...There have been a lot of ridiculous weapons charges popping up in schools across the country. Anything that can be remotely construed as a weapon, or a mock weapon, runs afoul of very poorly constructed "zero-tolerance" policies.
...Many people place the full blame upon teachers and principals. These ''zero-tolerance" policies, however, are usually very detailed, allowing school staff little to no leeway in dealing with these incidents. Teachers and principals face immediate termination if they fail to strictly adhere to the policies as set forth by local school boards.
...These boards, often staffed by clergy, businessmen and aspiring politicians, have their own thoughts on how such incidents should be handled. After they are run through the district's legal staff, these policies are then presented to educators who are required to follow them to the letter. Changing poorly-constructed directives requires holding elected officials accountable for the policies they create. Verbally attacking the school staff who are required to enforce them will not result in any positive changes.
