NOT THE SHARPEST KNIVES IN THE DRAWER: First Grader Almost Went To Reform School For Spork Possession
First grader Zachary Christie was thrilled at becoming a Cub Scout and wanted to eat his school lunch with a camping utensil that’s a combination of a knife, fork and spoon. School officials suspended him for violating the Christina School District, and ordered him to attend reform school for 45 days, reports The New York Times:
[B]ased on the code of conduct for the Christina School District, where Zachary is a first grader, school officials had no choice. They had to suspend him because, “regardless of possessor’s intent,” knives are banned. …
Critics contend that zero-tolerance policies like those in the Christina district have led to sharp increases in suspensions and expulsions, often putting children on the streets or in other places where their behavior only worsens, and that the policies undermine the ability of school officials to use common sense in handling minor infractions.
For Delaware, Zachary’s case is especially frustrating because last year state lawmakers tried to make disciplinary rules more flexible by giving local boards authority to, “on a case-by-case basis, modify the terms of the expulsion.” …
In Zachary’s case, the state’s new law did not help because it mentions only expulsion and does not explicitly address suspensions. A revised law is being drafted to include suspensions.
“We didn’t want our son becoming the poster child for this,” Ms. Christie said, “but this is out of control.”
Whether from lacking common sense or having a CYA mentality, school officials will continue such ridiculous applications of zero tolerance rules unless state officials and lawmakers step in and provide clear guidelines on when suspensions and expulsions are warranted. Reacting to the publicity Zachary’s case generated, the seven-member Christina School Board swiftly voted to change the conduct code and suspend kindergartners and first-graders who bring weapons - or eating utensils that some consider weapons - to school for three or five days instead of sending them to reform school.
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