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Zero Tolerance in schools - adminstrative cop out?

Do Zero Tolerance policies in schools make sense? Do they work? Are they too easy an excuse of administrators to not use their judgement and gapple with the nuances of difficult situations?      Malcom Gladwell has an interesting essay in the September 4, 2006 issue of The New Yorker entitled "No Mercy".

A Tennessee study found that after zero-tolerance programs were adopted by the state’s public schools the frequency of targeted offenses soared: the firm and unambiguous punishments weren’t deterring bad behavior at all. Is that really a surprise?

To read the American Bar Association report on Zero Tolerance policies click here.

Link: The New Yorker: The Talk of the Town.

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