Children are being funneled out of public schools and into juvenile and criminal justice systems. These children have done nothing wrong, but are suffering from zero-tolerance policies and are being criminalized for minor problems that should be addressed within the school.
Instead of providing students with proper mental health resources, counselors, nurses, and social workers, schools have police and surveillance. Many of these students have learning disabilities or suffer from poverty or abuse, but instead of getting the help they need, they are being punished.
Once in the system, the economic and mental consequences last for the rest of the person’s life. Their educational and financial opportunities decrease and there is no way to fix it.