I was recently told by a few people that my opinions about the parcel tax and other school topics would lead to reprisals against my children in school. An idea that I have always discounted when presenting my opinion on this site, or in a letter to the editor of a newspaper. The tip, in the form of a question this time, was delivered by a few people I would consider "semi-insiders".  Despite that, I cannot imagine anyone in a professional capacity to behave this way. It is ludicrous to even think, that professionals in any branch of government would use their positions to "make and example of" or "attack" anyone, let alone their children, to make a statement, for some silly opinion they have. If they did then they would violate their own policies.
I mean let’s be real, how much political damage can one man really do anyway?

These comments led me to one fundamental question. If it were remotely true, how would they make an example of someone or their children? The answer...a nice little legal tool called the "Zero-Tolerance" policy. This thing is a real piece of work and largely overlooked and received with blind acceptance by parents.

It it’s conception "Zero-Tolerance" was born in the Criminal Justice system to deal with repeat offenders. It was so successful, that they decided to adopt it to deal with another more sinister breed of criminals…..our children!

It’s justification is aligned with the School shooting incidents such as at Columbine and others. Not only does the Zero Tolerance policy help school administrators deal with drugs, gangs, guns, knives & violence in our schools but it also helps them deal with the remaining criminals in our school that are chewing gum or are caught with nail clippers, keychains, necklaces, caps or without a belt. Not to mention the hardcore child drug dealers that are caught with over the counter cough drops. Let's not forget the little sexual harrassers in elementary school.  Children are being expelled for having a keychain with a little toy gun about a ½" in size, that you get out of gumball machines. First graders are getting suspended and expelled for sexual harassment. Examples are in the thousands. All under the guise of school, and child safety. The school boards position? It’s legal!.... Yep! No question about it, but is it ethical or even morally right?

In growing numbers our children are being forced out of schools to a point where Alternative Schools are having to be created. Perhaps that’s the goal in the first place. You can’t build alternative schools, employ more people and expand your power base unless you can put students in them. We create a zero tolerance policy then criminalize our youth, so we can justify this expansion of School government power. Is that the goal?  I’m grasping at straws to understand, and trying to figure out why they are enforcing school policies the way they are. It certainly can’t be for the well-being of children. It appears they are trying to expel all the children that do not fit into a certain mold they have envisioned. One that includes zombie like children with no individuality and no real leadership qualities and with no will to fight for anything. What we are getting are compliant little robots!

We have our government that includes Federal, State, and local that is held in check by the US Constitution and the laws. Then we have the "School System Government", that appears to have it’s own constitution and laws. Although they teach the US Constitution they don’t necessarily prescribe to it.

Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Religion, Protection against illegal searches and seizures, right to privacy, right to an education, the right to express oneself, and a host of others simply does not exist within the walls of the School System. Don’t believe me? Read your Student parent handbook. Hell, read the newspaper! I'll even go one better. Take a gander at the monthly "Reading File" that our local superintendent circulates to his administrative staff. In the last edition 70% of the articles where dedicated to "zero tolerance wins".  Take a look at some of the stories coming out and actual cases in the courts. Children across the country are being criminalized because of a thought, a drawing, and even a single politically incorrect word used on school campuses. Parents need to wake up and take notice of what is being allowed to happen and at the exclusion of themselves.

At our school a students right to defend themselves, does not exist. My son was sent to ATS (Alternative to Suspension) for fighting several years ago. Another student grabbed him, unprovoked, and put him in a headlock and was punching away at his face. He pulled free and pushed the other student away. Both were sent to the office. Both students received the same punishment. His right to defend himself does not exist because there were teachers on duty. Nevermind the teacher was more than 5 seconds away from getting to the disturbance. In my opinion it was a scuffle that didn’t amount to much. My discussion with the school was not over the fight, the cause or who started it but rather over the punishment. It was somehow backwards.

In another instance my son was being incorrigible in the hall, when he was 14. What was his crime? He was chewing gum. He was sent to ATS for a day. The same penalty he got for letting someone beat the hell out of him. Where is the justice in that? What did another boy get for the same crime? He was told to spit out his Gum. Why? Because he was the son of one of the teachers. You see, the Zero Tolerance policy is not about justice, fairness, or even safety. It’s a tool to deal with whomever they want, whenever they want and for whatever reason they choose. Can you question it? Can you challenge it? Can you argue against it, even on constitutional grounds? Absolutely not! They are backed by the DA and the courts.

The American Bar Association’s official stance on the subject is that it is something that needs to be dramatically revised. The ACLU is involved in several cases of zero tolerance policy abuses. The internet is littered with examples. There is one underlying theme across all examples. The parents involvement are excluded early in the process. The parents are notified and are involved after the fact.

The Schools have broad sweeping policies that cast a net around everyone irrespective of a students or parents rights. Decisions are made with far reaching consequences and without the involvement of the parents. Did you know that police cannot legally search your vehicle without probable cause but the School can? Did you know that each school has a different set of policies in the student/parent handbook? The Parish has a standard and then the schools write in their additional policies. If you want to challenge these policies or discuss a problem with the school board you will be awarded 10 minutes but you have to call 24 hours in advance. That should be plenty of time to discuss in depth and have a thorough exchange of ideas to resolve your problem! It's all about control! Even your defense time is controlled.

Fortunately, we have a small number of teachers in the schools that know how to deal with children without criminalizing them, ruining their reputations and damaging their future opportunities.

As an employer and a hiring manager I do not make decisions on hiring based on school disciplinary information, in regards to respective candidates. I never include the school systems in any background checks for prospective employees because unfortunately the information is valueless, because it is often skewed by "Zero-Tolerance" policies. Not all employers or hiring managers prescribe to that.

Under the umbrella of "Zero-Tolerance", school administrators need to stop enforcing what is the academic equivalent to capital punishment. They need to stop criminalizing our children. In today’s increasingly totalitarian U.S. School System, all individuality, autonomy, creativity, and even simple childhood joy is being crushed under a system that demands total control of our children’s bodies, minds and emotions.

In their efforts to create a safe environment, administrators need to consider this: There is more than one way to cripple or destroy a life. Just as surely as a knife or gun can kill, so too, can a blind policy hinder the futures of children. Careless punishment can kill opportunity and inflict a heavy toll on a child’s confidence and self worth. If they do not exercise common sense and continue to hide behind blanket policies that they helped write, they may very well commit crimes against the well-being of children the laws were meant to protect.

Common sense, compassion and moral strength, not fear and anxiety, should shape our policies and guide our reactions to threats of violence and chaos. School administrators devoid of a common sense understanding of the difference between immature behaviour and clearly defined threatening behavior should stop acting like prison wardens in a totalitarian state and start acting like role models of a democratic society. The School Systems need to create policies that protect the children from…oddly enough….the school systems. Or, at least recognize the laws that are already on the books. This is not communist China!

One look at the unbelievable examples throughout the country of how children are being treated under the umbrella of "Zero Tolerance", one cannot help but think that it must be a tool for reprisals against parents. Something as simple as school uniforms has become extremely complicated, but we’ll save that for another letter.

In addition to the financial resources the school systems are bleeding families for, they are having to turn around and spend resources to fight, to keep them in school, so their child can get an education. We are becoming opponents with our children caught in the middle.

More on this subject later, until then here’s the deal…I’m not voting for any new tax nor will I support the renewal of any tax, and I will be hard-pressed to re-elect any school board member until the zero tolerance policy is applied in the way it was intended. I recommend you do the same.

As for the fear of reprisals. Still can't imagine it being true but if it happens then I guess this article was more prophetic than first realized and it would give this article instant credibility.

www.jeffdavisparish.com
Joe Semmes