This gives kids a way to get back in. Though he agrees that there should be strong due-process provisions for students and that districts could use training in this area, Massachusetts Commissioner of Education Robert V. Antonucci said that he wouldn't want to dilute the message that certain behaviors will not be tolerated. Federal Study in Works Teachers' unions that have lobbied intensely for strong zero-tolerance laws are concerned that any movement to revamp them would imperil campaigns to keep schools safe. There is no solid evidence linking zero-tolerance laws with lower school crime rates nationwide, researchers at the National Center for Education Statistics said. The nces, an arm of the U.S. Department of Education, is conducting a study, which will be published next year, that queries schools about the impact of zero-tolerance laws on safety.
Anecdotal evidence abounds, meanwhile.
An informal survey of 1,000 teachers that the Texas Federation of Teachers recently concluded suggests that Texas' law may have made a dent in violent crime in schools across the state. Discrimination Fears Mr. Nash argued that one danger in allowing more discretion in interpreting zero-tolerance laws is the potential for uneven administration that could invite charges of discrimination. But if people keep pushing the envelope, it's going to blow up.