Jeff wrote:
"Banty" wrote in message
...
In article .com,
says...


nimue wrote:

Teenagers want to be able to express themselves through their
clothing. I
have no problem with that. I don't want to squash their
individuality. I
don't want to control every aspect of their lives. I just want
them IN CLASS. Let them have their high school fun; the real
world will come along
soon enough.


School IS the real world. It is the job of 14-18 year olds.
And of course they can express their individuality through clothing.
THere are score of options that they can wear that meet the dress
code. Now, if their 'individuality' requires that they go to school
3/4's naked, or dressed in gang-wear, perhaps their career goals
lean towards exotic dancer or drug dealer ... and neither of those
requires a high school diploma.


Few teens actually dress to express their individuality. Quite the
opposite.
They dress for peer group identification.

That is their identity.

Not that that's necessarily all bad, but it's not this vaunted
project in self-actualization that an enlightened institution needs
to respect, either. It
can darn well happen during non-school hours, or in more subtle ways
within a
dress code.

Depends on the dress code. But even if they code requires black
shoes, they can choose the brand and style, to suit their needs. Same
things with ties and shirts. And not all dress codes are strick.
Apparently, the dress code that the OP referenced just required that
certain areas of the body be covered and nothing offensive be on the
clothing. And, that teens keep their cell phones off (that's not part
of the dress, however - but there were problems with this, as well).


What do you think about kid not being allowed to have cell phones in school
at all? That is a big issue in NYC right now. Mayor Bloomberg wantst to
enforce the ban on cell phones in school. I think that is ridiculous. Some
of the kids have commutes of an hour or more on the subway. Some live in
bad neighborhoods. I think kids should be allowed to have cell phones in
school. They shouldn't use them, of course, but they shouldbe allowed to
have them.

Jeff

Banty


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nimue

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than I have read." Betty Bowers

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