Is a zero tolerance policy a good, or bad thing? I believe this policy started being applied about 20 years ago in a lot of schools to deal with drugs. It has been applied to other areas as well ranging from what is considered anything that may be considered a weapon to even peoples attitudes. Has this policy gone a little too far as far as throwing out just good plain 'ole common sense, or is this a helpful tool? I do feel that people and places should be very strict on drug use in the workplace and/or school, but i feel that it throws out the basic common sense in society. Where do you stand on this issue?
Copy & paste to friend: (Click inside box; Ctrl + C to copy; Ctrl + V to paste)
|
|
read more blogs!
Blogs by StraddleMyNose:
|
|
|
|
|
| Is a zero tolerance policy a good, or bad thing? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
NightOfOld
|
Oct 16 @ 10:29AM
|
|
It's a good policy when applied to certain things like drugs or guns in school. But they have taken it to extremes. JMO.
|
|
40DWM
|
Oct 16 @ 10:38AM
|
|
In My Humble Opinion, it really sucks. It shows just how ignorant those in
power can really be. The six year old that brought his Cub Scout/Swiss
Army Spoon-Knife-Fork eating utensil was almost scared for life, the 17
year old Eagle Scout that had a 'Whopping' 2 inch knife locked in his car trunk....
Yet most schools that I know of, turn a blind eye to bullies and hazing, which is
pretty much what let to Columbine. Just look at what goes on in Chicago to
honer students....where were the authorities WHEN it happened?
|
|
RevDocLove
|
Oct 16 @ 10:48AM
|
|
It does sometimes get a little ridiculous.. 
I'm sure that boy was just proud of his new utensils and was
kind of showing his peers that he was a Scout! 
|
|
Sunshine79
|
Oct 16 @ 10:55AM
|
|
|
To be honest Shawn, I don't know anymore.....
|
|
surv6969
|
Oct 16 @ 11:01AM
|
|
|
It's a good policy when applied to certain things like drugs or guns in school. But they have taken it to extremes. JMO. Not even for those reasons is it a good policy. You need to take in the circumstances. That 1st grader who brought his cub scout eating utensil to school and got suspended for 5 days and was facing 45 days in reform school. Come on that is ridiculous.  My daughter takes medication for migraines. For those who get them they know sometimes they come on fast. In order for my daughter to have them at school and that includes in the car in the parking lot they must be locked up in the office. So to take medicine that she needs she has to get the teacher to let her leave class and go to the office and the right person has to be in the office to unlock the safe for her to take her medicine. In order for the medicine to get to school or leave school I have to go get it because if she takes it to the office she will be suspended for having drugs at school and that includes tylenol.
|
|
dmbchick420
|
Oct 16 @ 11:15AM
|
|
|
To be honest Shawn, I don't know anymore.....
I second that....
|
|
Ewe_Wish
|
Oct 16 @ 11:30AM
|
|
|
Well i think they should take each instance a part from the ruling to see if this was something that the no tolerance policy was talking about..........for instance the one about the cub scout that Surv mentioned................but I think they need some kind of policy in force. You know I laughed when my sons high school decided you could not have a chain hanging off your pants even if it was to a truckers wallet more than 3 inches long.............thought it was kinda stupid until the kid snuck in a chain and wrapped it around one of the other students throats and probably would have killed the kid if three teachers hadn't pulled him off...................in keeping our children safe I think they need this kind of stuff.................but it should be on a case by case evaluation.
|
|
somnium
|
Oct 16 @ 11:37AM
|
|
|
Has this policy gone a little too far as far as throwing out just good plain 'ole common sense,
There's your answer! Over reaction takes precedence over common sense! If there is an issue with a student, then a meeting should be set up between the student, his or her's parents, the school principle and the teacher, to discuss an incident- not just automatically suspend the student! What kind of message does that send to the rest of the students??
Give some people a little authoritative power and common sense goes out the window!
JMO
|
|
Wordsofwit
|
Oct 16 @ 1:53PM
|
|
|
I agree with somnium. There is much to said for latitude and discretion. Being rigid and arbitrary doesn't facilitate that.
|
|
shewolf53
|
Oct 16 @ 2:00PM
|
|
|
Here in Fayetteville we have had kids in Kindergarten bringing guns and knives to school and pulling them on classmates. No one was hurt as the gun was not loaded. The kids in class were laughing at the kid with the gun and he wanted to kill them. I think it has to be applied to guns and drugs in the schools. We have it down here for drugs, weapons and gang apparel in the schools as we have a huge gang problem and an even bigger drug problem.
|
|
JustAnAvatar
|
Oct 16 @ 5:57PM
|
|
Zero tolerance as a substitute for common sense is a bad policy. Even in the schools, it becomes a replacement for reasonable judgement. When schools punish a kid for carrying Tylenol (because they are getting over a cold and need it), the policy no longer has anything to do with what it purports to be fixing.
I would say the same for mandatory sentencing. It's a substitute for applying reasonable judgement. As a result, we see young 18 year old kids who get caught with pot getting sent to prison under some archaic mandatory sentencing policy. One size fits all - except one size never really does fit all.
|
|
sugarnspice005
|
Oct 16 @ 8:20PM
|
|
|
Has this policy gone a little too far as far as throwing out just good plain 'ole common sense
Yep. I believe in zero tolerance when it comes to illegal drugs in school, and weapons. If a kid has an aspirin, then they shouldn't be suspended, providing they have a note from their parent/guardian.
Suspending a 6 yr old because he brought his Cub Scout knife to school is beyond common sense. Maybe his parents shouldn't have let him take it.
|
|
rayden900
|
Oct 16 @ 10:07PM
|
|
|
I'd agree that some of the things people got expelled for are lame. I heard like in 98 a kid got expelled or suspended for making a paper gun. Now that was ridiculous. I remember when I was in kindergarten and we were allowed to bring toy guns and fake weapons for show and tell or a Halloween party. Now it's just getting ridiculous. But now you got to worry about psychos shooting up high schools. Maybe they should have a "Common Sense" Policy?
|
|
KitKat25
|
Oct 17 @ 3:43AM
|
|
|
Has this policy gone a little too far as far as throwing out just good plain 'ole common sense
Yes, it has.
Zero tolerance as a substitute for common sense is a bad policy. Even in the schools, it becomes a replacement for reasonable judgment. When schools punish a kid for carrying Tylenol (because they are getting over a cold and need it), the policy no longer has anything to do with what it purports to be fixing.
This paragraph hit the nail on the head. You simply cannot substitute common sense with rules and policies. The powers that be still need to be an active part of the decision making process and exercise common sense, as well as exceptions to rules and policies when warranted. Somewhere during the past 20 years, we have allowed those in charge of our children's education to hide behind ridiculous rhetoric and toss common sense out the window...it needs to stop. JMO.
|
|
chuck111
|
Oct 19 @ 4:01PM
|
|
we are becomeing very cold and that is no good.thay think we are all foolspeople better think of all the things that cant do any more sorry for the spelling
chuck
|
|