The History Of Zero Tolerance In American Public Schooling

Through a case study of the Los Angeles city school district from the 1950s through the 1970s, Judith Kafka explores the intersection of race, politics, and the bureaucratic organization of schooling. Kafka argues that control over discipline became increasingly centralized in the second half of the twentieth century in response to pressures exerted by teachers, parents, students, principals, and local politicians - often at different historical moments, and for different purposes. Kafka demonstrates that the racial inequities produced by today's school discipline policies were not inevitable, nor are they immutable.

Through a case study of the Los Angeles city school district from the 1950s through the 1970s, Judith Kafka explores the intersection of race, politics, and the bureaucratic organization of schooling. Kafka argues that control over discipline became increasingly centralized in the second half of the twentieth century in response to pressures exerted by teachers, parents, students, principals, and local politicians - often at different historical moments, and for different purposes. Kafka demonstrates that the racial inequities produced by today's school discipline policies were not inevitable, nor are they immutable.

Answers the calls of grassroots communities pressing for integration and increased education funding with a complete rethinking of school discipline In the era of zero tolerance, we are flooded with stories about schools issuing draconian punishments for relatively innocent behavior. One student was suspended for chewing a Pop-Tart into the shape of a gun. Another was expelled for cursing on social media from home. Suspension and expulsion rates have doubled over the past three decades as zero tolerance policies have become the normal response to a host of minor infractions that extend well beyond just drugs and weapons. Students from all demographic groups have suffered, but minority and special needs students have suffered the most. On average, middle and high schools suspend one out of four African American students at least once a year. The effects of these policies are devastating. Just one suspension in the ninth grade doubles the likelihood that a student will drop out. Fifty percent of students who drop out are subsequently unemployed. Eighty percent of prisoners are high school drop outs. The risks associated with suspension and expulsion are so high that, as a practical matter, they amount to educational death penalties, not behavioral correction tools. Most important, punitive discipline policies undermine the quality of education that innocent bystanders receive as well—the exact opposite of what schools intend. Derek Black, a former attorney with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, weaves stories about individual students, lessons from social science, and the outcomes of courts cases to unearth a shockingly irrational system of punishment. While schools and legislatures have proven unable and unwilling to amend their failing policies, Ending Zero Tolerance argues for constitutional protections to check abuses in school discipline and lays out theories by which courts should re-engage to enforce students’ rights and support broader reforms.

Mandatory punishments for disciplinary offenses have been included in school districts' Student Codes of Conduct since it was mandated by the Gun Free Schools Act of 1994. While zero tolerance policies were initially created to protect students and teachers from gun attacks in schools, the way in which these policies have actually been implemented in schools has prompted some parents, educators, and politicians to challenge them and call for zero tolerance policy reform. Since 1994, a majority of school districts have expanded their use of zero tolerance policies to include infractions other than those included to keep guns out of schools. Zero Tolerance Discipline Policies, the first comprehensive study of its kind, conducted by author Dr. Brian James Schoonover, examines the history of zero tolerance policies, including the practice of adding offenses other than the possession of guns to these policies. With practical, action oriented recommendations on ways policymakers and educational leaders can improve how students are disciplined, Zero Tolerance Discipline Policies offers recommendations on what should be included in a model Student Code of Conduct as well as a recommendation for starting a Three CHANCE (Changing Habits After New Character Education) system of educational placements to ensure all students are educated in a safe and appropriate facility.

Suspension and expulsion rates have doubled over the past three decades as zero tolerance policies have become the normal response to a host of minor infractions that extend well beyond just drugs and weapons. Students from all demographic groups have suffered, but minority and special needs students have suffered the most. Derek Black weaves stories about individual students, lessons from social science, and the outcomes of courts cases to unearth an irrational system of punishment. While schools and legislatures have proven unable and unwilling to amend their failing policies, Ending Zero Tolerance argues for constitutional protections to check abuses in school discipline and lays out theories by which courts should re-engage to enforce students' rights and support broader reforms.

In this fascinating collection, some of the foremost historians of education--including Barbara Beatty, Larry Cuban, Linda Eisenmann, Yoon K. Pak, John L. Rury, and Jonathan Zimmerman--debunk commonly held myths about American schooling. Each short, readable chapter focuses on one myth, explaining what the real history is and how it helped shape education today. Contributors take on a host of tall tales, including the supposed agrarian origins of summer vacation; exaggerated stories of declining student behavior and academic performance; persistent claims that some people are born to be teachers; idealistic notions that the 1954 Brown decision ended segregation in American schools; misleading beliefs that classrooms operate in ways designed to fit the industrial era; and more. 23 Myths About the History of American Schools will awaken the inner history nerd of everyone who ever asked, "How did we get this irrational school system?" It will affirm the truth that its readers are as entitled to think critically about schooling as anyone else. Book Features: Examines how the history of American education has been distorted and misrepresented, either intentionally or unintentionally. Provides important stories that can help guide discussion about the future of education. Anticipates what local and state politicians are likely to say (and misstate) about schooling. Provides engaging chapters that highlight why real history is important and more fascinating than the myths. Accessible to a wide range of readers from undergraduates to career educators.

"This book examines the most frightening and challenging form of juvenile violence, the K-12 school violence perpetrator, as separate from all other forms of school and public offenders. It separates school violence perpetrators into a more concise types such as: traditional school violence perpetrators, gang-related school violence perpetrators, and non-school associated mentally ill school violence perpetrators"--

The underground history of the American education will take you on a journey into the background, philosophy, psychology, politics, and purposes of compulsion schooling.