Sweeping changes to zero-tolerance discipline policies in public schools may soon be underway if proposed legislation—incubated by a legislative task force and given preliminary approval Tuesday at the Capitol—finds favor with other lawmakers who convene in January.
The task force, established under Senate Bill 11-133, sponsored by Sens. Evie Hudak, D-Arvada, and Linda Newell, D-Littleton, and Rep. B.J. Nikkel, R-Loveland, was tasked with examining once-proliferating zero-tolerance policies, the use of legal sanctions for students, and how schools interact with the juvenile justice system.
Affording local discretion at the local level; eliminating most mandatory expulsions; a retooling of suspension policies; integrating restorative justice opportunities, and the role of law enforcement will all be addressed in the soon-to-be-drafted omnibus bill. Tuesday was the deadline for the bill’s contents—in conceptual form—to be approved by lawmakers on the panel and submitted for drafting by staffers.
Critics say the one-size-fits-all “zero-tolerance” policies at public schools—introduced in the ’90s on campuses across the country to stem a perceived surge in violence, illegal drug use and disciplinary woes—have tied educators’ hands and are forcing too many youths into the justice system, often for minor infractions.
Newell, who co-chairs the committee with Nikkel, said she is pleased with the bill that is emerging and is particularly pleased that Colorado could be a trend setter in revisiting zero-tolerance policies.

Zero-tolerance policies are never tolerable.

I have zero-tolerance for zero-tolerance!


Seriously, there was nothing wrong with the types of school policies they had when I was a kid. A bit of fisticuffs in the hallway would get you detention, not expulsion and jailtime.

Society has not changed and become more dangerous. We don't need to adapt. We create our own problems with our paranoia.

Your parents prolly smacked the sense into you when you got home too, nowadays parents would rather blame the system and school and sue if they can.

That's because we've been taught to think that Gov't should take care of us with little to no effort on our own part; when Gov't invariably fails (through the schools), they look to Gov't to take care of them (through the courts & the legislature). We seem to have a hard time figuring out the problem inherent with that system.