The Observation Deck

Community Forum 4/19/05



Dear Friends:



For years, many folks have brought to my attention issues of student behavior and dress, particularly at Lakewood High School. I share these concerns and have been a strong advocate for improvement every since I've been on the Board. Over the years, various "tweaking" and singular initiatives have been tried, however we have failed to get everybody on the same page. Although the majority of our students are well behaved, we do have undeniable and visible problems. It will only get worse if not addressed now, in a timely and consistent manner.



During this school year, a Student Conduct and School Climate Committee has been working on a systematic approach. I believe this is a one time opportunity to get it right. The Committee is heavy on staff and light on parents and non-parents. As the majority of Lakewoodites do not have children in the schools, many of the voices around town have not been heard. Last fall, we had a public forum in which students were solicited, and many did attend. It fell short, however, in public attendance.



There will be another, and final, Community Forum on Tuesday, April 19, 2005 at 7:00pm., in the West Cafeteria of Lakewood High School. Proposals regarding discipline, behavior, dress code will be addressed.



This is a real opportunity for public input in what is acceptable conduct of our students, how to promote the positive, and how to address the negative. I urge you to attend. Please pass this information on to others who share this concern.



Ed Favre

Dress Code Conduct; The Politics of Apperal



On Tuesday,4/19 the Student Conduct and School Climate Committee delivered without a hitch, its concensus building session with parents, students and community members. Turn-out was substantial, with over 30 groups, each comprised of parents, students, faculty and the omni-present facilitators packing the LHS west cafeteria.



Within each of the 36 groups, a facilitator worked to build concensus regarding the below mentioned agenda points. Each question was discussed in no greater than 8 minute time slots, at the end of which the group had to answer: agree, disagree or choose not to choose on the black-white scenario layed before them. Commentary regarding each group's response was included for the sake of managed concesus building and reaccurent themes were announced at the end of the session.



1. do we think that homeroom should be restored to a daily basis, from the current once weekly arrangment

2. should hallway supervision be increased, and

3. should an electronic I.D. monitoring system that tracks students in real time be implemented

4. do we support a drug-free and smoke-free environment

5. do we support digital class rooms and "alternative" charter school options for students with behavioral problems

6. should incoming high school students attend a manditory orientation on the "Lakewood Way", descrided breifly as the policy adopted based on the committee's findings



Lastly, an entire 30 minutes was dedicated to group discussion of the LHS dress code. This was made possible by a gradient of four dress-code control levels. The four levels range from "None" on the liberal end to "Unifrom" on the conservative. In between were the left-of-center "Current" dress code and the right-of-center "Fort-thomas". "Fort Thomas" is something like a prison style flat color and garment restriction mandate, banning clothing with lettering of any kind. The other 3 levels are self explanitory.



The current dress code found the greatest appeal with participants, it seems they just want it enforced. Of the 36 groups, 14 voted for the current dress code, 6 for something between the current and "Ft. Thomas" levels, and a whopping 4 groups pushed for uniforms. This might be in line with school board president Ed Favre's vision who, as one of the opening speakers said,



"Tonight, you're going to help set the bar.. and we need to set it at the right level.. not what's easy, not what's necessarily comfortable or very convenient and certainly higher than were it's been, but at a level that is consistent with what we want to achieve..."



Or, maybe not. If the concensus reached in this process is truley to be formative to the policy amendment that follows, we should see administration enforce the current code, shouldn't we?



The findings of the committee will be disclosed to the public this Monday, May 10th at 7:00 p.m. in the LHS LRC, on the third floor of the new building above the west cafeteria.

Since the new dress code will not allow students to wear any "writing" on clothing, I was wondering how this would affect the sale of Ranger Wear or other school support clothing?
Seems students would not be able to wear any clothing that shows pride and support for their school.

Tracey


This is indeed a very slippery slope. I was talking with a person that was just itching to see how this unfolds. It would seem that if Ranger gear is allowed that it becomes the school judging subjectively, which would be illegal.


Jim O'Bryan

Very slippery indeed. How about those cheerleaders. On the day of a football game they usually wear their outfit to school. Does the cheerleader uniform have writing, such as Rangers or Lakewood on them? How about the skirts for cheerleaders, won't they be too short? Or the football players. On home game days don't they wear a football jersey to school? I don't mean to pick on the cheerleaders or football players, but it seems there will be no support for any school activity for ANYTHING. No more musical tee-shirts either. This is so sad.

I'm having a difficult time grasping the logic of banning unusual hair coloring. I don't understand why purple or green hair is considered a disruptive element or some sort of behavioral marker.

I do understand the schools wish to regulate writing on t-shirts because it is much easier to declare that all writing is forbidden rather than judge, on a case-by-case basis, what is and what is not acceptable. There are many opportunities for offensive speech and while some things are obvious, it is not always easy for adults to understand the possible deeper implications of a t-shirt choice. I don't know whether or not there is a list of acceptable LHS apparel, or whether there is any specific language regarding uniforms, but it occurs to me that a football uniform or a cheerleading uniform is a school authorized, pre-approved style of dress not subject to the "writing" ban.

Back in the day, wearing coats to class was considered a problem, although I assume this had something to do with potential truancy. There are now significant security issues, which I don't believe we faced, which must be addressed.

All that being said, I am of the opinion that the (previous) dress code may not have necessarily been either (universally) enforced or clearly communicated.

I would also point out that my opinion is simply that of a member of the community and that since I have no children, my awareness of what's going on inside the schools is severely limited. We live near the high school, so we see kids on their way to and from school on a daily basis.

I'll be interested in hearing more about the dress code issue as it unfolds.

I don't think this is the time or place to be second guessing the efforts of the dozens and dozens of residents who chose to take on the serious task of addressing numerous issues at the high school. All of us had the opportunity to participate in the public meetings and the decision making process. If we are going to move this city, and in particular, the schools forward, I think it is our job to support the work of those who put in the time and effort on some critical aspects of school life....and trust that they made good decisions.

This is not to say that we don't have the right to our personal opinions, but I think "Observers" should consider expressing deep respect and appreciation for the fellow residents and parents who took on this thankless task. There was no outcome that would have been satisfactory to everyone. Second guessing specific elements of a very public, very complex, very disciplined and very thoughtful process is divisive and non-productive at a time when we need to becoming together.

Let's support those who did the work.......

Mary Anne

Mary Anne

Do you have children in the Lakewood school system?

I think this discussion is perfectly appropriate and I don't quite understand your admonishment. I think perhaps adults can decide for themselves what they would like to talk about.

I have a feeling it will become quite an issue in the fall.

Mary Anne Crampton wrote:This is not to say that we don't have the right to our personal opinions, but I think "Observers" should consider expressing deep respect and appreciation for the fellow residents and parents who took on this thankless task. There was no outcome that would have been satisfactory to everyone. Second guessing specific elements of a very public, very complex, very disciplined and very thoughtful process is divisive and non-productive at a time when we need to becoming together.

Let's support those who did the work.......

Mary Anne

I deeply appreciate that the process was thoughtful and required a great deal of effort.

Observer Slife had written,

The current dress code found the greatest appeal with participants, it seems they just want it enforced. Of the 36 groups, 14 voted for the current dress code, 6 for something between the current and "Ft. Thomas" levels, and a whopping 4 groups pushed for uniforms.

This gave me a glimpse of the results of that session.

Explaining the factors that shaped the conclusions actually honors the process, in my opinion.

The issue of dress codes is quite complex, particularly when it infringes on free speech.

The courts have held that POLITICAL and RELIGIOUS speech is protected under the Consitiution. Obscene speech is not protected. Therefore, it would be perfectly acceptable to restrict shirts that have lewd messages.

However, unless schools have a compelling reason to restrict shirts with logos, messages, or slogans, (and by compelling the courts generally mean specific evidence of gang or criminal activity,) then it is usually much harder to defend free speech challenges to the dress code.

This site has many examples of cases and decisions involving school dress restrictions:

http://www.modrall.com/articles/article_13.html

Even good decisions should be second guessed, this is how we refine
conflicting opinions into concensus. Moving this city forward in a
positive direction will required a level of trust and trust must be
earned. Estrop is new to our school system.

The 'concensus building' process that I experienced seemed superficial in
its presentation of the 'problem'. Not once within the course of the
night did we speak about what was motivating people to enforce order out
of the cultural chaos and social dysfunction perceived in our high school
students. We didn't talk about economic stress, underclass matters, and
the need to offer a hopeful vision to all children of the industural left
behind in today's chaos.

How are we going to teach the kids lessons beyond 'let's simply throw a
robe on the silenced animal'?

The behavioral challanges that have alerted us to changes taking place
within our school system can not be tackled in isolation from important
economic, family and social issues. We must be honest with ourselves and
the children we hope to nurture in this community.

Dress is only an incidental issue. Will the code even be enforced? In
school? From home?

Can we really trust these processes? If not, how can we do so? The work
has only just begun.

Grace,

Did you participate in the public process?

Suzanne Metelko

Grace,

I do not have children in Lakewood Public Schools, but I do have several friends who participated in the forums and/or served on the Student Conduct and School Climate Committee. Each of those residents acted with great concern on behalf of the students, parents and school community. They took their roles very seriously, and as indicated in the APRIL 11 posting by Ed Favre, they were hopeful that a large segment of the community would be part of the process.

Grace, YOUR OPINION IS SO IMPORTANT!! If we are going to be effective in protecting the community's future, starting NOW, we need to get people like you involved in the process at the beginning.

Too many people,(and I'm NOT saying you are one of them), stand on the sidelines, wait for others to do the work, and then send potshots at the results. It is SO HARD to come up with workable solutions and so easy to snipe at them afterwards.

Debate is extremely valuable. Differences of opinion need to be recognized and reconciled DURING THE PROCESS not afterwards. The idea that there is someone out there "itching to see how this unfolds" irritates the heck out me. NOT because his/her opinion may be different than mine...but because he/she is watching, not participating at the time issues are researched and decisions are made.

Mary Anne

It was I who said I was interested in seeing how things unfold and I obviously didn't express myself very well. Since I wasn't able to attend the meetings, I was looking for background, not taking pot-shots.

There are freedom of speech precedents involved with t-shirt regulation (it's difficult to believe, but it's so) and rather than faulting the hard work that went into this process, I am concerned about the hyper-litigious society in which we live. I don't want to tear anything down, I want to make sure this has been carefully handled. The courts have sided with t-shirt wearers unless the shirts are somehow gang-related or obscene.

It's important that we don't stumble as we move forward.

As someone who graduated from high school around 4 years ago, i would have to say that i don't think i ever gave two thoughts about what the writing on people's clothing said. everyone keeps talking about protecting the children and so on, but i have trouble believing that children are going to be any more protected by a dress code that is more strict.

common sense dictates that students shouldn't be allowed to wear clothing that is obscene (swear words, racial things, bad pictures, etc.) common sense also dictates that children should be required have enough clothing on, as in not wearing clothes that are too skimpy, since sometimes children do not have enough common sense in this area.

having said that, i think it's ridiculous to try to impose these kind of restrictions.

for one thing, teenagers are always going to need to rebel. it's part of who they are, and that will never, ever change. and i strongly feel that the more they feel like they are controlled, the more they're going to fight against it. restricting something as stupid as clothing will make them find other ways to rebel, and it will not help anything.

also, i don't know how writing on clothing, or different colored hair, or anything really, can be distracting in a classroom for more than the time between the bell and the time the teacher starts teaching. if these sorts of things are causing teachers to be unable to teach, perhaps the root of the problem is not the students, but the teachers.

i had a number of really good teachers at LHS. the good ones rarely had a problem with the class, and problems that happened were definitely never caused by how someone looked.

i also had a handful of rather bad teachers. the same group of kids would go from a constructive learning environment during one period to a free-for-all the next.

how could this be the kids' fault?

i feel like our society likes easy, visible solutions to problems. and i feel like our society likes avoiding responsibility.

if children in our schools are not getting the education they deserve, i guarantee that it's not their fault. parents and teachers can be the only reason for this failure, and i feel like it's time they started biting the bullet and look for a real solution to the problems in our schools.