Does the Zero Tolerance Policy go to far? According to Websters Dictionary, the definition of zero is naught: none; the defintion of tolerance is patience. The meaning of Zero Tolerance infact means both. Zero Tolerance in the school system means that teachers, administrators and school officials are to have no leniency towards any wrong behavior and must take drastic action to stop it immediately.

A public shaken with images of children killing children in school hallways may be applauding a new emphasis on stricter punishment of students who even hint at violent behavior, but when zero tolerance becomes zero options, it has gone way to far. The tendency to go to far is a predictable reaction from school officials tring to cope with a chain of recent school shootings. I believe that the schools now take everything a child does since the shootings, way to seriously. THese zero tolerance policies tend to be so inflexible that it tends to be an overreaction. THere is no room for discretion for one child and not the next, one punishment for all even if that is the differ

A kindergarten boy in Pennsylvnia was suspended for bringing in a toy ax as part of his Halloween costume a few years back. Are our children not allowed to dress as what they want anymore because the schools are considering these toys weapons? The school did allow the child back into the school before his suspension was through.

A 14 year old boy mistakenly left a pocketknife in his book bag after a Boy Scout camping trip. At his hearing, the boy's Scoutmaster testified on the boy's behalf but the student was still expelled under the districts Zero Tolerance Policy, which requires expulsion for possession of knives. The boy was readmitted to the school as the result of an appeal by the Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati.

In addition to these accounts, there have been many other stories in the media demonstrating overreaction of school administrators to children's behavior. The stories I have heard on local television stations about expulsions for sharing Midol and for bringing in toy guns bring to attention the dismay of zero tolerance. These incidents happen everyday, somewhere in the United Stat

Some common words found in the essay are:
Zero Tolerance, Springs COlorado, Society Cincinnati, Tolerance Policy, You're Dead, Boy Scout, zero tolerance, Websters Dictionary, zero tolerance policy, tolerance policy, school officials, bringing toy,
Approximate Word count = 773
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)