So what do you think of this?

[DammitJanet]

Why would the dress code say a boys hair could only touch his ears and his collar? Why would that be the appropriate length?

Why would any longer be a distraction? Is it going to jump out and attack someone? Is a boy's hair going to be anymore of a distraction than a girls hair? Is one ponytail any different on one gender or the other?

And why do I get the feeling that the school district would be just as upset if he went in with his head shaved bald?

 

[flutterby]

It's a public school, not a private school. I don't know how it is there, but around here you don't get to choose which public school you go to. There are 5 elementary schools in our SD and you can try to go to one that is not your assigned school, but it depends on if they have space. And you may get in one year, but not the next. Then, we have one middle school, one junior high and one high school. If you want to attend a school in another district, you can - if they have space, and if you can afford the tuition, and can manage the transportation.

So, a public school in that scenario is supposed to have that much say about how a person/child cuts their hair? No.

Children are entitled to a free, appropriate education, as we all here know. Maybe the parents aren't equipped to homeschool for one reason or another. The...if you don't like it homeschool him argument...is pretty arrogant. In a lot of families, both parents work outside the home.

I find this to be one more example of intolerance and I've really had about enough of it in our country.

 

[flutterby]

On its Web site, the district defends its code, saying "students who dress and groom themselves neatly, and in an acceptable and appropriate manner, are more likely to become constructive members of the society in which we live."

I'd also like to see them cite the study they got that information from.

 

[hearts and roses]

Those parents chose to stay, but they're choosing not to have their son be bound by the rules.

Are the rules stupid? Perhaps. But since they exist, they need to be followed. If necessary, the parents can advocate for the rules to be changed, or for an exception to be made for hair grown in support of that cause, or some other way. However, I don't think that having their child just break the rules is the right approach. What does it teach that little boy about dealing with the many rules and authority figures he's likely to run into throughout his life?

Yeah, ML, I see most of us feel that this is a stupid rule to be sure. However, I have to agree with what trinity says here. The rules exist and if this one boy is going against the rules, it is up to the parents to advocate for him, afterall, he is only 5 years old. If he was truly growing his hair for a particular purpose, his parents should have appealed to the school district BEFORE the beginning of the school year.

I disagree with the way the school is handling this situation as well. What happens when the in school suspension is over and he still doesn't cut his hair? Is expulsion next? Over a haircut? What lesson is that teaching the boy? However, I do see their reasoning...that if they bend on this it is only a matter of time before they are up against an entire school full of kids trying to bend other rules. I still think it's a stupid rule, but I think the parents went about this the wrong way as well. There are other ways to change rules in a respectful manner. Also, I really hate the part in the article where the dad says something like, "We're going to back him up". Ahem, he is FIVE. While it's okay for a five year old to have an opinion and to make a decision for himself...ultimately, it is up to the parents (at this age) to speak for their child and, IMVHO, I think that his parents are bordering on negligence by teaching him the wrong way to go about changing a rule (by simply refusing to conform and by blatent disregard to the authorities of the district). It is good for one to stand up for one's beliefs, but there better ways to go about doing so.

 

[muttmeister]

As I said before, I find this totally stupid. However, I do agree that, with a five year old, it is more a problem with the parents than with the child because most 5 year olds hairstyles are pretty much determined by the parents. However, I do know that a good reading of Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau might be appropriate.

 

[lmf64]

What a crock! That little boy and his parents have every right to allow his hair to grow as long as he wants. The school district needs to be sued on the child's behalf! Maybe then they'll get it through their heads that they are not in charge of every aspect of our childrens' lives. What is the district going to do when a child comes to school with his hair touching his collar and the family can't afford to have his hair cut? Right now, I can't afford to pay for anything after I pay rent. If my son's hair got too long for the district, would they pay for the hair cut? I doubt it. The family/child in question apparently doesn't have this issue, but I'm sure there are other families in the district who do. I hope the ACLU gets ahold of this!

 

[Kathy813]

Let me start off with saying it wouldn't bother me at all to have a male student in my class with a ponytail. At my school, there are no restrictions on hair color, style, or length.

However . . .

I agree with Trinity and Everywoman. This seems to be a case of "my child doesn't have to follow the rules." What's next? What if they want their child to wear a t-shirt that promotes a particular religious value such as being anti-gay? What would that do to the gay children in the school?

In case you think I am taking this to an extreme . . . please check out the list of court cases on the following website. Schools have had to fight challenges to the dress code in the name of "free speech" for students wearing Hitler Youth shirts, Anti-gay sentiments, Confederate Flag shirts, and gang related symbols. Things that seem innocuous as wearing the number 14 on a belt buckle can be a gang related symbol.

So the problem becomes at what point does one child's freedom of speech become an infringement on another child's rights? And, if dress codes are necessary, who do you make exceptions for? Who decides who gets the exceptions? It becomes a slippery slope.

by the way, I learned in my Teachers and the Law class during my Ed.S program that there has never been a definitive Supreme Court ruling when it comes to schools and dress codes so it has been pretty much left up to the district and circuit courts. Interestingly, because of this, there are different rules for different parts of the country so depending on where you live, dress codes may be much stricter than they are for others on the board.

This certainly in an interesting thread.

 

[Star*]

It makes me wonder if the Dad worked in a factory where it was a rule stating that he had to wear his hair groomed nicely (for whatever reason) and came to work one day and either had the choice of going home to change or being fired which he would choose ya know?

DF has worked in some powerhouses back in the 80's where the dress code said very clearly NO TATTOOS showing (can you see that one flying today with our teenagers in general) and had to wear long sleved shirts inside to weld in the Summer. Point being - he wanted the job, the rule didn't say no tattoos, it said NONE showing...so he covered them up.

Same with the hair. I'm sure if the school book was read - it would state, no hair length etc... The parents knew this, chose to ignore it because THEY felt it was stupid.

OKAY NO ONE HERE feels this is NOT a dumb thing. HOWEVER....
RULE is a rule, is a rule. So if they wanted to allow their son to braid his hair down his back, they should have
a.) Applied for special permission based on faith or cultural beliefs
b.) Gone to the parents, rallied, and petitioned for the RULE to be changed.

 

[DammitJanet]

No discrimination based on gender etc.

 

[susiestar]

I find the whole situation to be silly. It is silly to have the boy be in ISS over his haircut. It is silly for the dress code to be ignored. It is silly to assume that because a person is groomed and attired in a certain manner that they will turn out to be productive members of society.

It is silly for parents to let a 5yo's haircut become a cause for suspension of their child.

The dad says that the school is more interested in the boy's hair than his education. Aren't the parents doing the same thing?

The handbook with the dress code comes out in the beginning of the school year. This is halfway through the year. The parents received a copy of the dress code and probably had to sign an agreement that they would have their child follow it. So now they don't want to, well, tough.

I don't think that long hair on a boy would interfere with education, but I also feel that since the boy and his parents had the rules for months before this nonsense, THEY are the ones making a point for some reason and they need to find a better way.

It is sad that the child is being used as a pawn in this.