Follow the dress code or else

[SamG]

Why do people (I'm referring to parents) think a dress code is bad for students?

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/080801/world/dress_code_jumpsuits

Synopsis: If a student isn't dressed to "code", one of the OPTIONS is to wear a school issued jumpsuit. Students and some parents don't like it.

Thoughts/

[Tripe Face]

My first observation was NOT that the school board was imposing this ultra strict dress code because it wanted to help parents on a tight budget by limiting the amount of trendy, expensive clothes that their kids would be begging for. Nor were they doing it to reduce distractions in class to help the kids learn more.

The reason WHY they need an ultra strict dress code: "We're a conservative community, and we're just trying to make our students more reflective of that," said Larry Wehde, Gonzales Independent School District deputy superintendent.

Isn't this a theory of child rearing pretty much proven worthless by the movie "Footloose" The schools exist to educate children... not turn them into tiny little Republibots.

As you can see at the bottom of the article, school hasn't even started that kids have already figured out how to thwart the mindless morons running the schools... turning the jumpsuits into a sign of rebellion.

There are 2,600 students in the district and 82 jumpsuits. What do you do with the 83rd kid who shows up in a t-shirt?

[Sultanosurf]

http://ap.google.com/media/ALeqM5gM5aWl8hg-v2d3S9I90B9d6hLXyg?size=s

SamG, Got kids? They like to wear stuff that supports their identity. As a parent, much as I originally was against the idea of conformity, I liked the idea of a dress code (Even uniforms at a couple of schools) since it meant the focus was on schoolwork, not fashion. But the Texas idea is just dumb. As one kid interviewed said: "I don't think there's going to be enough jumpsuits for everyone in the school."

[HushHush]

A dress code is not bad for students when it is within reasonable terms. After reading the article and seeing that young men were not allowed piercings or facial hair - that's a little extreme.

Especially in High School - this is a time in the kids lives where they can experiment with who they are. When you stifle the need for kids to express themselves, you often end up with rebellion. It sounds like the kids in this high school intend to do just that - purchase their own jumpsuits and make them stylish to wear all year long.

I think in every High School you'll find any provocative dress - skirts shorter than three fingers above the knee, tank tops with straps less than three fingers wide, any dress showing underwear, extreme baggy clothing, etc ... are disallowed by dress code. Those are reasonable restrictions as it allows the kids to still express themselves in other ways.

I don't agree with dress codes that state hair color must be done in "natural hair tones" - because when else in life are you going to be able to dye your hair green and purple and get away with it? And I certainly don't agree that young men can't wear piercings or make-up and that they must be clean shaven! Come on ... what harm is a little soul patch going to cause?

[Sultanosurf]

I'd have never survived high school these days. What the girls wear (Or - don't wear) would have driven me even more crazy.

Then again...


http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2356/1815343674_63b2520445.jpg?v=0

[SamG]

Sultan-

Yes I have kids. The oldest starts her last year of elementary school, then on to middle school. At least one middle school in the county has a simple dress code... khaki pants, solid color, collared shirt. While I think the school in the article has an "extreme" dress code, I'm not against them per se.

[Another OMB]

If the district were trying to impose an ultra-strict dress code that consisted of every kid wearing a jumpsuit, I'd say that goes too far. But remember folks, the jumpsuits are just one option for kids who have already violated the dress code.

If the district has a dress code, I don't think students should be purposely breaking it, anymore than they should be purposely breaking other rules. Our students, in general, are doing poorly enough in school that we need to do what we can to minimize disruptions and distractions, which is one of the main points of uniforms. So if they're violating the dress code, something needs to be done. Their parents can bring them other clothes, then the jumpsuits aren't even an issue. The jumpsuits are just a last resort.

To me, this is a little like people getting all up in arms that "a district has a policy of kicking a student out of school. Then he can't learn!" Well, no, the reality is that a student gets disciplined for breaking various rules. After getting into trouble a certain number of times, or if the violation is serious enough, then he's expelled.

You know the dress code. If you violate it, you have to correct it. THEN if you don't, you have to wear a jumpsuit.

[Spike]

Our students, in general, are doing poorly enough in school that we need to do what we can to minimize disruptions and distractions, which is one of the main points of uniforms.

Except that in this case the dress code IS a disruption and a distraction. You don't think it will be a distraction to have somebody in the classroom wearing a prison jumpsuit and grinning ear to ear about it?

[Another OMB]

Except that in this case the dress code IS a disruption and a distraction. You don't think it will be a distraction to have somebody in the classroom wearing a prison jumpsuit and grinning ear to ear about it?

Probably. And it's especially telling that students are talking about doing things purposely so they'll have to wear the jumpsuits, or buying them on their own.

It might be a better solution to require parents to bring a change of clothes if their child is violating the dress code and not have the jumpsuits as an option. If the parent can't or won't bring a change of clothes, for some reason, send the child home. The problem with that is, for some students, that's throwing Brer Rabbit into the brier patch.

[Diplomat]

My first observation was NOT that the school board was imposing this ultra strict dress code because it wanted to help parents on a tight budget by limiting the amount of trendy, expensive clothes that their kids would be begging for. Nor were they doing it to reduce distractions in class to help the kids learn more.

The reason WHY they need an ultra strict dress code: "We're a conservative community, and we're just trying to make our students more reflective of that," said Larry Wehde, Gonzales Independent School District deputy superintendent.

Isn't this a theory of child rearing pretty much proven worthless by the movie "Footloose" The schools exist to educate children... not turn them into tiny little Republibots.

As you can see at the bottom of the article, school hasn't even started that kids have already figured out how to thwart the mindless morons running the schools... turning the jumpsuits into a sign of rebellion.

There are 2,600 students in the district and 82 jumpsuits. What do you do with the 83rd kid who shows up in a t-shirt?

Of course, when schools preach faith in government above all else and disdain individual responsibility or thinking for one's self, they're turning kids into little Demobots. ;)

Dress codes should be general--when administrators get too specific, they are micro-managing, as government bureaucrats like to do. When they start that, parents and students and teachers have an obligation to remind those paper-pushers that this is America.

I think some of the codes I've seen nowadays are too strict. We had a code but it was general and for the most part, it worked. There were few problems.

[Mr. Rugen]

The problem I've faced is not the severity or the consequences of the dress code but rather the uniform enforcement of the dress code.

It gets harder to tell a kid to tuck his shirt in when he just passed two teachers and a principal who didn't say a thing about it.

As far as the Gonzales thing goes, that's ridiculous. Dress codes are designed to make the school a serious place where work is done. Dressing kids up in prison garb is counter-productive. The reason the kids wear the ill fitting clothes in the first place has to do with the county lock-up.

Don't legitimize the kid's beliefs that they're nothing but a bunch of thugs.

[Spike]

It gets harder to tell a kid to tuck his shirt in when he just passed two teachers and a principal who didn't say a thing about it.

Or maybe you should just follow their lead and leave the kids alone.

[Sultanosurf]

Don't legitimize the kid's beliefs that they're nothing but a bunch of thugs.

But it's OK to play 'em some 'safe' rap...

(Sorry, couldn't resist)

[Mr. Rugen]

Or maybe you should just follow their lead and leave the kids alone.

That only teaches them that they only have to follow the rules they want to follow. If you want to do away with the dress code, fine, but if you're going to have one you should enforce it.

People at my school who don't enforce the dress code aren't doing so because they think the dress code is wrong, they do it because it's too much of a hassle. I don't subscribe to that theory.

How you dress says a lot about you.

[Pro]

I ran this story off the feed. It seems that one thing overlooked is this is causing a lot of kids to deliberately break the dress code. They think that wearing the jumpsuit is a cool message of defiance.

[Diplomat]

That only teaches them that they only have to follow the rules they want to follow. If you want to do away with the dress code, fine, but if you're going to have one you should enforce it.

People at my school who don't enforce the dress code aren't doing so because they think the dress code is wrong, they do it because it's too much of a hassle. I don't subscribe to that theory.

How you dress says a lot about you.

I agree and personally think the jail jumpsuit thing is dopey.

How "strict" would you say the dress code is at your school, Mr. Rugen?

[SamG]

I ran this story off the feed. It seems that one thing overlooked is this is causing a lot of kids to deliberately break the dress code. They think that wearing the jumpsuit is a cool message of defiance.
So they say now... before school starts. I think it will be interesting about a month into the school year to see how many jumpsuits are actually in use.

[TVShootist]

My opinion is that parents needs to take responsibility and see to it that their kids are dressed appropriate for school. I do not think it’s the job of the school to tell students how to dress, that is the parent’s job. Parent’s should know what is and what isn’t acceptable to wear in school’s, so I don’t know why they let their kids go to school dressed in a way that the school has to create some sort of policy.

I don’t mind that the school has the dress code policy and enforces it, I just don’t think it should have to get to that point. It goes back to the fact that the parents want everyone else to do the parenting for them, they don’t teach their kids right from wrong and just lets their kids do as they please.

[The Fedora]

Huh. A dark blue jumpsuit is supposed to be embarrassing? How about hot pink?

[SamG]

My opinion is that parents needs to take responsibility and see to it that their kids are dressed appropriate for school. I do not think it’s the job of the school to tell students how to dress, that is the parent’s job. Parent’s should know what is and what isn’t acceptable to wear in school’s, so I don’t know why they let their kids go to school dressed in a way that the school has to create some sort of policy.

I don’t mind that the school has the dress code policy and enforces it, I just don’t think it should have to get to that point. It goes back to the fact that the parents want everyone else to do the parenting for them, they don’t teach their kids right from wrong and just lets their kids do as they please.
There's two problems with your theory...
1) Parents who leave so early to go to work, their high schoolers get dressed after the parents leave (that was the case 20 years ago when I was in HS, guessing it hasn't changed much since)
2) The possibility kids are changing clothes AFTER they leave the house.

Now you can say parents should teach their kids to know better, but how well do you think that's working?:whistle:

[Spike]

How you dress says a lot about you.

Yeah, untucked t-shirts say that they're teenagers. What a crime.

[s'news]

It might be a better solution to require parents to bring a change of clothes if their child is violating the dress code. ... If the parent can't or won't bring a change of clothes, for some reason, send the child home.

This is, I believe, how the vast majority of schools handle this.

[Mr. Rugen]

Yeah, untucked t-shirts say that they're teenagers. What a crime.

Nice understatement. Untucked t-shirts that go to their knees to mimic the loose fitting clothes of the county lock-up.
You are what you think you are and you become what you present to others.
Don't worry about it, though, Spike. You're only responsible for yourself.

[Tripe Face]

Of course, when schools preach faith in government above all else and disdain individual responsibility or thinking for one's self, they're turning kids into little Demobots. ;)


I'm forced to ask ONCE AGAIN... What in the ***** are you talking about.

NOBODY I know... even the most liberal Democrat I've ever met... has every preached faith in government above all else.

Democrats do believe that the largest, most widespread problems (poverty, illiteracy, pollution) are often best solved with government help.

[Tripe Face]

My opinion is that parents needs to take responsibility and see to it that their kids are dressed appropriate for school. I do not think it’s the job of the school to tell students how to dress, that is the parent’s job. Parent’s should know what is and what isn’t acceptable to wear in school’s, so I don’t know why they let their kids go to school dressed in a way that the school has to create some sort of policy.

I don’t mind that the school has the dress code policy and enforces it, I just don’t think it should have to get to that point. It goes back to the fact that the parents want everyone else to do the parenting for them, they don’t teach their kids right from wrong and just lets their kids do as they please.

Because parents are human beings, just creating a child does not imbue someone with the brains to properly raise said child. So some kids show up in school wearing T-shirts that advocate violence or outfits that no self-respecting porn star would wear. And when these kids' clothing distracts or intimidates their fellow classmates to the point they cannot learn, something has to be done. Since the parents won't do anything, the school has to but dressing kids like convicts is NOT the answer.. and the motivation should be creating an enviroment conducive to learning... not brainwashing the kids to be good little conservatives.

[HushHush]

Our local high school allows those breaking the dress code to dig through the "lost and found" box for something suitable to wear. There's usually a pair of leggings in there for the girls with a skirt too short - and ALWAYS school mascot t-shirts to wear over tiny tank tops or violent messages shirts. No need to waste money on purchasing prison garb - ESPECIALLY - when each school had to cut their budget by $4 million dollars in our district this year. One school had to cut their entire performing arts department.