The History of "Zero Tolerance" in American Public Schooling (Palgrave Studies in Urban Education)

Through a case study of the Los Angeles city school district from the 1950s through the 1970s, Judith Kafka explores the intersection of race, politics, and the bureaucratic organization of schooling. Kafka argues that control over discipline became increasingly centralized in the second half of the twentieth century in response to pressures exerted by teachers, parents, students, principals, and local politicians - often at different historical moments, and for different purposes. Kafka demonstrates that the racial inequities produced by today's school discipline policies were not inevitable, nor are they immutable. "This book looks back at the historical roots of "zero tolerance" school discipline policies. Through a case study of the Los Angeles city school district from the 1950s through the 1970s, Judith Kafka explores the intersection of race, politics, and the bureaucratic organization of schooling. Kafka argues that control over discipline became increasingly centralized in the second half of the 20th century in response to pressures exerted by teachers, parents, students, principals, and local politicians - often at different historical moments, and for different purposes. Kafka demonstrates that the racial inequities produced by today's school discipline policies were not inevitable, nor are they immutable"-- Provided by publisher Front Matter....Pages i-xiii Zero Tolerance and the Case of Los Angeles....Pages 1-16 Discipline Before Zero Tolerance, 1800–1950....Pages 17-51 Bureaucratizing Discipline in the Blackboard Jungle....Pages 53-73 Struggle for Control in the 1960s....Pages 75-96 The Death of in Loco Parentis....Pages 97-118 Conclusion: Reclaiming School Discipline....Pages 119-126 Back Matter....Pages 127-181