The Pros and Cons of Zero Tolerance

Charles Patrick Ewing of SUNY-Buffalo and Joan First of the National Coalition of Advocates for Students take different sides on harsh measures.

Protection for Whom? At What Price?
By Joan First

The school reform movement is rife with unanticipated consequences. Zero Tolerance school discipline policies are a prime example. In 1994, to bolster school safety and ensure orderly learning environments, Congress passed the Gun Free School Act which require states that receive federal funds to mandate expulsion from school for at least one year for any student who brings a weapon to school.

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