Students test limits of new school dress code

Florida Keys News

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Students test limits of new school dress code

By MANDY BOLEN Citizen Staff

Monday marked not only the first day of school for Monroe County students, but also the first day of a new dress code for all three high schools.

Shorts and skirts may not be more than 6 inches above the knee, and all shirts must have sleeves or shoulder straps that are at least 3 inches wide, the new rules state, thereby prohibiting spaghetti-strap tank tops and strapless tube tops.

"We had fantastic buy-in from the students today," Key West High School Assistant Principal Christina McPherson said, estimating that about 30 students were addressed and asked to change their clothes.

Administrators visited classrooms early in the day and picked out students in violation of the new rules, which also prohibit Spandex, midriff-baring tops, baggy, low-riding pants that reveal underwear or boxer shorts and shirts bearing logos for alcohol, tobacco, drugs or any crude or suggestive language or symbols.

"It's much stricter this year, and kids are complaining about it," said Emily Hepworth, a Key West junior. "They're enforcing it avidly this year, and I'm not saying that's a terrible thing, just that it could be a little more lenient."

Hepworth arrived at school Monday wearing a shirt with only one shoulder strap. By second period she was reprimanded and given a double extra-large T-shirt to wear for the rest of the day, she said.

The office provides clothing to replace any items deemed inappropriate.

"I didn't really think they were going to enforce it the first day," Hepworth said. "But administrators were walking through classrooms during first period pulling people out of class if they were in violation."

Key West senior Drake Gonzales said he thinks the staunch enforcement likely will settle down in the coming weeks, but he purposely wore an inappropriate shirt on Monday and never was reprimanded.

"The dress code and enforcement is completely biased and sexist," he said. "They only target the girls and the way they dress. I intentionally wore a shirt with a band logo on the back that says, 'Leftover Crack,' and nobody said a word."

In addition to clothing guidelines, the new dress code also prohibits hats, bandanas, sunglasses, scarves and wallet chains.

At Coral Shores, enforcement on the first day was not as strict, said Assistant Principal Dave Murphy.

"I can tell you it was not bad today," he said.

Marathon Assistant Principal Wendy McPherson could not be reached for comment.

mbolen@keysnews.com

same group of conch haters on this comment board...

Submitted on Thu, 08/27/2009 - 4:59am

laughable how any article is twisted into blaming all conchs. i am convinced there is a small group of nonlocals making comments on these boards. now, every kid dressed badly is a conch and all conchs are bad? you people need to get a grip. kwhs students are a mixed bag of kids from many different backgrounds. once again, you outsiders posting hateful comments here have absolutely no clue what you are talking about. i ask the reasonable people out there to consider that this is a societal problem and not the schools fault or a conch problem. the schools do the best they can with enforcement, but when you call a parent of a child who is dressed like a prostitute, then the parent shows up dressed in the same manner to berate whomever is present, then it makes it very difficult to enforce it. im a conch, never dressed this way, my friends never dressed like this, my children don't dress like this, and the hater who has been posting the hateful conch comments for many months now on these comment boards needs to give it a rest. sad and stupid that the key west citizen supports a forum like this where some of the folks paying for their advertising are daily attacked in their paper. kinda like biting the hand that feeds you, don't you think? i for one, am losing respect, and the desire to spend my hard earned money at businesses that advertise in a smut rag that allows this type of anonymous commentary to take place. you should all be ashamed of yourselves. it also shows what a complete farce the "one human family" motto is because you are part of the "one human family" only until you disagree with them or admit to being a conch. what a joke you people are, and how embarrassing for key west that all of this is posted daily in a public forum for all the world to see. must do wonders for our tourism business down here, huh?

What? No rambling, incoherent response?

Submitted on Fri, 08/28/2009 - 8:48am

On many message boards, this is a called 'hit and run'post. That would be when you make an incoherent post, then never come back to defend your outrageous, moronic aspersions.

I counted your use of the uncapitalized word 'conch' eight times

Submitted on Thu, 08/27/2009 - 10:55am

in your post. Then I looked elsewhere in these comments and found only two mentions of the word Conch. Now please explain exactly how you got 'conch hater' out of this thread? What is your reasoning process, if indeed you have such a skill? One poster made a comment about a uniform store and another made a factual post about Conch kids that had applied for jobs who were incapable of even properly interviewing. I don't see any 'blame all conchs' in here at all. Do you think maybe you need to seek some professional help for your paranoid thinking?

Here's a concept for you - CAPITALIZATION

Submitted on Thu, 08/27/2009 - 10:39am

Try capitalization some time. It will make a difference as to whether anyone reads your paranoid rant. As best as I can decipher from the above illiterate drivel, you feel anyone who disagrees with you is an 'outsider'. It also shows that you are unable to hear or understand thinking that differs from yours and you are calling the free press representative (The Citizen) a smut rag. Maybe you should stop reading it and stop posting if you feel it's an inferior publication and if you can't handle differing opinions?

Too hot to be appropriate

Submitted on Wed, 08/26/2009 - 7:42pm

I think this dress code is just a bit too strict. The clothes students wear are beach clothes because we live on the water. When we come to school it is more than 90 degree weather and the schools are expecting the kids to wear jeans and sleeves everyday of the year? The hallways are outdoors as well as a good portion of the cafeteria. Of course, I'm totally against girlS who wear shirts where you can see the bottoms of their butts but you can't expect people to throw away their dresser full of shorts and buy a whole new, "appropriate" wardrobe on the sudden whims of the school. As my last point, the school will mostly stop enforcing this dress code in a month at the most. This is guaranteed because it happens every year so there is really no reason to make a big deal.

Education

Submitted on Thu, 08/27/2009 - 7:44am

Your grammar is horrible......Perhaps you should pay more attention to your studies than what everyone is wearing. Just sayin'......

Just expressing an opinion,

Submitted on Sun, 08/30/2009 - 6:56pm

Just expressing an opinion, not writing a novel. I apologize if my grammar is bad. I'll make sure my editor proof reads my comments before I post them.

School Uniforms

Submitted on Wed, 08/26/2009 - 2:40pm

Trust me if you go the route of school uniforms, some Conch is going to open up a uniform store and the schools will require parents to shop at that specific store. Don't be surprised if the owner of the uniform store has the last name "McPherson"!

School Uniforms II

Submitted on Wed, 08/26/2009 - 8:28pm

They do already its call Ramona shirt put-on thats the only place you can get the kids shirts for HOB students!

These kids need more...

Submitted on Tue, 08/25/2009 - 10:00am

than a new dress code. How about a lesson in RESPECT! These kids wore items they know would violate the rules. Great job mom and dad!

????

Submitted on Tue, 08/25/2009 - 9:58am

Why has there been/is there a seperate dress code for the high schools anyway??? It should be a district wide policy for all the schools. Start them on the right track from the beginning in elementary school and set the tone. Wait I know why.... it takes common sense to do that!

Drake, Dude...

Submitted on Tue, 08/25/2009 - 9:36am

your comment has made you a behavior/dress code target from this day forward. You'd better be on your best behavior and follow the dress code, now...

Officials need to go back to school

Submitted on Tue, 08/25/2009 - 8:24am

On page 48 of the KWHS planner they have a "dress code indicator" which is suppose to measure 6 inches and to be used as a guideline for shorts, skirts, dresses. Well, our school administrators can't measure. The line is not even 5 1/2 inches long. These people need to focus on academics, I guess their own. Even on this first day of classes I overheard an upper classman telling a freshmen to be aware of the students having sex in the restrooms. Don't the officials have more to do than worry about making a new dress code? Shouldn't they have enforced the one they had. But, first they need to learn how to measure, back to the academics. It scares me that these are the people in charge of teaching our children.

Is it also a new rule

Submitted on Tue, 08/25/2009 - 7:33am

that there be at least 1 McPherson at every school?

No, that has been a rule for

Submitted on Tue, 08/25/2009 - 12:17pm

No, that has been a rule for a while now.

They just don't get it [the Board}

Submitted on Tue, 08/25/2009 - 7:30am by Michael Sullivan

Instead of a bunch or rules that you are never going to enforce (I know the culture; I used to sub on a regular basis), why don't you just equalize the playing field among all students via uniforms. That way you know what they are going to wear, it takes the pressure off the kids, and saves parents a bunch of $$$.

Saving parents $$

Submitted on Wed, 08/26/2009 - 1:37pm

Isn't that the truth. Clothes are bad enough, but many of my child's classes demand expensive supplies AND base my child's grade on that. Is that fair? Also, when I dropped my child off on the first day, one quarter of the students I saw had cigarettes in their hands, just feet away from the school. When I picked my child up from school, girls were standing on the front steps with their midriffs showing. I asked my child about it, and the response was "they change as soon as the bell rings". but that doesn't change the fact that this is going on very near or on school property. There are no authority figures watching what goes on around that school. The kids are smoking pot and cigarettes right in the open. Why is there no patrol? Its bad enough I can't even put my child on a school bus because the bus drivers allow abuse and the bus stops are dangerous. Some parents are allowing their kids to be idiots, but some of us are not. And the cost is ridiculous. How dare they list hand sanitizer as a "must have" item, and ask parents to buy it for the entire class. Give me a break!

I attended a middle school

Submitted on Tue, 08/25/2009 - 3:49pm by Meg

I attended a middle school that required a uniform. Believe me, it does nothing to change dress competition between teenagers. You’ll still have the girls who hem their skirts up higher than they’re supposed to be --- you know, the cool ones? School officials will do little to enforce the correct length. The girls with higher hemmed skirts will pick on the girls who wear them at the length they’re supposed to be wearing them at. Then there’s the issues of shoes… under uniform laws, this is one of the few items that you can still express yourself with. And the girls will bicker over who’s cool & who’s not because so & so is wearing brand name kicks. The boys will still buy their pants 2x too large, and again, school officials will do little to enforce the rules. Teenagers will be teenagers. They will always try to be “more cool” than the next teenager, even when you limit their options. I also had a good chuckle at the thought that uniforms are a “cheaper” option for parents. Have you ever purchased uniforms?? They’re NOT cheap, not by any means. In fact, they’re probably more costly than regular, street clothing.

Totally wrong

Submitted on Wed, 08/26/2009 - 3:58pm

Uniforms are far less expensive than regular street clothes. If kids want to express themselves, they can do so in their literature, art and writing classes or after school. It's not the school system's job to allow them to "express themselves" with their pants off their as**s and their skirts up to their genitalia. That's what we would call a distraction.

Wrong...

Submitted on Wed, 08/26/2009 - 10:01am

Even though uniforms are a part of some school norms, there continues to be a need to monitor the items you have mentioned. However, those are much more manageable and readily spotted, and can be addressed easily. My daughter wore uniforms to school, and they were DEFINITELY economical. Much more cost-effective than street clothes. As for the competition of shoes...big deal. Let them compete with shoe styles and brands. Still not a good reason not to have a uniform dress code.

uniforms

Submitted on Tue, 08/25/2009 - 1:09pm

I totally agree. The kids should wear uniforms. From Elementary School all through High school. Like that they will focus on their grades and not on who's wearing what.

Absolutely!

Submitted on Tue, 08/25/2009 - 2:57pm

You know, even in the poorest of third world countries and in poor Caribbean nations, the children wear uniforms. It's the way to go and it stops all the societal crap.

In Grenada

Submitted on Wed, 08/26/2009 - 7:51am

Schoolchildren wear a white shirt/blouse and slacks/skirt. The schools do use a different color for each school for the slacks/skirt. Now, how expensive is that? Also they give tests at 14 to see how much you've learned. If you pass one test your school is paid through college, another you are paid for technical/trade school. If you fail both after 2 tries you're given a fishing pole and pointed to the beach.

sad

Submitted on Wed, 08/26/2009 - 12:04pm

Guess that explains why there are so many fisherman around here.

There are numerous studies and publications

Submitted on Tue, 08/25/2009 - 2:02pm

that show the direct benefits of school uniforms. I suggest administration look into this option, as well as the staff. It's not too late to enforce a valid and operable dress code. It's never too late to teach the kids about respect and equality.

Those who will argue against it are the parents who have the

Submitted on Wed, 08/26/2009 - 4:02pm

most spoiled brats, and who are themselves in some sort of fashion competition (usually in their own minds.) They have shaped the attitudes, lack of morals and lack of values of their kids, either by neglect or by projecting their own issues onto their kids. And who has to suffer for this awful parenting? Society as a whole.

Uniforms!!!

Submitted on Tue, 08/25/2009 - 1:46pm

Saves parents money and gets rid of all the other issues as well. Besides middle school has been wearing uniforms for at least the last five years. Go ahead Monroe County Highschools and jump on the bandwagon.

Dress for success

Submitted on Tue, 08/25/2009 - 6:53am by sunnysideup

Well, it's about time!!! Young girls look like hookers and the young men with pants around their thighs look like gang members. Or just plain too stupid to pull their pants up. Yep, can't wait to hire them in my business. What a joke. I wouldn't even give them an application, let alone an interview. That schools have allowed this dress is just plain wrong in my opinion. Call me old fashioned, but I still believe there is a time and place for everything. The french cut shorts and spaghetti straps belong on the beach, not in school. As for the boys, I won't even call them young men again, because they are clearly baby boys that don't know how to buy the right size clothing. Makes you wonder if they're potty trained! I can bet you they've never had a suit on their backs. Like I said, it's about time. Coral Shores, if you're not enforcing, get with it, dress for success isn't just a catch phrase. How are these kids going to succeed out there in the real world? And to the parents of these fashion savvy fools, are you kidding me????? You actually pay your hard earned money to dress your kids like this? Maybe talk of school uniforms would shake the little darlings up some.

and in MY generation!

Submitted on Wed, 08/26/2009 - 9:23am

What IS your generation- what "stupid and in appropriate" clothing did you wear that your parents and friends parents found revolting and classless- My God people- on both ends- get a grip! Key West- free spirit- freedom to be WHO you are and express what YOU think and feel. No I do not think hoochie-mama clothing is appropriate- so tell em to cover it up or take it home. I personnally don't like the pants under the butt cheeks either- and if they had been paying attention at all they'd know that was SOOO 5 seasons ago, but so what, so you see calvin klein cloth instead of denim- so what! Jesus- uniforms- yes "HUNDREDS of countries"- yes - (many that dont have freedom rights of expression) wear uniforms, and your point is??? "Cut that hair, unroll those pants, what a stupid excuse for a tie!, what material is that?? You look like a fool!! Is that PINK in your hair??? Looks like your hair hasn't seem a brush in years! turn down that screaching noise- that's NOT music!" sound familiar people??

Have you ever thought of appropriate punctuation and

Submitted on Wed, 08/26/2009 - 3:55pm

capitalization? No one will even try to read your post because it's gibberish. Must be like your dress code preferences. One thing I was able to dig out of the above drivel is something about countries with school uniforms. I don't know what point you were trying to make because again, your post is one long, run-on sentence with no real reason to it. However, I believe the point of the OP is that even the poorest countries feel that uniforms are cost effective and beneficial. Uniforms are far less expensive than 'street clothes'.

Pants Hang Low

Submitted on Wed, 08/26/2009 - 12:28am

Young girls look like hookers and the young men with pants around their thighs look like gang members. Or just plain too stupid to pull their pants up.

I wonder if the boys know the origins of the droopy pants, underwear exposed look? Most of them don’t know that they are imitating a style that was started in the prison system. The lower your pants hang, the more willing you are to receive sexual 'favors' from other prisoners. Most of them think that it’s just a fashion statement.

Pants hang low response

Submitted on Wed, 08/26/2009 - 1:48pm

Well said! Also, I think they need to show more of their rears because that is where their brains are at. Some of the students that are in the same grade as my child cannot even write ONE sentence that makes sense. They blend words together and they can't spell every other word (even simple ones). Sadly, most of their parents ENCOURAGE their nasty behavior because it is one more way for them to show their anger towards the society that helps support them. For the record, I would NEVER buy my child inappropriate clothing, and I am a fairly easy-going parent. These parents either don't care, or cannot handle their children. They belong in an alternative school for degenerates where they cannot harm the children who deserve a decent environment at least!

I've interviewed probably 20 Conch kids (KWHS grads) over the

Submitted on Tue, 08/25/2009 - 3:02pm

past few years and none - no, not one - has shown up on time or dressed properly. They come waddling in, sweating, dressed inappropriately sucking on a 'big gulp' or whatever the sugar-loaded drink was, an hour late. AND I've seen a couple who were the children of well-known KW public officials. I do background checks and the rap sheets on these very young people are unbelievable. Great jobs, parents! You've raised unemployable idiots.

Unemployable Idiots

Submitted on Thu, 08/27/2009 - 7:30am

The "unemployable idiots" statement raises an interesting question...If these kids are not employable (by Key West standards,) how well do you think they will be able to handle making a go of it anywhere else on the planet?

Future qualifications

Submitted on Wed, 08/26/2009 - 5:47am

This is making them fully qualified to hold city and public office here in key west. They will fit right in with the every day routine that goes on here.

Sad thing is

Submitted on Tue, 08/25/2009 - 5:18pm

these comments don't always get to the people that need to be reading them...even the parents. It would be good if some of these posts could be used in a career orientation type of class. At least the students who do not have more influential parents at home could benefit from those in the workforce.

Teenagers are going to be

Submitted on Tue, 08/25/2009 - 12:38pm

Teenagers are going to be teenagers: they're going to dress unprofessionally and test the rules in any way they can; it's part of growing up. Eventually, they'll come to their senses and get in line with the adult world, but for now, they're just kids. I remember debating these same sort of dress code issues when I was in high school 15 years ago.

That does not make it right...

Submitted on Tue, 08/25/2009 - 3:02pm

Teaching them respect and how to follow guidelines is a more valuable life lesson than letting them ignore dress code rules by virtue of malevolence. Part of growing up is to learn responsibility. Test the "waters" at home, not at school where disruptive behavior and inappropriate style of dress call attention to an indignant attitude. Being too liberal with a child does not serve him/her well.

I agree, dress for success.

Submitted on Tue, 08/25/2009 - 12:17pm

I agree, dress for success. Right Place, Right Time, Right Uniform. Follow these three simple things, and your well on your way to success.

Mayor McCheese

Submitted on Tue, 08/25/2009 - 12:43pm

Clearly the beloved mayor of Key West learned at a young age that proper attire is important for a successful life.

Uniforms is the Answer!!!!

Submitted on Tue, 08/25/2009 - 5:57pm by malkiesmum

All of my Nieces and Nephews attend High School and Middle School in Miami and Tampa and every public school requires a uniform. Why can we do the same thing here? It evens the playing field, girls with jeans and a red or white shirt, no tank tops or whorie looking blouses and boys with jeans that go to their waist, not to their arses and not showing their underwear with red or white shirts! Red is the color of the school. Why can it be gray and red uniforms???? C'mon school board! Help the parents of this community save some money, and save the schools from people that do not belong inside of the campus by making a uniform mandatory!

Uniforms are not magic

Submitted on Wed, 09/23/2009 - 2:41pm

they can't make kids any less fat, or geeky, or shy. Kids always find reasons to pick on eachother. School is one of the few opportunities in life where people can express themselves for who they are and pick out what they want. We shouldn't start turning them into uniformed robots before they even know what creativity means. Also it is much easier to find name brand clothes at a thrift store than uniform clothing.

Not True

Submitted on Wed, 08/26/2009 - 8:42pm

Not all public schools in Miami or Tampa require uniforms.

Grammar is the Answer!

Submitted on Wed, 08/26/2009 - 2:37pm

Forget the debate if I continue to read subject lines like "Uniforms is the Answer!" It's "Uniforms ARE the Answer". And it's not "why can it it be..." That should be written: "why can't it be..." I never worried about what my kids wore or how they styled their hair. I only asked they maintained a "B" average and stayed away from drugs. They did that and are doing great.

dress codes

Submitted on Wed, 08/26/2009 - 10:38am

Its about time personally I think all schools should be uniforms that way all the students dress alike

Uniform-style clothing is the way to go

Submitted on Thu, 10/01/2009 - 1:35pm

I think had it been expected from elementary grades through high school, this wouldn't be a hot topic. I am also a very easy-going parent by my generation's standards, but as my husband I are fond of saying..."There is a right time and a right place for everything." We are doing our kids an injustice by not encouraging appropriate behavior and dress in the school environment, because the reality is that we are judged by the real world as such. Without waxing too philisophical, if everyone did whatever and there was no structure or no rules, I don't think I'd want to live in that world. And yes, uniform-style clothing is much more economical. The the kids can save their "stylin'" for the weekend.

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