Pubdate: Wed, 24 Jan 2007
Source: Tennessean, The (Nashville, TN)
Copyright: 2007 The Tennessean
Contact:  http://www.tennessean.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/447
Author: Natalia Mielczarek, Staff Writer
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

SCHOOLS TIGHTEN CONDUCT POLICIES

Students' Brazen Acts May Expand Zero-Tolerance List

Bringing a crack pipe to school, having sex on campus  or vandalizing
school property are among student  conduct violations likely to get
harsher punishment  soon in some Midstate school systems.

School officials say they're forced to revise their  policies annually
to keep up with students' more brazen  behaviors.

"We look at what's going on in our schools. What are we  running
into?" said Rick Miller, discipline coordinator  for Wilson County
schools and principal of MAP Academy,  an alternative school in Lebanon.

"The (student) creativity varies from year to year. I  don't know
whether they've changed, but they've gotten  more bold. They're taking
more risks," he said.

Wilson is among several local school districts that are  updating
their codes of student conduct by expanding  the zero-tolerance
violation list, which includes  offenses typically punished by an
automatic one-year  expulsion.

Rutherford County and Metro Nashville schools are  reviewing their
policies, too.

Wilson County to add infractions

Under state law, three types of conduct automatically  lead to a
one-year school expulsion: possession of  drugs, possession of
firearms and battery on a school  board employee or a school resources
officer.

Wilson County will add several infractions that could  lead to
expulsion, including possession of drug  paraphernalia, coming to
school under the influence of  drugs, possession of dangerous weapons
such as knives  or chains, causing a riot and bomb threat
instigation.

If approved by the county school board, the new  infractions would be
classified as zero-tolerance ones  but would not warrant automatic
expulsion, Miller said.  Individual cases would go through a hearing
to  determine whether the student should be expelled or  face a lesser
punishment.

A committee of teachers, district officials and parents  proposed the
list. Lula McCathern, who said she  volunteered to serve on the panel
to understand what  her three children go through if they're called to
the  principal's office, is among them.

"The rules are for safety," said McCathern, who has one  child at MAP
Academy for a string of violations,  including being disrespectful to
a teacher.

"But the rules were so stiff. Rules should be enforced,  but when you
have nit-picky rules for suspending a  child for three days for having
an untucked shirt,  that's three days of school a child missed.

"I've got to hear some of the reasons for their  thinking why they
have those rules, and I got to say  how I felt about the rules,"
McCathern said.

Last year, there were 49 cases of zero-tolerance  incidents in Wilson
County, Miller said, but some  students were allowed to continue
classes at an  alternative school.

Vandalism may make list

In light of two cases of substantial school property  damage at La
Vergne and Smyrna high schools earlier  this school year, Rutherford
County school officials  are considering adding vandalism of school
property of  more than $500 to the zero-tolerance list, said Angel
McCloud, the district's staff attorney.

In Metro, where there were 258 zero-tolerance cases  last school year
and 159 the first semester of this  year, there's talk to include
inappropriate sexual  conduct to the inventory of the worst offenses.

"The one that I struggle with is that inappropriate  sexual behavior
is not automatically a zero-tolerance"  offense, said Ralph Thompson,
Metro's assistant  superintendent for student services, including safety.

"I have a problem with that because of the very nature  of it...
Bringing a gun is horrible, but that's  horrible, too."
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MAP posted-by: Derek