The word "war" is thrown around so often and in so many ways nowadays that it has lost some of its
oomph. It first struck me as over-used when "The War on Drugs" first made its appearance. Cevin Soling now brings us "The War on Kids", an examination of how the public school system in America has strayed from its original charter to educate, and has instead become an institution designed to "keep kids in line".
It is Soling's contention that American public schools have become authoritarian and that the difference between America's prisons and its public schools is not all that great. He makes a convincing argument even though I still have some reservations about his assertions. At one point, he shows young children photos of prisons and schools and asks them to call out which they think it is. They are often incorrect and at other times confused. While this could be a case of cherry-picking results, at times I wasn't sure of the answer either. "The War on Kids" is primarily built from interviews with school administrators, psychologists and the kids, themselves. Because of this it can be slow at times, but periodically Soling nails us with solid evidence that backs him up.
The primary "evil" at work here is what is known as the "Zero Tolerance Policy". This came into being in the 1990s when schools began instituting guidelines, ostensibly to keep weapons and drugs out. However, instead of making schools safer (this may or may not be true), the overall effect has been to give schools a much broader means of imposing rules on students. While it is the goal of administrators to keep schools safe and drug-free, they have extended their powers to include the banning of nail clippers, key chains, chicken strips, aspirin, candy and many other harmless items. Soling presents examples of children being expelled for having a Motrin in their possession or for pointing a banana and saying "bang".
It is hard to know whether the civil rights of students have been trampled upon or whether this is just an example of how society now routinely accepts the intrusion of government into our private lives. Soling only addresses the case of the rights of students and he employs a host of "experts" who complain that we have destroyed our schools. While watching "The War on Kids" I bought what Soling was selling but have mixed feelings about it in retrospect. This must mean that he did a good job because he convinced me while I was watching. While he didn't win the war he is waging, he did score a major victory for his point of view.
