Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Attack of the killer shirts

School bureaucracies have some weird fears. Kicking basketballs, bubble gum, reason, etc. All of these things have long been feared by school boards far and wide. But in one school system in my area, the school board is afraid of shirts!

The place is Silver Grove, Kentucky, and to hear the system tell it, they're suffering the attack of the killer shirts. A school committee complains that too many students have been wearing "violent" shirts, and they're seriously considering uniforms to combat the "problem."

Parents are furious that uniforms are even being considered. (Bush lost Silver Grove, so you can't expect uniforms to go over too well.) For one thing, parents have pointed out that if the dress code already prohibits "violent" attire, why doesn't the school enforce that instead of using the lack of enforcement as an excuse for a stricter dress code? Honestly, it's already stricter than what it should be, but at least it beats a stupid-ass uniform. For another, some of the parents also pointed out that 78% of students in the school qualify for reduced lunches, so how can they afford to buy an extra set of clothes they'll only use for school?

A school administrator poo-poos these concerns. He said the school has talked to stores like Wal-Mart about having affordable uniform clothes in stock. So the school is making deals with Wal-Mart now? A lot of schools only have uniforms because they have deals with certain sellers. Uniforms are often just another manifestation of ongoing corruption in the schools.

You can tell where this is headed. A few years ago, the Silver Grove school board conducted a secret meeting in which they adopted year-round school. No input from families was heeded, and the idea still gets soundly blasted. Now Silver Grove's school committee says it's sending out a survey to parents asking them what type of dress code (if any) they want. Something tells me that those who spoke out against uniforms aren't going to receive a survey, because that's usually how it goes.

Don't think I haven't been trying to fight schools' right-wing groupstink.

(Source: http://news.nky.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/c2/20080513/NEWS01/805130314)

6 comments:

  1. You can tell where this is headed

    IT MUST BE GOOD TO BE PSYCHIC!

    A few years ago, the Silver Grove school board conducted a secret (THAT WOULD HAVE VOLATED THE KENTUCKY SUNSHINE LAW...IT DID NOT HAPPEN) meeting in which they adopted year-round school. No input from families was heeded, and the idea still gets soundly blasted. BY WHO? CAMPBELL CO SCHOOLS ARE ON THE SAME SCHEDULE.

    THAT IS NOT TRUE...IT WAS STUDIED FOR SEVERAL YEARS, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT OPINIONS FROM EVERYONE INVOLVED.

    I HAVE SPOKEN TO DOZENS OF PEOPLE FROM SG. (STUDENTS, PARENTS, TEACHERS, ADMINISTRATORS) I HAVE NOT MET ONE THAT DID LIKE THE "ALTERNATIVE VACATION SCHEDULE".

    THEY DO NOT GO TO SCHOOL YEAR ROUND. THEY START A COUPLE OF WEEKS EARLIER THAN SOME OTHER SCHOOLS.

    AT THE END OF THE FIRST GRADING PERIOD, THEY GET A TWO WEEK BREAK. AT THE END OF THE SECOND GRADING PERIOD, THEY GET A THREE WEEK (CHRISTMAS) BREAK. AFTER THE THIRD, ANOTHER TWO WEEKS. AT THE END OF THE YEAR, THEY GET TWO, INSTEAD OF THREE MONTHS OFF. HARDLY YEAR ROUND.

    Now Silver Grove's school committee says it's sending out a survey to parents asking them what type of dress code (if any) they want. Something tells me that those who spoke out against uniforms aren't going to receive a survey, because that's usually how it goes.

    BECAUSE SILVER GROVE IS SUCH A SMALL COMMUNITY, THERE ARE NO SECRETS...EVERYONE INVOLVED WILL GET A SURVEY.

    DO A LITTLE MORE RESEARCH BEFORE YOU SHOW YOUR IGNORANCE (I DID NOT SAY YOU WERE STUPID, JUST UNINFORMED)AGAIN.

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  2. 1. Turn off the caps lock key

    2. Yeah, Campbell Co. is on same schedule..and you're saying following Campbell Co. is a good thing??

    3. IIRC there was a secret meeting

    4. If they start any earlier than other schools..yeah, i'd call that year round. I think last year the LATEST that went back was Aug. 19 or so?? You can't get much earlier without being year round.

    And I can believe that not everybody will get a survey...If I was a parent who argued with the school every day about the dress code, I would be surprised if I got a survey..

    There's "incasts" and there's "outcasts"...If you're not a supporter of the "system", the school probably doesn't heed your opinions. Sad but true..

    I experienced this, and a lot of others have too.

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  3. Actually, CC followed Silver Grove by a couple of years. If there was a "secret meeting", someone would have gone to jail.

    I said they start earlier than SOME schools. They do not go to school anymore days than any other schools, they just have longer breaks with the exception of the summer.

    Unfortunatly, the outcast usually run the show. Those that believe in school uniforms are trying to do something that they feel will improve the educational environment.

    I never wore a uniform to school one day in my life, so I really don't care. However, if it would help a tiny bit to improve the students performance...I am all for it.

    NO administrator has anything to gain from this. Right or wrong, they are exploring something that just might improve things.

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  4. If you think the "outcasts" won't get heard...you don't know much about Silver Grove.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Blau,

    Sunshine laws are ignored by local governments all the time. Often it's just ignorance of the, but the smaller the community, the more likely they are to get away with it. Newspapers and sometimes citizens complain, but I don't know of a single case where anyone's gone to jail.

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  6. If you had worn a uniform one day in your life, you would be against it.

    Don't praise something until you've tried it.

    ReplyDelete