Treating High School Students Like Prisoners
One Texas high school has decided to take a stand against dress code violations. Gonzales High School is implementing a new policy that will require students to wear prison-style blue jumpsuits when they violate the dress code and refuse in-school suspension or won’t change their clothes.
My first thought is, kids can refuse in-school suspension? Since when did a suspension become option?
My second thought is, surely this school has better ways to spend their money rather than ordering 82 blue prison coveralls for offending students to wear.
I’m not necessarily against dress codes. I can almost see the thought behind the theory that some offensive clothing can distract students and hinder learning. Almost. But I think Gonzales High may be taking their dress code a little far.
My kids’ school has a dress code too. They are required to wear shoes. They cannot wear hats during school time. Their clothing cannot promote drugs, alcohol, sex, profanity, gangs, or any message that is disruptive to the education process. Guys cannot wear muscle shirts or sleeveless athletic shirts and the straps on a girl’s top need to be at least 1″ thick. Girls also need to wear shirts that cover their midriff when their arms are at their sides. Neither sex can show their undergarments. And wallet chains must be shorter than 12″ and must be attached to a wallet (or watch) or they will be considered weapons. This seems like a reasonable dress code to me.
What is prohibited by the Gonzales High School dress code? Spaghetti-strap tank tops, extra baggy pants, miniskirts and anyone in clothes that shows their underwear. It also includes boys with earrings or facial hair and may soon include cargo pants and t-shirts. The school wants students to wear shirts with collars. Is this a public high school or an exclusive country club? Boys with earrings or facial hair? Seriously? My brother would have spent his days in these coveralls because he has a full beard…even as a teen (which was just three years ago for him). I can’t stand the baggy pants movement, but is it hindering learning? I seriously doubt it.
I think this school is totally missing the point here. School Board President Glenn Menking says “the idea was to put students’ attention on education, not clothes,” but I have a feeling they may be doing the exact opposite. Making kids wear prison garb will certainly draw attention to clothes and away from education. Students are already talking about rebelling. They are threatening to purposely wear offending clothes and purposely refuse in-school suspension just so they can wear the coveralls. Some are talking about buying their own coveralls. I guess prison coveralls can become this schools uniform. How nice.
What are your thoughts? Does your child’s public school have a dress code? Would you be ok with your child walking around looking like a prisoner?
I hate to be the one on the other end but I totally agree with this. I always hated seeing kids with their super saggy bottoms, even in stores I just want to walk right up and pull them down and say, “Hey you might want to purchase a belt with those pants.”
Girls that wore shirts that made them look like they should be in some movie that was rated “R” or worse. I think this would help focus kids on their actual studies and not what everyone else is wearing and how good someone looks.
Maybe by instructing this “strict” policy it will teach some of those (unruly) kids that if you don’t follow rules in life there are consequences. I know this probably sounds harsh but with todays society too many kids think they can just say no and don’t have to follow the rules. If not the school could always expel them and make mom and dad have to deal with it. Could you imagine how many children would wear the correct outfits if this happened?
The high school here is going to uniforms this year and I’m SO GLAD!!!!! The things kids wear to school is appalling. Some of the girls look like they’re ready to stand on a street corner to be approached for prostitution. I’m sick of seeing girls dressed like sluts and guys dressed like they’re part of a gang.
I didn’t read the article that you linked to so I’m not saying that I agree or disagree with the school. I’m saying that something is wrong when parents allow their kids to dress this way and what’s worse is that girls feel they need to dress provocatively to attract attention.
Uniforms solve a lot of problems with dress code issues, as well as social issues and other behavior problems. Just imagine how much easier high school would have been for us if everyone were dressed the same. I know my self-esteem would have been better and perhaps there wouldn’t have been so many clicks.
Our inner city schools went to uniforms last year. It seems that kids were sneaking in all sorts of good weapons and drugs in the folds and pockets of their over-sized jeans. My SIL was a teacher in the junior high and was attacked by one of the aforementioned students. School isn’t what it used to be. I have my girl in a private school, and they use the Land’s end uniform line. I outfitted her for at least the first half of the year for $200. Can’t outfit a kid in normal clothes for that, and the inner-city school offers vouchers for anyone who wants them.
As for resolving the problem of clicks, uniforms don’t do it. Ask my 11 yo who at school has $ and she’ll tell you who’s wearing what shoes and carrying what bag. Kid’s still know.
I’m behind the schools decision. Evidently the students have become so unruly that stricter punishment is needed. Will it be effective? Only time will tell. And I agree with the posts above that put some blame on the parents of the kids that are misbehaving and/or dressing badly (for lack of better word).
my kids are in schools with uniform dress codes. they are public schools and not all of the schools within the school district have uniform dress codes. it does cut down on a lot of issues. the kids have to wear collared solid colored shirts (polos or button down), solid colored pants but no jeans, not even colored jeans. shorts and skirts have to come down to the knee or just above. if there are belt loops on the pants, a belt must be worn. shirts must me tucked in.no sleeveless shirts. no tank tops. pants must be worn around the waist, not hanging below even if underwear cannot be seen. kids that are in violation can either call home and get clothes brought to them or go to the clothes closest and get clothes to change into. if they say they forgot a belt and are trying to get away with saggy pants, they get sent to the clothes closet for a belt if there are any there, and if not they have to get pants that actually fit from the closet. no big scenes are made, no big punishments are given out. you go change or you call home. if you are a repeat offender( we’re talking everyday for a week or several times within a few weeks), parents are called. disciplinary action can be taken but usually all that is needed is a call home if it even gets that far. the schools that have the uniform dress codes make it very clear what the rules are and that they are not optional. parents and students are told what consequences are so there are no surprises if one of the kids wants to make it an issue. we’ve been in this school system for 5 years and i haven’t heard of any issues being made about it. i like the uniform dress codes. i’ve seen some of the clothing that kids that are in non uniform schools wear to school and they are appalling.
Oooo. I think I need to reword my last paragraph. My DD, as well as the other kids in her class, already know who’s family has $$$. They are only going into 6th grade, and they probably started noticing in 4th.
Her school is a relatively diverse Catholic school that offers need based scholarships, so there are all different types of incomes represented. We fall into a “lower” income bracket, but we don’t get financial assistance (would have qualified, but sent the application in late). Her tuition is $2330 a year, payable over the 10 month school year at $233/month. In previous years we’ve paid $500/year. My DD’s grandma is a spoiler, so DD “looks” like she is from $$. She has a couple of Coach handbags, a Dooney and Burke (sp?) as well as cheapies. (She’s carrying a $5 handbag today.) Anyone who’s been to our little house knows that we aren’t rich.
Even when I was in high school, my friends that went to private schools new who had $ and who didn’t. It was based on the car that dropped you off, the shoes you wore, your accessories. What you wore on dress down day, etc. Uniforms don’t stop the clicks. Kids will always manage to find a way of knowing.
I didn’t say there wouldn’t be any clicks, but there will be less. I can still visualize how people hung out in their groups and how they were identified. Clothing had a lot to do with it.
I, too, am for school uniforms. Do I agree with the coveralls? I’m not sure. However, there is a need for type of consequence for not following the dress code.
Oh yeah, since when could students decline an in-school suspension? Not in may day!
That hasn’t been our experience at all. I know it can stink to be in a clickish atmosphere, (believe me, I’ve been there!) I really don’t think uniforms is what makes a difference.
I went to a public high school with NO uniforms. My class was incredibly clickish. The class ahead of us and behind us weren’t as bad, and honestly, that is where most of my friends were (I couldn’t stand some of the snobs in my class!). My DH went to a different public high school, same general area and income breakdown, graduated the same year, and none of the classes were nearly as clickish as our class was.
My DD’s class (at her old school) with uniforms was insanely clickish. Her new school (also with uniforms) isn’t nearly as bad, even in the upper grades.
I think different classes just behave differently. My cousins are in a different area of the US (we’re in OH, they’re in FL) have had similar experiences in their public schools.
I’m all for uniforms, but for different reasons. Safety, which probably sounds odd (See my first post;), is the number 1 reason I like them. The uniforms that I’m familiar with don’t even have pockets to sneak stuff in.
My second favorite reason behind being for uniforms is appropriateness. I cringe when I see my neighbors daughter (going into 8th grade) turn the corner on her way to school and unbutton or untie or stuff her sweater into her bookbag to “show off” what God gave her to the free world. Her clothes (and that of her friends) are WAY too tight/short/revealing. It is so disturbing! She is a super sweet girl, and our families’ know and love each other, but I can’t bring myself to mention it to her mom. I think mom knows, but doesn’t know how to deal with it. My DD doesn’t have a choice. She’s picked up and dropped off by us, and the school would NEVER allow it. The skirts there are to the knee, as kids grow, they give a 2″ leeway, and then you HAVE to buy/trade into a bigger size. (They have free uniform trading days.)
I am somewhat confused by most of the responses. Christine’s post wasn’t about school uniforms – it was about enforcing a school dress code by making students where prison-style coveralls. And, the coveralls were only used if the students refused in-school suspension or won’t change their clothes. The school was not intending that the prison uniforms become the new school uniform!!
So, I feel the bigger issues are 1) why can students refuse in-school suspension? 2) why can’t the school get them to follow the dress code? Personally, I am also curious about how the school can get the students to wear the prison-style cover-alls, considering it fails to get the students to comply with 1) and 2)!!
And, further, rather than getting students to take their dress code seriously, the “punishment” is being treated as joke by the students. They are deliberatly wearing offending clothes to get “punished” and even buying their own coveralls to ridicule the punishment.
This school has serious issues with discipline and respect from their students. Their choice of punishment is not leading to students focusing on their education, nor is it succeeding in even getting students to follow their stated dress code. To me, it appears to be causing more problems than it is solving.
I have a lot of mixed feelings about dress codes. When I grew up in the midwest … with extremely cold winters … girls were required to wear skirts or dresses to school. We could wear pants to school under the dress/skirt, but had to take them off for class – which meant pulling your pants off in the hallway in front of your locker (or in a common area for coats, in the younger years). Some how this always seemed to me to be more “risquee” than just letting us girls wear pants. Of course, I was a tom-boy and hated to wear skirts and dresses. Once the dress code relaxed (in 9th grade) , I switched to pants and probably wore skirt/dress once or twice a year for the rest of public school.
However, I know that kids today often push the edge on what they wear. I liked Christine’s thoughts on a reasonable dress code – that makes sense and is something relatively easy to follow and to see when it is ignored. And, the school is perfectly reasonable to enforce a reasonable dress code.
I disagree entirely with the strict dress code and I definitely wouldn’t back the school’s decision. Here’s why:
1) For the more rebellious youth, wearing the jumpsuit won’t really be a punishment — it’s a symbol of defiance. Such symbols can make a kid look cool, and others could end up looking to him/her as a leader. Because of how the school is already particularly strict, I would imagine there’s a good bit of dissent from kids there already. You don’t want the punishment itself to make things worse.
2) For those who won’t be proud of it, it’s downright embarrassing, and sounds to me almost like a cruel and unusual punishment. Wearing a jumpsuit equates a kid to a prisoner. I’m sorry, if my pants are slightly baggy and a bit of my boxers show, that does NOT put me anywhere near on par with someone who is in jail. This is just like in the old days when they would leave a criminal tied up out in public to be laughed at by the community. Great way to scar a kid.
3) It’s a waste of tax dollars. How do you like it that your tax money is going to buy jumpsuits for unruly students?
While I do think that everyone should have good taste in clothing, I don’t think making students wear prison jumpsuits will work. If I were a young person, I would go to a costume store and buy my own orange jumpsuit and wear it with pride to school. Soon, everyone will be wearing prison jumpsuits.
I just graduated high school, and I have to say I couldn’t disagree more with the policy.
My school made people wear an orange shirt with the school’s name if their shirt was inappropriate, and PE sweats/shorts if that was the problem.
I have to say that those people that broke the dress code drew more attention in the punishment clothing than in spaghetti straps, baggy pants, or gang clothing. Why? They always left you wondering what they were wearing before, or people talked to them about it, or just the fact that they were even wearing it. I can’t imagine how much worse coveralls would be
I don’t really understand why children should be forced into a prison suit. I don’t have a problem with a dress code but to make students who violate the code to dress in a prison suit is not appropriate. What is that really teaching? To me it is teaching that an adult is the bully and you better do what I say or else!!! I feel that teens need some appropriate choices after all we are trying to teach them that when they are adults they have the responsibility to make choices for themselves. How is forced choices really making them responsible adults? Perhaps they need to commit to a better plan of what is appropriate dress at school and better consequences such as a call to the parents and a signed agreement of the dress policy. Otherwise I think forcing the teens into prison outfits will only make them rebellious and maybe as adults we are contributing to that rebellious behavior. Why can’t teens have a pamphlet of what is acceptable dress for school sent home the first day and a much reasonable consequence for not obeying the dress code?
I went to a private school my whole life, and it was never an option to not wear a uniform. However I saw friends of mine that went to the public schools, and I totally agree with a uniform. When a student is able to walk through the doors of their school with weapons hidden in their clothing, there is something wrong. When a student can hide guns, knives, drugs and whatever else they can get their hands on what else is the school administration supposed to do?
As for refusing ISS, what is up with that? Refusing that would have gotten us into more trouble than a dress code violation.
Here’s About the worst case scenerio I’ve ever seen.
I’m currently looking into how to go about getting this changed and any advice would be appreciated.
I started a forum here if you want to comment.
http://www.topix.net/forum/city/lebanon-pa/T6THVNDSQOBVEF42G
I received a notice from the Lebanon High School last week stating that my 14 yr old had his 3rd dress code violation(untucked shirt) and that not only would he get ISS but would also be receiving a fine for disorderly conduct for said infractions.
In talking to the school they said yes they now fine for repeated dress code violations and would probably be 350.00 but that the fine would be in my sons name so if not paid he would get picked up when he turns 18……FOR HAVING HIS SHIRT UNTUCKED
WHAT IS GOING ON IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT.
I went into the school and raised he@@ and got the fine removed but I’m wondering how long this has been going on and are there other parents like myself who are unaware of this????
How many parents out there have actually paid this bogus fine and why is this being allowed to continue??
According to the Principle. Each infraction of the dress code elevates the level of infraction. And according to page 36 of the highschool handbook, the third infraction elevates the untucked shirt to the same penalty for the following criminal acivities:
Fighting
Vandalism
Theft
Threats to students and teachers
Inappropriate sexual behavior
Gang related activiity
Possesion of drugs for use or distribution
Possesion of look-a-like drug items
Posession of bomb making material or fireworks
Reckless driving
All of which can be subject to charges under the PA civil/criminal Code.
technically than, non-defiant failure to complete homework can also get the child charged with a civil/criminal law infraction and fine to be inforced when the child turns 18.