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Sometimes, I wish

I wish I could write about the things that really bug me... but then I realize I'd just be pissing in the wind.

Then again, what the hell. The Science Goddess wrote a post about dress codes. Apparently, her school doesn't have one - which is a little shocking, but maybe they also have parents who actually pay attention to their kids and aren't usually high. Who knows.

My school does have a dress code. I believe it applies to anyone who overweight, a minority or acts like a bitch to their teachers or has one of three classes. For the last month of the previous school year, one student wore a garbage bad to protest the enforcement of the dress code. It seems that it is regularly applied to her (minority!), usually while sitting next to a female student in blatant violation. Using the WASL prompt "what rule would you change and why" guarantees a dress code diatribe from every girl over 140 pounds. It really pisses me off. Especially when I say something, the response is always "I've been wearing this for half the day and no one has said anything."

Coach Brown recently had a parent ask why a female student couldn't show off her "hot body"? This is when I'd say "Whatever you want Grandma, outside of school." Because if the parent don't think that kid is getting her freak on, she are only fooling herself. My student's know if I confiscate a note, I'll toss it. Won't read it at all. Why? I've only read three notes in three years of teaching... what were they about? Anal sex and how much the guy enjoyed it. Vaginal bleeding, but still loves the guy... and "please don't get me get me so drunk next time you want to have sex." All from girls. I won't even get into the conversations I've heard. Yes, teenage sex has changed more than I ever wanted to know... I'm thinking of becoming a Puritan.

What's really interesting? Try chatting with girl dessed (or undressed) like a hooker. It'll be an interesting conversation about how Mom always chooses boyfriend/step-dad over child (food, transportation, shelter), has only male friends because girls just don't like her/are stupid, and how a stable lifestyle is something that is only seen on TV.

That's why the lack of an enforced dress code pisses me off. We're helping to perpetuate the cycle of a sucky life. Sure, dress codes are little things. However, I think it's like the broken window theory... is it such a far stretch from displaying yourself as a sexual object, to oral sex in the bathroom? Or at least believing that the only thing going is a hot body - an education is for those with nothing else going... sounds like a great plan doesn't it? A sure way to success and happiness.

Comments

Anonymous said…
At our school our dress code is enforced very strongly, though only by some of the faculty.

As a male teacher I am not allowed to send a female student out for a dress-code violation. It is actually in our faculty handbook that way. Apparently, there is just too much of a fear of us guys getting in trouble.
3:55 PM
The Science Goddess said…
Keep on pissing in the wind. At least it's a start and shows you care enough to try.

Just like the "broken window theory," it really is the little things that matter...and they do get kids' attention (especially when the rules aren't uniformly applied).
5:13 PM
Jenna said…
Are you allowed to send them to a female teacher or counselor? That would seem to be a better compromise than male teachers ignoring violations... it could seem on the outside (according to the female student writing the aforementioned essays) that the male teachers don't say anything because they're enjoying the show.
11:02 PM
Ryan said…
I had a girl in my class this year (1st grade) who came regularly dressed in short, short, short skirts and way too-tight tops.

1st grade!

I went to the counselor about it, and we both agreed that I certainly couldn't talk to the mother about it, for the reasons that Mr. R touched on. It's just not something guy teachers should do.
10:37 AM
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