AFSA Recommends Zero Tolerance Improvements to Congress and Professional Educators

Washington, DC, March 21, 2008 --(PR.com)-- At a Thursday, March 6, 2008 event entitled “Whether Zero Tolerance Discipline Expands the Achievement Gap and Disproportionately Impacts African American Students?” several members of Congress and respected panelists gathered to address the student problems associated with zero tolerance codes in schools. This issue is extremely important to the members of AFSA, who are charged with maintaining a safe environment for children and staff members in our public schools, while at the same time ensuring that every student has the opportunity to receive the highest quality education.

AFSA believes much can be done to maintain that balance. School administrators must be provided with the resources to support alternative in-house educational settings to keep students off the streets, educational consistency when students are suspended that may include supervised community service during or after school hours, insuring due process rights, and adequate clinical services for students and parent/guardians (including psychological and social work evaluations after 2 suspensions).

AFSA also believes that many negative behaviors displayed by students can be prevented if certification in conflict resolution for administrators and teachers was to be included in their pedagogical certification and supported with the ongoing updating of skills while in-service. Having well-grounded and supervised conflict resolution programs in every school, practiced by the entire faculty, can certainly be successful as a deterrent to oppositional and confrontational behavior. The culture of school will reflect preventive measures rather than punitive actions.

Those who wish to provide a high quality education for all children should be looking towards organizations like the Council for Unity (www.councilforunity.org), that implement school-based and after-school programs in leadership development, mentoring, career, college guidance and gang prevention. Such programs and training can help teachers and students resolve many problems before they even reach the principal’s office.

By working closely together, members of Congress, education professionals, parents and the community can balance safe learning environments and high quality educational opportunities for every child.

Author, Jill S. Levy, International President-AFSA is the national union of education leaders, representing over 20,000 school principals, assistant principals, supervisors and education professionals throughout the nation, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

###