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Zero-Tolerance Suspended At Struggling High School

Photo by Rev. Bombasticos via Flickr Creative Commons

In 1999, the Columbine massacre dramatically shifted how American schools approach student discipline. Zero-tolerance policies became the norm. Rates of suspensions have doubled, with minority-students seeing the most dramatic rise.

Studies show that only 5% of those suspended are for weapons or drugs. It’s behavior that gets the vast majority of these kids sent home. But a high school in Walla Walla, WA realized that home is not giving these kids what they need.

Here to tell us about the dramatic shift in discipline at Lincoln High School is Jane Stevens. She’s editor of acestoohigh.com, where she wrote about the school.

Virginia Prescott is the Gracie Award-winning host of Word of Mouth, Civics 101, The 10-Minute Writers Workshop podcasts, and the Writers on A New England Stage series on New Hampshire Public Radio. Prior to joining NHPR, she was editor, producer, and director for NPR programs On Point and Here & Now, and directed interactive media for New York Public Radio.
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