Hats off to Teresa Schooley for taking a common sense approach to the State's Zero-Tolerance Discipline Policies!
Schooley introduces bill to curb excesses of zero-tolerance provisons
Published: Wednesday, April 8, 2009 2:12 PM CDT
Courtesy the Newark Post
Following an incident last week in which an elementary school student was suspended and faced expulsion for bringing a knife to school to cut a cake, Rep. Teresa L. Schooley, D-Newark, introduced legislation Tuesday that would give school boards more discretion in enforcing the state’s “zero tolerance” provision.
It was reported last week of an 11-year-old girl who brought a knife to May B. Leasure Elementary School in Bear along with a cake and cupcakes. According to the girl’s parents, a teacher used the knife to cut the cake, then reported the girl for bringing a “deadly weapon” to school. The girl was suspended for five days and faced expulsion under Christina School District’s policy.District policy classifies any blade longer than 3 inches as a deadly weapon, regardless of its use, according to the article.
Students caught carrying or concealing them are subject to five days suspension. Parents or guardians also are notified of possible expulsion and police are contacted to file charges, the paper reported.
House Bill 120 would amend the state’s “zero tolerance” provision to give school boards the discretion to modify the terms of expulsion or determine that expulsion is not appropriate on a case-by-case basis.
A former elementary school music teacher and 9-year former member of the Christina School District school board, Rep. Schooley said the law is too rigid and allows no flexibility for school administrators and boards to handle each situation appropriately.
“I am in no way making light of the situation of children bringing weapons to school, but I think adults know the difference between a weapon and a knife being used to cut a cake,” Rep. Schooley said. “Because the law is so strict and there’s no room for discretion, families are placed into difficult situations where they have to get a lawyer to fight expulsion.
“The way the law is written, it automatically escalates a situation to something that no one wants. Not only is a child faced with the trauma of everything, but the family is forced to gather its resources to defend the child.”
House Bill 120, which has 16 co-sponsors in the House, has been assigned to the House Judiciary Committee.
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