Week 5 Can Zero Tolerance Read and Analyze.

Monday morning at 8:45 AM, Mrs. Luna smiles at all her students as they enter the classroom.
Johnny walked into his sixth grade classroom after a weekend of camping with his dad. Johnny is the student leader for the class that morning. He is an excellent student and is a friend to everyone in class. He was also one of those students who are never a problem. Teachers always loved having him, and students liked him in their classrooms.
It had been his birthday over the weekend, and he was given a new Leatherman OHT multitool. He was so proud and excited! He had used the Leatherman over the weekend as often as possible and inadvertently kept it handy in his backpack. Unfortunately, since he also used this backpack for his school books, he had forgotten to take it out before heading to school.
At lunchtime, as he was opening up his backpack, he saw that he had forgotten his Leatherman was in the front zipper pocket. He pulled it out and displayed the tool, and its amazing functions, to the other students at his table; after all, it was his new birthday present. One of the students told the teacher who was on lunchroom duty that Johnny had a knife. The teacher went straight to the principal to report the accusation. Upon receiving the report, the principal had no choice but to search Johnny’s backpack. She found the Leatherman, which, by school policy, was defined as a weapon. Because of the school’s zero tolerance policy, Johnny was subsequently suspended and after a hearing, expelled from school. Mrs. Luna was heartbroken.

Read:
1. Taking Sides Issue 3.6: Can Zero Tolerance Violate Students’ Rights?
2. Nebraska School Officials Want Boy Named ‘Hunter’ to Change his Name
Reflect on and compose an analysis of your perspectives in response to the following questions:
What is your view of the zero tolerance policy?
Have we taken this policy too far?
Where would you draw the line?
What are your options as a teacher?
How has the zero tolerance policy changed since its original implementation? What are the benefits? Drawbacks?
How does the zero tolerance policy work at your school?
Support your statements with evidence from the required studies and your research.

References:

The following materials are required studies to complete work. Complete these studies at the beginning of the week and save these weekly materials for future use.
Read
Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Educational Issues (Koonce, 2014)
Issue 18: Can Zero Tolerance Violate Students Rights?
Yes: Hon. David Souter, from Majority Opinion in Safford Unified School District v. Redding (June 25, 2009)
Nebraska School Officials Want Boy Named ‘Hunter’ to Change his Name. Commentary. GOPUSA. [PDF] (Jensen, 2013, June)
Multiple Responses, Promising Results: Evidence-Based, Nonpunitive Alternative to Zero Tolerance. Research to Results Trends (NEA, 2011)
http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/alternatives-to-zero-tolerance.pdf
Zero Tolerance and Alternative Strategies: A Fact Sheet for Educators and Policymakers (NASP, 2001)
http://www.nasponline.org/resources/factsheets/zt_fs.aspx
Review (Optional)
School Basic Emergency Plan (Washington, Military Department, 2013) [Includes Lesson Plans]
http://www.emd.wa.gov/preparedness/prep_schools_emergencyplan.shtml

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