Where's the Enforcement?

Shawn Juris · Post by **Shawn Juris** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 1:02 pm

Now that the argument has been resolved and there's consensus that rules should be enforced (especially if those rules were created by a concerned public), what are the facts on this topic? Sounds as though the anecdotes listed say that the High School is relatively free of dress code violations but the Middle Schools haven't followed suit.

Regardless of the cause and effect of dress code to academic performance, this is an easily visible issue. I may not be able to tell by driving past the school how smart the students are whether it's Lakewood, LCA, Westlake or Hayes. I will, however, be able to make a superficial judgement about how those students represent themselves and their families. It's only a superficial view and I'm not hoping for Mayberry but this camoflauge of deeper concerns is easier to manage than the alternatives (which is many times just being a teenager, and I don't know of a "cure" for that). As for the students liking or disliking it... that's life, lesson learned. Dress codes don't end when you graduate, you'll just have the option to work in a cooler or hauling produce, so you can wear a hoodie.

Charyn Compeau · Post by **Charyn Compeau** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 5:37 pm

Charyn Compeau · Post by **Charyn Compeau** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 5:45 pm

Shawn Juris · Post by **Shawn Juris** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 5:45 pm

Charyn,
I agree with you on posing the question to the board. This is supposed to be about discussing local topics and clearly the dress code was a big discussion last school year and makes sense to ask about it now that school is back in session.
I'm also with you about being able to discuss issues regardless if it's a positive or negative. Bashing a city relentlessly is different than calling attention to a weakness and working on a solution.
Keep on, keepin' on.

Joan Roberts · Post by **Joan Roberts** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 5:50 pm

Charyn.

What happened last year at LHS was that the school year started off with beaucoups kids being sent home, parental anguish, kid indignation, threats of lawsuits, etc. etc. etc.

(For whatever reason, the school administrators saw fit to introduce the code FIRST at LHS, then expand it THIS year to the middle schools. There is still no code at the elementary level. Whatever)

Within a week or two, largely thanks to the aforementioned principal, things simmered down. The code got enforced, lines were drawn, life went on.

The new MS dress code, to my understanding, is entirely based on the HS code, and I guess it's reasonable to expect a similar,uhhhhhh, "period of adjustment."

As for the teachers, they no longer consider themselves authority figures. They are there to teach and nothing else (their view, not necessarily mine). Behavior issues are to be dealt with by administrators. Again, a separate discussion.

The GOOD news from what I hear is that Mr. Wagner is actually working with the MS principals on enforcement.

Ivor Karabatkovic · Post by **Ivor Karabatkovic** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 6:05 pm

at horace mann "they" were the teachers, administrators, office workers.

at the high school, teachers just send you to the office and let them deal with it in whatever form they want. usually you either change or your sent home, and you get a wednesday school. repeat offenders get more punishment, and so on.

*yawns* :roll:

Ivor Karabatkovic · Post by **Ivor Karabatkovic** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 6:11 pm

How many times have I bashed the school system or other things in the City of Lakewood.

A lot of people do it on this board. I love critisizing things in Lakewood on this board.

It's part of what makes it good- you get the positive and negative.

You know, you live a longer, healthier life the less politics you deal with.

and yes, the children will settle down and it won't be noticed by the end of the year that there's a dress code being enforced. at least that's what happened at LHS- I don't know how the middle school kids will handle the situation.

Ivor Karabatkovic · Post by **Ivor Karabatkovic** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 6:16 pm

That is all I am wondering about - whether or not enforcement was taking place.

enforcement was taking place. too much of it in fact-

that's what drove us students nuts- not the dress code itself but how the teachers and administrators dealt with enforcing the rules.

Kids would miss out on so much valuable class time because they were sent to the office, sent home, and had to come back to class.

My english teacher last year stopped what we were learning about because a girl had a hoodie laying on her desk. She called the office, waited until they had a security guard come and escort her to the office, and then we had no time left in class to get back to the lesson.

The dress code was more of a distraction than the clothes would ever be.

I should give you my editorial that I wrote for the Times last year. Teachers and some administrators loved it, because they never heard students formally speak out against the dress code, teachers, administration, and especially that evil board who comes up with this stuff.

did I mention I don't get along with Estrop? :twisted:

Rick Uldricks · Post by **Rick Uldricks** » Fri Sep 01, 2006 10:36 am

Suzanne Metelko wrote:In an ideal world children's issues should fall under parenting. Unfortunately we're living in a much less ideal world than we used to. Currently public schools are handling such "parenting" roles as sex education, breakfast and lunch, before and after school care, diversity training, self esteem issues, manners, etc. The issue of dress is a lot less about the clothes and alot more about the power than it used to be and I think that can interfer with some of the other "parenting" issues that schools have to deal with. However, enforcement is the place to begin - teachers and staff have to buy in.

Jim, when we were at LHS the drug culture was out of control. One reason was that we had a lot less data about the adverse effects. We should be open to understanding that things change. The generation that struck down the dress code and successfully lobbied for a smoking pit never envisioned 2006. Heck they could barely envision 1973.

Dick Boyd said that the equation for a successful student used to be, "you send us a well behaved, well rested, well fed child and we'll send you a well prepared student". It's an old equation. What's the new one?

Well said.

Jim O'Bryan · Post by **Jim O'Bryan** » Fri Sep 01, 2006 10:47 am

Suzanne Metelko wrote:
Jim, when we were at LHS the drug culture was out of control. One reason was that we had a lot less data about the adverse effects. We should be open to understanding that things change. The generation that struck down the dress code and successfully lobbied for a smoking pit never envisioned 2006. Heck they could barely envision 1973.

Suzanne

I was not advocating drug use or turning a blind eye to it. I was merely saying none of this is "new." This did not happen overnight. the affects of heroin, crystal meth, LSD, MDA(now ecstasy), alcohol and tobacco was very well known.

My point that I do not remember any of it causing the disturbance that is being reported or over reported.

One girl showing in a short dress, should not bring the entire system crashing down. But I am starting to wonder, when it does, what is the real solution.

.

Charyn Compeau · Post by **Charyn Compeau** » Fri Sep 01, 2006 11:20 am

Ivor Karabatkovic · Post by **Ivor Karabatkovic** » Fri Sep 01, 2006 11:30 am

Dont know where she gets all that spunk

hm, I wouldn't have any idea. :lol:

Danielle Masters · Post by **Danielle Masters** » Fri Sep 01, 2006 3:04 pm

FYI, there is a dress code at the elementary level. My boys came home and told me all about it. They were excited! We also received a letter home on the first day of school. Basically its the same as the other schools. Honestly I think its pretty much common sense although often that is lacking today. The only part I could argue with is at the high school level I'd like kids to be able to chose there own hair color. I was one of those kids with unnaturally colored hair back in my teenage years and I turned out fine, but alas it's there and so be it. I do agree that if there is a dress code it should be enforced. Just like at home children need to know that rules will be enforced.

Jacob Hilty · Post by **Jacob Hilty** » Sun Sep 17, 2006 11:37 am

Hi,
I am a recent graduate from the Lakewood School System and I thought I might be able to add a new perspective to this conversation.

Honestly, I did not experience this new dress code (thank god), but i was around when it was presented and I have to say, it seemed ridiculous to me. Most of my friends and I were kids who got good grades in school and didn't ever seem to have disciplinary problems. The main place where problems existed if at all was rules we viewed as asinine, the school IDs for example or the dress code. To be honest never in my entire school experience was there a point at which I looked around a room and said to myself, "Golly, I wish i could concentrate but that boy there has to many piercings" or "that girls skirt is so short i can't think". Honestly, the things that would distract a class were disciplinary actions against things that were unnecessary.

In more then one class my senior year we had conversations about the impending dress code, and our belief that it would fall through. No flip-flops? seriously? No hoodies ? These were clothes that most people I knew wore everyday. If someone can explain the bans on these please explain them to me.

In conclusion, I just want to point out that kids most of the time just want to get through the day without getting hassled especially those kids that feel they aren't doing anything wrong. Why can't you give kids a break and if you are really concerned about the objectification of women and its affect on young girls in your communities address it properly by teaching not by banning something because it offends you.