Public School Uniform Policy

[5hartley]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Alabama

Is it a law that students in public school have to wear uniforms ?

I ask this because my 13 yo daughter was given 3 days of inhouse suspension for wearing the wrong belt. She is an honor student, in advanced classes, and in the gifted program, she does not get into trouble at school. I am just outraged that she is being so harshly punished for something so petty.

They are also forcing the parents to purchase dress out clothes from the school with the school logo for $20.They are black basketball shorts and a grey tshirt with the school logo. I found the same thing at wallmart for $7 but no logo, and now she isn't getting credit for PE because it didn't come from the school.Can public school really do this ?

The uniform policy say's that it has to be a solid black or brown belt and doesn't specify anything else.She has been wearing the same belt for 2 years now , it's a solid black belt with pyramid studs (very popular style with teenage girls) I bought the belt, it's attractive and well made and I don't think there is anything wrong with it.It's not indecent, offensive, or distracting...it's just a belt.


The school system has gone over board with their rules.Last year she got into trouble because her khaki pants had double stitching on the outer seam and her polo had 5 buttons instead of 3.My youngest daughter was forced to stay home because the dog ate her white tennis shoe and they wouldn't let her wear a pair of her other shoes.My oldest child was forced to go outside in cold weather with no jacket because the jacket that she had was not an approved color (navy)it was pink. It was the first cold snap of the season and I was waiting til payday to buy her a uniform jacket. It was an Aeropostale jacket, perfectly fine,nothing obscene or indecent,but they wouldn't allow her to wear it despite the fact that it was cold outside.

I am just really upset and I need to know if I have any rights as a mother ? I want to stand up to the school system and protest the uniform policy but I am so afraid of my child getting into more trouble .What difference does it make if the pants have double stitched seams, as long as they are clean, fit, and in good condition ? How can my children get into trouble if their shirts have 5 buttons instead of 3, as long as they aren't exposing their chests ? Does it really matter if they wear pink socks instead of white ?

This area has a 50 % dropout rate. I think they need to be more concerned about that and less concerned about my daughters belt, socks,and seams of her pants.


Do we have any rights ?

 

[justalayman]

the school can enact and enforce a dress code. If that code requires uniforms, then your child will have to wear uniforms that conform to whatever requirements are mandated.

This area has a 50 % dropout rate. I think they need to be more concerned about that and less concerned about my daughters belt, socks,and seams of her pants.

If you research the topic, I believe you will find that a dress code is often one of the first steps schools with a lot of problems institute.

 

[FlyingRon]

Nothing here is out of line with the law. If you have any action with regard to the suspension, it is within the school's/district's own due process.

The "dog ate it" excuse doesn't apply any more to uniforms than it does to homework.

 

[TheGeekess]

You have the right to place your daughter in a private school if you don't like the public school.

With a 50% dropout rate, I'm going to guess that your daughter goes to a Birmingham City School. Discipline has always been a problem in this system, and there have been decisions made for "No Tolerance".

I'd suggest supporting the system and teach Princess that if she breaks the rules, she has to face the consequences.

 

[CourtClerk]

I'm on my way to my kid's school to buy, among other things, PE clothing that I know I can find cheaper elsewhere.

Cost? $30/set and he'll need at least 3 new ones due to a growth spurt. Only 2 existing sets fit.

 

[5hartley]

I have taught Princess to follow the rules and she does. I 'm just over this uniform policy, it's too strict , and my children are being harshly punished over petty things. She was suspended over a belt... not for fighting, cussing, cheating, ect...It was the same belt that she wore to school last year, with no problems and nothing was specified in the uniform policy(solid black or brown only).She had told me that she needed another belt ,but I told her it would have to wait til I got paid. She isn't getting credit for PE because her dress out clothes don't have the school logo on them.I couldn't afford to blow $20 on a tshirt and shorts, but I could $7. She was forced to be out in cold weather because I couldn't afford to buy her a $45 school jacket that week, and sent her to school in a jacket that she already had.She was punished for her pants having double stitched seams. I bought her what I could find, afford,and what fit.My youngest daughter was denied a day of education ( another honor roll student) because the dog ate her shoe and she couldn't wear another pair of her tennis shoes. I had to take off work and borrow money, so that I could buy her another $50 pair of shoes ( I couldn't find school approved shoes for less than that).What it seems to amount to, is that my children are being punished because my best isn't good enough. I can't afford to buy 3 children a weeks worth of clothes at the uniform shops @ $25 a shirt, $30 pants,$20 belts,and $45 jackets,(poor quality clothes at that ) and buy them a seperate wardrobe for after school.I have to buy them clothing that is on sale.I guess I will just have to work 3 jobs now to satisfy the school so my children aren't suspended again over such petty things.It doesn't matter that they always look nice, are clean and well groomed, or that they make excellent grades, just as long as they have on the right belt and no double stitched seams.

Thank you

 

[CourtClerk]

I have taught Princess to follow the rules and she does. I 'm just over this uniform policy, it's too strict ,

So now you're teaching princess to only follow the rules that aren't too strict or that are easy for her...

Or are you teaching her to follow ALL of the rules, regardless - because after all, she's a child and she doesn't MAKE any rules.

 

[CourtClerk]

Buy clothes a little big. Teach them to be easy on them. It'll last them longer and they can hand it down.

A belt with studs is NOT a solid belt. I don't see what you don't understand about it - and you can probably find one at WalMart. Shop uniform stores online. You'll find some deals. If you want her to be fashion forward, send her to a school that allows that or homeschool her. If you can't afford it, stop whining about it. Keep the dog out of their stuff. I grew up around dogs, not one has ever ate my shoe.

You have a whole year to plan for the next school year's wardrobe. Maybe your planning is just all wrong. If the dress code isn't new, then you have no excuse. Start buying now for next year.

 

[Banned_Princess]

Princess and her sisters should get jobs.

 

[Mass_Shyster]

Try reading Dr. King's "Letter from a Birmingham Jail". It's a really good dissertation on civil disobedience.

In a nutshell, if you plan to use civil disobedience to change the rules, you must be ready to accept the consequences.

You can follow the rules, or not. It's your choice.

You can attempt to get the rules changed, or not. That's your choice as well.

Breaking the rules with no consequences does not appear to be an option.

 

[Humusluvr]

Buy clothes a little big. Teach them to be easy on them. It'll last them longer and they can hand it down.

A belt with studs is NOT a solid belt. I don't see what you don't understand about it - and you can probably find one at WalMart. Shop uniform stores online. You'll find some deals. If you want her to be fashion forward, send her to a school that allows that or homeschool her. If you can't afford it, stop whining about it. Keep the dog out of their stuff. I grew up around dogs, not one has ever ate my shoe.

You have a whole year to plan for the next school year's wardrobe. Maybe your planning is just all wrong. If the dress code isn't new, then you have no excuse. Start buying now for next year.

I often find that Goodwill or Salvation Army have a run on the kid's school uniforms, because people donate them when they are done with them.

OP< Why did you CHOOSE to buy your child a pink Aeropostal jacket rather than the NECESSARY school jacket? That seems a little unwise on your part.

If you want to protest the rules or ask for a change, then ask the principal or school board. But, you HAVE to follow the rules while asking.

At the school district I teach at, students are sent to in school suspension for piercings, facial hair, shorts more than three inches above the knee, flip flops - so my child won't do those things. He follows the rules, he's not any better than any of the other kids.

 

[Humusluvr]

Try reading Dr. King's "Letter from a Birmingham Jail". It's a really good dissertation on civil disobedience.

In a nutshell, if you plan to use civil disobedience to change the rules, you must be ready to accept the consequences.

You can follow the rules, or not. It's your choice.

You can attempt to get the rules changed, or not. That's your choice as well.

Breaking the rules with no consequences does not appear to be an option.

Very well put, Steve

 

[FlyingRon]

Try reading Dr. King's "Letter from a Birmingham Jail". It's a really good dissertation on civil disobedience.

In a nutshell, if you plan to use civil disobedience to change the rules, you must be ready to accept the consequences.

Yep, and if you listen to some of his other interviews, he was damned happy that he ended up in the jail, as the destination he was being taken was uncertain.

 

[xylene]

In school suspension won't affect your daughters grades.

 

[5hartley]

Wow....clearly I am a bad mother and I am teaching my children to be defiant.. I regret sending my daughter to school with the same belt that she was permitted to wear last year... I really am.Had I known that they weren't allowed this year, I would have purchased her a new one, but I opted to save that money because her's was still in good condition. I am also sorry that I have to wait for payday to buy her another one, because I had spent all of my money on bills, groceries, and gas. I would have never in my wildest dreams thought that she would have been suspended because she had to wait a few days. How dare I think that suspension over a belt is harsh punishment for a kid that never get's into trouble and is an excellent student.

I don't buy clothing at thrift stores because I don't like the idea of wearing someone else's used clothes. I can also buy new, good quality clothing on sale at Dillard's , JC Pennies, and other dept stores for the same price as thrift stores.

I purchased my daughter's khaki pants at Hollister, when they were on clearance for $9 . Nowhere on the school's website did it say double seams weren't allowed...just khaki pants (no cargo pants)

She wore her pink jacket to school because we had an unexpected cold snap and that's all that she had at the moment. I had purchased it a few months prior because it was a $50 jacket, on clearance for $15.I was going to buy her a jacket from the school but again, she had to wait a few days til payday. I would have never thought that they would force her to be in 40 degree weather without a jacket. She is just a kid and couldn't help that her mother didn't have $45 to spend at that very moment.

The school uniforms are also very hard to find because the entire district is looking for the same exact items.Sometimes you can't find your childs size and you have to do the best you can, with the time and money that you have. I literally had to drive to Missippi to find solid white tennis shoes and socks because there were absolutely none left in my county.The shelves literally get picked clean during" back to school".

I would have never thought that the school would rather my youngest daughter be absent, instead of being able to wear a different pair of tennis shoes that had a little pink on them. They were perfectly good shoes but just not good enough.

I believe the schools have gone overboard with this petty nit picking bs..We as parents should have some rights as to what we think is appropriate for our children to wear. How does double stitched seams effect my children's education ? A freaken belt is meant to hold their damn pants up. Does my child really run faster or jump higher if she is wearing dress out clothes with the school's logo?

I was just wondering if the uniform policy was a law...that's all. If the school tells me to cut off all of my children's hair, do I have to do that too ? What if they tell me what color underwear that I have to put on their butt's ? How far are the allowed to go ?

Sorry that I asked the question. Clearly I am in the wrong and my daughter deserved suspension .