By Sen. Emanuel Jones
ATLANTA (Jan. 27, 2010) – There is a crisis occurring in our schools, and it’s a crisis of common sense. What else do you call it when a well-behaved, 14-year-old boy is treated like a common criminal for voluntarily turning in a pocket knife to his school principle? The zero tolerance approach to discipline often serves only to entrap good kids into a life of crime. I have introduced a legislative package to limit the abuse of zero tolerance policies and bring some common sense into the way schools discipline their students.
That 14-year-old boy is considered by many to be a good student; he gets good grades, participates in sports and other after-school activities. Unfortunately, under the zero tolerance discipline policy enforced by his Morgan County school, Eli Mohone was arrested and forced to spend the night in a youth detention center before ever receiving a hearing. Under my Senate Bill 299, judges will be required to hold a hearing before a student can be taken into custody.
Over the years, zero tolerance policies have contributed to rising suspension and expulsion rates. The number of children suspended from school has risen from 1.7 million in 1974 to 3.1 million in 2000. Many of these kids are expelled for committing only a minor infraction, kids who have no previous history of misconduct. Findings also indicate that there is great racial disparity in the students who are expelled. In 2000, African-American students represented only 17 percent of public school enrollment nationwide, but accounted for 34 percent of suspensions.
Once expelled or suspended, these kids must enroll in an alternative school, many of which lack the educational resources and recreational activities of their regular school. They fall behind in their coursework and are surrounded by kids who have committed dangerous crimes. An environment that creates such a barrier to good education can push a child into committing more infractions, repeatedly landing them in jail and clogging an already strained legal system. Schools should be a place to learn, not a Pipeline to Prison.
I am also submitting companion legislation that requires school districts to keep and provide the Georgia Department of Education with a detailed record of kids disciplined under the zero tolerance policy. Existing law does not make the distinction of how many kids are suspended using this section of the law. Right now, it’s impossible to know exactly how many students are being pushed into alternative education or into the juvenile justice system due to excessive use of zero tolerance policies. We need this data to answer the most pressing questions and bring transparency to the process. This legislation is in no way intended to weaken discipline in schools, but is aimed at injecting some common sense into the process so that the appropriate degree and type of discipline may be applied to the student for their overall benefit.
To develop effective disciplinary policies will require the collaboration of all stakeholders. Throughout the process of drafting this legislation, I have vetted the bills with various education associations, judges and parents. I have received the support of the Georgia Association of Educators; the Professional Association of Georgia Educators; the Georgia Appleseed Center for Law and Justice; the Georgia Association of School Superintendents; Judge Steven Teske, immediate past president of the Georgia Council of Juvenile Court Judges; and the Georgia State Conference NAACP. I look forward to working with these and other stakeholders throughout the legislative process to perfect these bills.
We cannot continue to allow schools to prioritize punishment over education. Such a barrier to learning is simply a disservice to our children. This legislation will encourage more discretion at the school level to bring some common sense back to our children’s education.
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Sen. Emanuel Jones represents the 10th Senate District, which includes portions of DeKalb and Henry counties. He may be reached at 404.656.0502 or via e-mail at emanuel.jones@senate.ga.gov.
For Immediate Release:
January 27, 2010
For Information Contact:
Raegan Weber, Director
Kallarian Richards, Senior Communications Specialist
kallarin.richards@senate.ga.gov
404.656.0028