http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060827/..._st/dress_code

128 students suspended at Ind. school
Classrooms were a little less crowded at Morton High School on the first day
of classes: 128 students were sent home for wearing the wrong clothes.

Fed up with inappropriate outfits, the principal suspended the students for
one day Wednesday, minutes after doors opened at the school. Those suspended
represent more than 10 percent of the 1,200 total students.

The offending attire - including baggy pants, low-cut shirts, tank tops and
graphic T-shirts - are banned from classrooms. Students were also cited for
cell phone use.

"This was the worst year I've seen in a long time," said Principal Theresa
Mayerik. "It's gotten out of control, and we needed to send a message that
we're not messing around."

The Hammond school usually has 20 dress code violations a day.

Mayerik said the infraction would be removed from students' records in 12
weeks if they had no other in-school violations.

School board members said they support Mayerik and the mass suspensions.
"I'd be supportive if half the school was sent home, because 99 percent will
get the message our schools are for education," board president Rebecca Ward
said.



Clearly they are NOT -- they are for teaching kids the appropriate way to
dress -- as teenagers!! In high school!! How does wearing baggy pants
affect a child's education? Why must we always be controlling, controlling,
controlling these kids? This sends the message that we care more about what
you look like than if you learn, that appearance is more important than
education. I don't give a **** what my students are wearing as long as they
are in class!!!! Let them have their little teenage nonsense. Let them
know they can BE THEMSELVES and still learn, still enjoy learning! You know
what? You want to teach kids what is appropriate in a professional
environment? Pick ONE DAY of the week to be Professional Dress Day. Then
let them just be their 14-18 year old selves the rest of the week. Sheesh.
I had a lot of problems with this in the school where I am now. I stood at
the door in the morning and the male dean wasn't letting any girl in whose
skirt he deemed too short. I would argue, pointing out that these skirts
weren't too short (and they weren't -- we had administrators and teachers in
shorter skirts) and what really mattered was getting these kids IN CLASS AND
LEARNING *NOT* sending them home to change (and I don't even want to get
into the legal liabilities of that) causing them to miss an important class.
God, the stupidity DRIVES ME CRAZY! Where are our priorities?

--
nimue

"As an unwavering Republican, I have quite naturally burned more books than
I have read."
Betty Bowers

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