Another view: Err on the side of safety - Opinion - USATODAY.com#more:
"The recent case of Zachary Christie, the Delaware first-grader who received a 45-day suspension for eating lunch with his Cub Scout-issue Swiss Army-type knife, opened a lot of old wounds for principals who endured the zero-tolerance wars in the early part of this decade.
Our minds go back to cases of students who were expelled for taking a Tylenol or packing a knife to cut a birthday cake. How silly it all seemed then — and even more so seems now. After all, student victimization in school is at an all-time low, and schools, where young people spend large percentages of their waking hours together, provide the venue for less than 1% of youth homicides. Schools are safe. Isn't it time to declare victory and lighten up?"
"The recent case of Zachary Christie, the Delaware first-grader who received a 45-day suspension for eating lunch with his Cub Scout-issue Swiss Army-type knife, opened a lot of old wounds for principals who endured the zero-tolerance wars in the early part of this decade.
Our minds go back to cases of students who were expelled for taking a Tylenol or packing a knife to cut a birthday cake. How silly it all seemed then — and even more so seems now. After all, student victimization in school is at an all-time low, and schools, where young people spend large percentages of their waking hours together, provide the venue for less than 1% of youth homicides. Schools are safe. Isn't it time to declare victory and lighten up?"