Could sense be returning (at least in CO)?Quote:
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.
More at link.
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"Dress cops up as soldiers, give them military equipment, train them in military tactics, tell them they’re fighting a ‘war,’ and the consequences are predictable." —Radley Balko
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