Texas Students In Trouble for Wearing Wounded Warrior Tshirts

[Cricket]

That being said, I would love to see the dress code revised to add non profit organizations added, rather than just official college tshirts, but then where do we draw the line?

Who chooses what is and isn't okay? Can you see what a huge mess this could make?

Perhaps they should remove their single exception all together.

Like it or not, we live in a time where the tshirt you choose to wear can have horrible consequences in schools. IMHO lets keep school about learning.

[Muddy]

Originally Posted by robjones

...in order for a dress code to be meaningful it has to be enforced uniformly.

Good one!

Originally Posted by robjones

I read the article, which was a transcript of the video {except for adding an extra "safe" into Ms Perez quote that had me doing a double take on the reading part of the assignment}. Then I read Ms Perez comments at bottom. I'm absolutely sympathetic to the cause of the guys coming back after paying such a high price, and would be in favor of seeing a change to the dress code that makes allowance for situations like this, but the proper way to do that is to take the case to the school board, not to ignore the dress code and do it anyway.

It was not just the flag or the sentiment thereon... the dress code says polo type shirts... not t-shirts.

With situations as heavy as a guy thats been paralyzed while wearing the uniform of the country, a father who will never be able to run in the front yard with his children again, emotions run high. The guys at the school seemed to agree in principle with the shirts but if they enforce the dress code they still cant allow t-shirts. Had they done so the dress code would in effect just be "you can wear whatever the administration doesnt object to."

So the administration enforcing the code was correct. None of us know exactly what words were said though... and it could easily have been a situation like above where two people who come to the same conclusion on the principle get crosswise due to wording that throws motivation into question.

Either way, the mom signed the dress code, and put her daughters into a bad spot by letting elementary kids out of the house in something she knew didnt comply. When I was raising elementary kids I had to occasionally send them back to their room to change to match the guideline. That's part of parenting. If she wants to change the code... take it to a school board meeting and let the kids wear the shirts there, but it's passive-aggressive to throw the kids out there and leave the teachers to have to play the bad guy. Parents have to learn to say "no", not drop it onto the teacher.

Totally agree with all the above. Plus the first thing I caught was that these girls had been in trouble before for flouting the dress code. Therefore an already sensitive situation from the get go. Reminds me of these punks that provoke cops with insolent and disrespectful behavior and then when the cops get edgy, the punks film the whole thing and put it on Youtube with subsequent bitching and moaning about totalitarian treatment and violation of rights.

[Haley]

I remember getting in trouble quite a lot in my middle school in Judson ISD for not wearing a polo or college logo shirt. They're very strict with it here.
The girls didn't get in trouble for wearing an American flag, like some of the comments on the article are guessing, they got in trouble because the shirt style didn't match the dress code.
Do I think it should have been allowed?
Yeah, but then they'd have to allow any cause students agree with.
Do I think they should change the dress code?
Yes, but not too much, because kids push it all the time anyway.
One comment on the article kind of got my mind going though.
It questioned whether or not the schools single out some kids.
Honestly, yes they do. Cheerleaders never once got a dress code violation at my school, and they wore way worse things than the random band T's I got in trouble for.

What's a little funny, (not ha-ha funny really) if the girls had worn those shirts in high school, they wouldn't have gotten in trouble.

You can wear any shirt in Judson ISD high schools as long as it's not offensive, too low cut, or a solid color.

[Cricket]

Originally Posted by Haley

I remember getting in trouble quite a lot in my middle school in Judson ISD for not wearing a polo or college logo shirt. They're very strict with it here.
The girls didn't get in trouble for wearing an American flag, like some of the comments on the article are guessing, they got in trouble because the shirt style didn't match the dress code.
Do I think it should have been allowed?
Yeah, but then they'd have to allow any cause students agree with.
Do I think they should change the dress code?
Yes, but not too much, because kids push it all the time anyway.
One comment on the article kind of got my mind going though.
It questioned whether or not the schools single out some kids.
Honestly, yes they do. Cheerleaders never once got a dress code violation at my school, and they wore way worse things than the random band T's I got in trouble for.

What's a little funny, (not ha-ha funny really) if the girls had worn those shirts in high school, they wouldn't have gotten in trouble.

You can wear any shirt in Judson ISD high schools as long as it's not offensive, too low cut, or a solid color.

At the high school level the issue is that the code is not so cut and dried. Haley once had in school suspension for a shirt they felt was too low. (It honestly wasn't.) When I asked for the specifics of the rule I was told there wasn't one. It was at each teacher's discretion. Short of sending her in turtle necks every day, how do I measure "at teacher's discretion"?

If they want a dress code, which I believe they should, make the code cut and dried with no room for error.

[robjones]

Originally Posted by cricket

Haley once had in school suspension for a shirt they felt was too low. (It honestly wasn't.)

[Cricket]

LOLOLOLOL! Of course the dress code involved in this discussion (for elementary) is not in a grey area. The dress code is very specific about what is and isn't okay.

[Lauren at LucasWorks]

Honestly, first thought is that every school should allow shirts that support the military if they allow shirts that support colleges. After all, the military is not only an honorable calling, in many cases it's an alternative to college.

But my second thought is that I agree with Cricket; uniforms! There are just too many opportunities for any dress code to be broken, so keep it simple! Kids can wear a pin to support their cause, whether Wounded Warriors or Texas A&M.

[G10]

IMO, the school has no option but to enforce a dress code of just the school uniform because once this is altered, like it or not it could open up a whole world of bias and prejudism.

[Sunfyre7896]

I always have had and continue to have issues with full dress codes in these schools, especially with uniforms. I'm all for not wearing something that has something hateful on it or is inappropriate sexually, but other than that, the line should be drawn. With regard to uniforms, I believe that it stifles individuality and promotes conformity. Other societies have done that, into which I'm not going to get. I personally feel it trains kids to be good little citizens that can't let themselves stand out and stifles future free speech. It is basically just a smaller version of control. You could even say governmental control, subbing in the 'administration' for another administration.

In this instance, I feel the dress code is just wrong. You can wear college t-shirts, but not one in support of troops. They need to be more lax in their dress codes. Don't let t-shirts be worn then is what I say. However, I think the kids should be allowed to wear whatever their parents see fit as long as it doesn't violate what I had initially opened this with.

This is one of those situations where there is a guise of protecting the kids and not wanting the situation with a number of different causes to take place, but it seems more of a way to control what they want and what they don't want. But, it's within their rights. It's just sad that they have to enforce something so minuscule and nitpicky.

[G10]

I have no issue whatsoever with school dress codes.

When I went to early and middle school, my family were very poor and having all the children wear a uniform actually helped from segratating the rich from the poor as they all dressed the same.

When I went to high school, we still didn't have a lot of money but I did not want to be constantly reminded of this as other kids (and you know how cruel kids can be) came in with expensive jackets, trainers etc, so a school uniform does help in some cases. Fortunately we had school uniforms.

Thats just one take on this.

[Muddy]

[G10]

Based on that picture, there is no way in hell anyone is going to convince me otherwise

[robjones]

I vote with G10. Two paws up here. [Yeah, deep down we're shallow.]

[ScriptMan]

Which school is that? Hooker U or what?

[robjones]

Looks a little like a place named Baby Dolls on Hwy 157 between Arlington and Euless. Or so I hear.

[G10]

Originally Posted by robjones

I vote with G10. Two paws up here. [Yeah, deep down we're shallow.]

I tell you dude, I am soooo disgusted at Muddy putting such a picture up in this thread showing those school uniforms.. Every now and then I have to quickly pop back in here just to check it out, obviously under the guise of reminding myself just what a cold and shallow person he really is


Ok good, I think they all bought that, but more importantly, why have I started talking to myself again??

[Seven3]

I'm having a hard time seeing what the problem is. Or what it really has to do with injured vets.

My interpretation is that they were in trouble for not adhering to the dress code as opposed to the content of the T-shirts. I'm sure every day kids around the world get into trouble at their schools for wearing all kinds of T-shirts.

If they had worn Justin Bieber T-shirts the result would have probably been the same, just less knee jerk reaction by the media (perhaps).

Edit: Thought I would add that technically I am a vet myself in my country, nothing against vets but I just don't feel that this issue is really about them.

[Seven3]

Originally Posted by Sunfyre7896

I always have had and continue to have issues with full dress codes in these schools, especially with uniforms. I'm all for not wearing something that has something hateful on it or is inappropriate sexually, but other than that, the line should be drawn. With regard to uniforms, I believe that it stifles individuality and promotes conformity. Other societies have done that, into which I'm not going to get. I personally feel it trains kids to be good little citizens that can't let themselves stand out and stifles future free speech. It is basically just a smaller version of control. You could even say governmental control, subbing in the 'administration' for another administration.

In this instance, I feel the dress code is just wrong. You can wear college t-shirts, but not one in support of troops. They need to be more lax in their dress codes. Don't let t-shirts be worn then is what I say. However, I think the kids should be allowed to wear whatever their parents see fit as long as it doesn't violate what I had initially opened this with.

This is one of those situations where there is a guise of protecting the kids and not wanting the situation with a number of different causes to take place, but it seems more of a way to control what they want and what they don't want. But, it's within their rights. It's just sad that they have to enforce something so minuscule and nitpicky.

In my country most schools have compulsory dress codes and I used to think similarly.

But I was told the reason for dress codes is not so much to create conformity but to create equality.

If all kids are wearing the same uniform then they can't be judged or treated according to the quality of clothes that their parents are able to (or unable to) afford for them.

Made sense to me.

[ScriptMan]

Originally Posted by Seven3

In my country most schools have compulsory dress codes and I used to think similarly.

But I was told the reason for dress codes is not so much to create conformity but to create equality.

If all kids are wearing the same uniform then they can't be judged or treated according to the quality of clothes that their parents are able to (or unable to) afford for them.

Made sense to me.

And it makes a lot of sense to me. It also eliminates the disruptive messages that might be displayed. Even if you love the message not everyone will. Kids are at school to learn not teach.