This illustrates two major flaws in the thinking of those running public schools.
1) Over-codifying rules to regulate every minute aspect of student behavior. “Zero tolerance” eliminates all subjectivity from the enforcement of rules and discipline. Simply doesn’t work.
2) Bureaucrats in the schools, having no clue about the real world, don’t know how or when to pick their battles.
The “student handbook” at my daughter’s HS in the 90’s looked like a phone book. It was about an inch thick. When I thumbed through it, all I could wonder was who was going to read (and take seriously) all this crapolla?
Thousands of rules, top down management with no one allowed to make decisions based on the particulars of a situation. No surprise that hundreds of thousands of dollars go into things like lawsuits over children’s socks. It’s to be expected.
All of this micromanagement, considered politically correct ! One thing I remembered from my school days. I went to both public and private schools. One thing about public schools, those in charge did not take kindly to those who raised logical questions especially when questioning ridiculous school rules. When I went to a private high school, the attitude was different. You were encouraged to think on your own, to question things. Why can't our kids function in society today ? Of course thinking on your own and for yourself does not contribute to a police state/totalitarian society that the elite want so much !
Thousands of rules, top down management with no one allowed to make decisions based on the particulars of a situation. No surprise that hundreds of thousands of dollars go into things like lawsuits over children’s socks. It’s to be expected.