2008.07.31
Jump suits and Double Dutch
So much for dunce caps, or even in-school suspension (ISS), a school in Texas plans to put students in prison-style jumpsuits if they break the school's dress code. Fellow blogger Alexander Russo linked to this story all about it.
Also, this morning, The New York Times is reporting on the city's latest varsity sport -- Double Dutch. In a conversation with Montgomery County school board member Phyllis Albritton the other day, I wondered aloud about the lack of crew teams in the New River Valley, maybe I missed the boat (forgive the pun) and should have been asking about the rope jumping instead.
While working as a substitute teacher in Florida, we had a dress code that included belts. Pants rode below many underwear waist bands without them (even in Kindergarten).
I learned quickly to bring in fabric strips with flowers on them. With most (or all) of the offenders, boys, I would hand a rule-breaker one of my homemade belts to wear.
This would work wonders on most days.
Jumpsuits may be taking it a little too far. In general, the dress code in school is devised to give kids a sense of professionalism in their attitudes. I would be afraid the jumpsuits might force those rule-breakers to identify themselves as something entirely different.
Comment by Amy Hanek — July 31, 2008 @ 11:46 am
Check out http://detentionslip.org for these stories and all the crazy headlines from our schools.
Comment by hall monitor — August 1, 2008 @ 8:06 am
Jumpsuits as a punishment? Sounds a little too much like the real world to me.
First of all, are they the ugly neon orange ones or awesome old school black and white ones?
Second, has this school board not considered that many jokesters may in fact see these jumpsuits as an opportunity to disrupt the school day? Indeed, the glory of being 'forced' to wear a jumpsuit would certainly provide quite a distraction in an educational environment. If these jumpsuits provide amusement to the students, they will cease to be seen as a punishment and instead be seen as a joke.
Third, should the school board really be promoting jailbird jumpsuits? If the jumpsuits become seen as common or ludicrous, they will stop being seen as a sign of wrongdoing; and what will happen when this nonchalant attitude sticks with students after high school? Will it still be so amusing to wear a jumpsuit when you're spending the night in a cold concrete cell?
Comment by Clara Everett — August 26, 2008 @ 12:31 pm