Zero - Tolerance Policy

I am reading a report written by the 106th congress in February of 2000 regarding the adoption of zero tolerance policies in schools. The report is condemning such policies and for the most part I agree. A first grade student who stands to my knee and says; "I am going to kill you." This little one is not a threat and should not be treated the same as a 10th grade student who stands over me and utters the same words. However, if that first grade student says; "I am going to tell my brother and he is going to kill you." To this I might pay some attention. It is frightening when we have to consider threats from a third grader as serious and credible - but we do. Our children are bombarded with violence from every angle, many times they believe a simple push of the reset button and all is fixed. Our children come from homes so broken and live with aunts, uncles, grandparents, maybe a mom or a dad - Our children are exposed to sex, drugs, and violence - just by watching the 4:00 news. The world is gone mad and our children, with the innocnence long washed from their faces, grow up much too young not prepared for life in any manner. I am a teacher, and I see this everyday. I see the empty eyes and I feel their pain, and I hear their cries - and I don't want it to be true but it is; and I don't want to fear walking to my car after school! I don't want to worry about what is in their backpack, or what they passed to another student, or what happened to them last night for they can't stay awake this morning - I do not want to worry about any of this, but I do.
The 106th congress back in 2000 - is out of touch if they believe the zero tolerance policy too harsh. I wonder how much time and money they spent coming up with the report. They should have just asked any second or third grade teacher in America - they would have told you the policy is over the top and too broad and needs latitude and good judgement from teachers and administrators. Any teacher would tell you it is not applied across the board without consideration and thought - and any teacher will tell you there are times when they lie awake at night afraid for what might happen the next day or dwelling on something that happened already. They are many children's faces whom haunt my nights, children who live in foster care, or with a relative, children who know their mom lives somewhere around here or whose dad is getting released in June. These children who arrive to school at6:30 in the morning, just to wait for 7:20 and breakfast, who are dirty and tired or worn out from the night before - children who can't read or tell time or don't know how to spell their name -and their morning play involves wrestling moves, or paper-mad pretend guns with which they shoot one another - or holding a girl down because "I am you pimp and you do what I say." Right now outside my door I hear a child saying; "RAT A TAT TAT TAT, I SHOT YOU MAN YOU DEAD. FALL DOWN YOU DEAD."
No zero tolerance in schools isn't the best we can do. My question is when will congress do a similiar study on drug addicted parents, or welfare moms with eight kids, or incarcerated dads and how any of these things effect a child's development. When will they study the impact of poverty and hunger and disease of urban youth and how this effects their actions? When will congress declare that zero tolerance for hunger and homelessness is a good policy and one we should adopt and then will congress put forth the money to fix the problem - or will they spend more time and money to determine what any teacher in America knows - education can always get better, should always strive to improve, but if we don't get in the streets and fix things in our homes - it will not matter what education systme we have - there will be no children left to educate!