Tuesday Open Thread
The speaker list is up for the Board meeting tomorrow; not as packed as I thought with just four people on the waitlist. The majority of the speakers are speaking on high school boundaries (with several wanting to talk about Ballard High). There are only three of us speaking about the Green Dot resolution asking the City to not grant the zoning departures that Green Dot has requested. It's me, long-time watchdog, Chris Jackins, and the head of the Washington State Charter Schools Association, Patrick D'Amelio. (I knew Mr. D'Amelio when he headed the Alliance for Education and Big Brothers and Big Sisters; he's a stand-up guy.)
Comments
You could make all the students wear uniforms, sure. Because students at Catholic all-girls' boarding schools wear uniforms and they don't have sexual feelings? Or sex? Ha ha ha. Uniforms don't prevent sex. Look at the military, for example.
Humans have sexual feelings because it's part of being human. The same way people experience hunger or thirst or a need to sleep. These are intrinsic. I'm sure SPS finds the students' need to eat inconvenient as well. But they're not educating robots. They're educating humans.
And that's why dress codes suck.
Feminist
Rare Commenter
1. No bare shoulders or backs (no muscle shirts, spaghetti straps, or strapless clothing).
2. No bellies or sagging to reveal underwear.
3. Shorts and skirts should cover to mid-thigh.
To remove the appearance of gender rules.
What is it, 1870?
Even lawyers wear short skirts with their blazers.
How about a code that says: No display of genitals, cleavage, underpants or bras and leave it at that. Sheesh. And leave the occasional fat bra strap showing under a thin sleeve top alone. Some girls need support for their girls!
Agreed that the code as written is crap.
Justa Mom
As for this code, CHIHS probably wrote it and that's because the district gives principals leeway and principals in turn give leeway to teachers. No wonder kids feel confused.
I've said this before and I'll say it again - there are appropriate and inappropriate things to wear to school. I don't think it's about hiding bodies as much as the idea that there are a couple of categories of dress like Grandma/religious service, school, work, beach, special occasion.
Most people have some overlap but generally, you'd probably wear different things. That's the point, not trying to shame girls.
I say, call in the equity team!
By the way, here's the state law. Why not just use it?
A person is guilty of indecent exposure if he or she intentionally makes any open and obscene exposure of his or her person or the person of another knowing that such conduct is likely to cause reasonable affront or alarm.
Fortunately, I, personally, am seeing very little harassment and/or shaming or enforcement of dress codes at the public high schools here (though I'll wager you readers have contradicting stories). Now, if we could only work on a challenging curriculum!
-Parent
http://www.lwsd.org/school/lwhs/For-Students/Pages/Dress-Code.aspx
-another parent
On the other hand I was offended to receive the same message from my elementary school this week. As if I would send my Kindergartner to school in a crop top and booty shorts. An insulting message to parents and tone deaf on the part of the school. Our school administrators should know better than to just blindly pass along a message from the District without regard to the audience.
E/MS Parent
The dress code would be fine if they just use some more woke, inclusive clip art.
I found this article helpful:
http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2015/09/16/438852964/dress-code-drama-whats-a-principal-to-do
BTW I just had my own issue with my 7 yo being shamed for wearing an athletic dress that had straps that actually hold the dress on her very tall slender body. Basically every skirt is already too short for her, she just has to wear bike shorts under every dress. She hates pants or shorts because none of them ever fit her.
-Feminist
-McClureWatcher
I wonder if the rules apply to cheerleading outfits? Can they wear them to class on game days? Do the rules also apply to sports outfits/uniforms, like wrestling onesies or running shorts or tennis skirts? If it's ok to show more skin while engaged in sports, why not also while in class? It's not "necessary" during sports, just customary.
no shame
As for sports, it's different from school. Wrestlers actually do wear their uniforms for a specific sports reason, not to show skin. And basketball uniforms are much bagger and longer than when I was in high school. Runners wear shorts because it's usually a hot endeavor to run, do hurtles, etc.
EdVoter