Why not stricter rules and zero tolerance policies?
Although clear expectations and rules have their place in creating safe schools, strict rules and policies often have unintended consequences. Enforcement of rules takes staff time and energy away from teaching and distances them from the students they are supposed to be helping. A survey by the National Association of Attorneys General found that tighter rules and increased security measures generally made students feel less safe. And since students are almost completely left out of the rule-making process, students feel more disconnected and disempowered, which decreases their willingness to comply with the rules and thus makes those rules harder to enforce. According to Amy K. Syvertsen, M.Ed., lead author of the APA study, “Blanket policies… can create an atmosphere in which rules get in the way of relationships between students and teachers, to the detriment of keeping schools safe. Fostering a caring school climate where students and teachers look out for each other… can’t be tau
