I wrote this essay for the purpose of educating myself and learning how to help w/ Stephanie's job.
The purpose of attending school is to receive educations that would help an individual throughout every phase of their lives and gain a positive outlook for their future. Since the Zero-Tolerance law became effective, everything went downhill.
Zero Tolerance ideas came from the "broken windows" theory in which claims that crime is a disorder, if not eradicated or contained early on, increases the likelihood of committing a more serious crime later on. The policies itself were to believe that it would reduce drug use, firearms, and violence which in turn make schools safer places to learn. Instead, it encourages Instead, it encourages the student to be a victim of suspensions which eventually causes them to drop out of school. Those who got dropped out are more likely to get arrested.
Although to many states, the idea of having a strong enforcement to keep the school secured is appealing. But as the policies have been implemented in schools, however, the outcomes have led to the realization that increasing punishment creates far more unintended consequences. Furthermore, the policies are still in effect today in many schools and there is a wealth of evidence that proves how ineffective the policy is. The evidence has shown that zero-tolerance policy disproportionately affected students and play a major role in the school-to-prison pipeline.
School-to-pipeline, a nationwide issue in which minorities are pushed from public schools and into the criminal justice system. Supposedly, they were there to prevent mass shootings like the one at Columbine. But they end up a way for schools to outsource discipline to the police. However, since the Columbine shooting over 10,000 school police officers were hired to prevent school shootings. Yet, two decades later, they have not successfully stopped a single school shooting. Rather, they have arrested over a million kids, mostly students of color for routine behavior violations.
The school-to-pipeline, when combined with zero-tolerance policy unfairly, impacts minorities of color, Latino and black students and those with disabilities as well as students who identify as LGBTQ. Students of color in Rochester, New York are approximately 2 times more likely to be suspended than their white peers and black students with disabilities are 2.6 times more likely to be suspended than their white peers. Students of color also receive far harsher punishments than their peers for minor offenses which include being rude, talking back, being disrespectful to a teacher or even just possessing something like gummies bear. The result would end up suspending student which costs them days of instructional time and also increase the possibility of being dropped out due to falling behind in school. Those who dropped out of school have a higher probability of coming contact into the incarceration system.
Students should, of course, receive consequences when their actions are academically, physically or emotionally harmful to themselves or their peers when in school settings. Although, how we view our students must be reconfigured to address their humanity and personal identity. This lack of seeing students of color as worthy of such consideration is at the core of the school-to-prison pipeline agenda.
The solution to this nationwide issue is relatively simple. Instead of spending money on increasing school safety and the criminal justice system, we need to invest more in hiring support staff and provides support to students. Teachers must also undergo training for self-management, improve self-resilience, improve self-awareness, and responsible decision-making. Creating appropriate limits on the use of law enforcement in public schools. Alternatively, we could implement Restorative justices, an approach to justice in which aims to get offenders to take responsibility for their actions and understand the harm they caused. These methods allow them to get the opportunity to reclaim themselves in which prevents them to cause further harm. This also applies to victims which lets them be an active role in the process. In short, it's a meeting where both parties, the offender and the victims, talk it out with a counselor instead of relying on punishment. Studies have shown that adopting restorative justice has improved the overall culture of the school and reduced the number of infractions.
Schools with zero-tolerance policies play a role in the school-to-prison pipeline has been proved. It is important that schools reconsider the way they discipline students and look into a different method or use the justice restorative method to develop the student into a positive, contributing member of the society rather than deferring them from crime. If this becomes the school's priority, then the student would be set on a better path and a more positive learning environment can be created within the school. It’s time for changes that affirms and values all students at their core.
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