous, almost comical, some of the things i have seen kids do/say to teachers and there is little or no consequences...probably one of the biggest issues facing educators today

[Hupernikomen]

Zero Tolerance is not for every infraction, but is typically target specific. Racism, bullying, and sexual harrassment are the usual suspects.

[pirate4state]

Originally posted by Ranger Mom
What are your thoughts on it??

I read this article in Reader's Digest a couple of months ago and just got an email that referred to it and it just made me wonder what everyone else's opinion was.....

Personally, I think it started out being a good idea...but then you always get the ones making mountains out of molehills!!

Reader's Digest Article (http://www.rd.com/content/thats-outrageous-no-mercy-kid/)

It's a good idea in theory, but too many people lack common sense to make it work! :doh:

[STANG RED]

Personaly, I have zero tolerance for zero tolerance policies!

[LH Panther Mom]

It can work well as long as the rules AND consequences are straight-forward and well-defined....and there's consistency in the usage. In the case mentioned with the Boy Scout and his pocketknife, I understand that dad's point. But if the school is consistent in handling of knives, then they were in the right. It shouldn't be subjective - the school shouldn't have to decide if there was harmful intent or not.



And....yes, I've had a kid spend time in ISS for things that at the time I felt was not quite right (plastic G.I. Joe gun, for instance).

[zebrablue2]

Originally posted by LH Panther Mom
It can work well as long as the rules AND consequences are straight-forward and well-defined....and there's consistency in the usage. In the case mentioned with the Boy Scout and his pocketknife, I understand that dad's point. But if the school is consistent in handling of knives, then they were in the right. It shouldn't be subjective - the school shouldn't have to decide if there was harmful intent or not.



And....yes, I've had a kid spend time in ISS for things that at the time I felt was not quite right (plastic G.I. Joe gun, for instance).

honesty would work in a case like this. we need to teach our kids at a early age to tell the truth. if he would have gone straight to the office and told of his mistake, much of this could have been avoided. trying to hide things will only lead to bigger problems..

[sinton66]

Originally posted by pirate4state
It's a good idea in theory, but too many people lack common sense to make it work! :doh:

You hit the nail on the head. Zero tolerance is usually being applied with zero intelligence.

[sahen]

Originally posted by zebrablue2
honesty would work in a case like this. we need to teach our kids at a early age to tell the truth. if he would have gone straight to the office and told of his mistake, much of this could have been avoided. trying to hide things will only lead to bigger problems..

i have to disagree...i think he woudl have gotten the same punishment....also he needs to pick better friends, a true friend would not have told on the kid, i dont know what is going on there...i guess he learned a good life lesson there on trust....

45 days being suspended and going to a school for juvenile deliquents seems a bit much if htey use common sense...i can understand wanting to come down hard on a kid w/ a knife (though i have to hesitate to really call a 3 inch blade a knife) to make an example and all but thats some overkill for a kid w/ a clean record....not to mention he is a good kid they just put him into a living he** w/ those truly bad kids, no telling what htey did to him when he was there that could potentially screw a kid up for life at that age, heck they could even turn him into a real deliquent.....when i graduated (just 4 years ago) we could bring a pocketknife to school as long as the blade was not longer than 6 inches, times have changed fast i guess....

[No Show Jones]

I remember when we were growing up you could round up a truck of freshmen and haze the heck out of 'em

[BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END]

Originally posted by No Show Jones
I remember when we were growing up you could round up a truck of freshmen and haze the heck out of 'em

I remember when I would screw up my parents would get the belt after my butt and teach me not to screw up.

[No Show Jones]

Originally posted by BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END
I remember when I would screw up my parents would get the belt after my butt and teach me not to screw up. A belt is nothing compared to that ol switch they'd go take off a mesquit tree.

[BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END]

Originally posted by No Show Jones
A belt is nothing compared to that ol switch they'd go take off a mesquit tree.

I got the switch a few times, but not with any thorns on it....

[LH Panther Mom]

Originally posted by sahen
45 days being suspended and going to a school for juvenile deliquents seems a bit much if htey use common sense
I totally agree with that!

[sahen]

Originally posted by No Show Jones
A belt is nothing compared to that ol switch they'd go take off a mesquit tree.

peach tree! i used to have to go pick my own switch that my mom would use to whip me...

[Ranger Mom]

Originally posted by No Show Jones
A belt is nothing compared to that ol switch they'd go take off a mesquit tree.

A mesquite tree??:eek:

We always had to go pick out our own on the weeping willow.

Those things can wrap around and get you on 2 different spots at the same time!!!:(

[pirate4state]

Originally posted by sahen
i have to disagree...i think he woudl have gotten the same punishment....also he needs to pick better friends, a true friend would not have told on the kid, i dont know what is going on there...i guess he learned a good life lesson there on trust....

45 days being suspended and going to a school for juvenile deliquents seems a bit much if htey use common sense...i can understand wanting to come down hard on a kid w/ a knife (though i have to hesitate to really call a 3 inch blade a knife) to make an example and all but thats some overkill for a kid w/ a clean record....not to mention he is a good kid they just put him into a living he** w/ those truly bad kids, no telling what htey did to him when he was there that could potentially screw a kid up for life at that age, heck they could even turn him into a real deliquent.....when i graduated (just 4 years ago) we could bring a pocketknife to school as long as the blade was not longer than 6 inches, times have changed fast i guess.... well said. ITA

[luvhoops34]

Originally posted by Ranger Mom
A mesquite tree??:eek:

We always had to go pick out our own on the weeping willow.

Those things can wrap around and get you on 2 different spots at the same time!!!:(

Ewwww, same here RM. We had a huge willow tree in our backyard. It was hell to have to go out there and a get a switch that you were going to get whupped with.:(

[BILLYFRED0000]

Originally posted by Ranger Mom
What are your thoughts on it??

I read this article in Reader's Digest a couple of months ago and just got an email that referred to it and it just made me wonder what everyone else's opinion was.....

Personally, I think it started out being a good idea...but then you always get the ones making mountains out of molehills!!

Reader's Digest Article (http://www.rd.com/content/thats-outrageous-no-mercy-kid/)

Mom it comes down to this.

Since when is justice as simple as a rule book.

And since when is it ok to lose the right to innocent till proven guilty.

I have never been for this and think that the ACLU should rip every school district that even tries this a new one.

[big daddy russ]

When my brother was in HS, one of his friends got ISS for having an empty shotgun shell or two in the bed of his pickup. New principal at the time who had just come from Corpus, read some "study" about how bad the gangs in Ingleside were and took her big city, zero tolerance, hard-line approach to a small town.

The thing is, the kid was active in school. Played sports, did his work, was rarely in trouble.

And I think she may have read that "study" on a bathroom wall, because I don't think anyone before or since has ever accused Ingleside of having a gang problem.