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The organization encourages other school districts to
follow suit
October 6, 2011
TRAVERSE
CITY, Mich. – The American Civil Liberties Union of
Michigan commends Traverse City Area Public Schools
today for amending its zero tolerance policy, which had
previously required the district to call police on
students caught stealing items worth $5 or more on
campus. The organization encourages school districts
across the state to follow suit and narrow the scope of
their zero tolerance policies.
“School policies
that impose severe discipline on students should be
examined closely to ensure punishments are appropriate
and just,” said Rodd Monts, ACLU of Michigan field
director. "Traverse City Area Public Schools officials
should be commended for their willingness to reassess
their policies, recognizing that suspensions and
policing don’t necessarily improve student outcomes or
increase safety.”
Earlier this year, the
organization contacted school officials to urge them to
reconsider requiring suspension and the notification of
police for instances of petty theft. The school district
agreed to exclude this minor offense and revised the
zero-tolerance policy to include only major instances of
theft.
“Zero-tolerance policies are meant to
protect our school from the most extreme offenses,” said
Marvine Stamatakis, ACLU of Michigan Northwest Branch
president. “While this is a relatively minor revision,
changes like these can drastically decrease the
likelihood of children being needlessly pushed out of
school or into the justice system. Stealing lunch money
shouldn’t warrant the involvement of law enforcement or
possible expulsion.”
In addition, school
officials agreed to include a brief description of the
district’s due process policy along with disciplinary
notices sent to parents of students facing punishment in
order to clarify student’s rights and responsibilities.
The ACLU of Michigan has launched a state-wide
evaluation of school zero-tolerance and due process
policies, including the release of a comprehensive
report entitled “Reclaiming Michigan’s Throwaway Kids:
Students Trapped in the School-to-Prison Pipeline.” The
report documents a trend amongst school districts to
enforce severe disciplinary policies and practices that
push children permanently out of the classroom without
regard for the long-term impact. The campaign seeks to
end misguided school disciplinary policies that lead to
the national trend of criminalizing student behavior,
referred to as the school-to-prison pipeline.
Traverse City is home to one of seven school-to-prison
pipeline committees the ACLU of Michigan has established
to work to ensure student’s rights are protected,
promote alternative discipline strategies to cut down on
suspension rates, and to urge Michigan lawmakers to pass
a bill narrowing offenses included in zero tolerance
policies to the possession of a firearm.
To read
Reclaiming Michigan's Throwaway Kids: Students Trapped
in the School to Prison Pipeline, go to:
http://www.aclumich.org/sites/default/files/file/ACLUSTPP.pdf
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