Zero Tolerance: Resisting the Drive for Punishment in Our Schools :A Handbook for Parents, Students, Educators, and Citizens - Softcover

William Ayers is Distinguished Professor of Education and Senior University Scholar at the University of Illinois at Chicago (retired). He co-edited City Kids, City Teachers; Teaching for Social Justice; Zero Tolerance; and City Kids, City Schools (all available from The New Press).

Bernardine Dohrn is director of the Children and Family Justice Center at Northwestern University School of Law, Legal Clinic.

Rick Ayers teaches at Berkeley High School and is the author of Studs Terkel’s Working: A Teaching Guide.

In the wake of recent school shootings, zero-tolerance policies have sprung up across the nation in an effort to curb the violence supposedly running rampant in American educational institutions. But are such policies working, or are they causing more harm than good? And is school violence really on the increase, or is this merely the public's perception, fueled by increased media coverage? This collection of 20 essays compiled by a professor of education, a high school teacher, and a clinical professor examines the use of zero-tolerance policies across America, explaining the reasoning behind their creation, analyzing their effectiveness, and suggesting alternatives. While contributors, who include Rev. Jesse L. Jackson and Michelle Fine, share similar views (e.g., kicking youths out of school increases their likelihood of criminal behavior, racial profiling appears connected to zero-tolerance policies, and public perception of school violence does not correspond with statistics), each puts his or her own twist on the subject. The result is a quality collection that should find its way into every public and academic library. Terry Christner, Hutchinson P.L., KS
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