Humble ISD Student Petition Calls for Changes to Dress Code Enfo
Humble ISD Student Petition Calls for Changes to Dress Code Enfo
txmusil : Kudos to this student for having the courage to speak up.
I signed the petition, and not because I think kids should be allowed to wear whatever they want to school. I absolutely believe schools can have dress codes. But the rules should be clear, reasonable, current, and applied equally.
My daughters experienced many of the same issues in Humble ISD. Girls were called out for things that often seemed subjective, and in some cases the comments came from male staff members, which made an already uncomfortable situation even more uncomfortable.
The shorts issue is a perfect example. Boys' shorts have gotten much shorter over the years too (Larry Bird style), yet girls are still far more likely to be scrutinized over hemlines, straps, body shape, or how clothing happens to fit their particular body.
And that is where the biggest problem is for me: if the same outfit is considered acceptable on one girl but "inappropriate" on another because she is taller, curvier, or developed earlier, then we are no longer policing clothing. We are policing a child's body.
I also keep seeing comments that these are "babies," that they just don't like being told what to do, or that kids need to learn to follow rules. But questioning a rule does not mean you are against rules. Rules change because people challenge rules that no longer make sense. If nobody ever questioned standards of dress, women would probably still be expected to walk around in petticoats.
No one is advocating club clothes at school. There is an enormous amount of reasonable ground between "anything goes" and disproportionately policing girls' bodies.
Have a dress code. Make it specific. Make it gender-neutral. Apply the exact same standard to boys and girls. Don't invent rules that aren't in the handbook, and don't make a child's body type part of the violation.
And instead of tearing this kid apart for speaking up, maybe give her some credit. She saw something she believed was unfair, put her name behind it, organized other students, and asked the adults in charge to address it.
That takes guts. Good for her.
txmusil : Kudos to this student for having the courage to speak up.
I signed the petition, and not because I think kids should be allowed to wear whatever they want to school. I absolutely believe schools can have dress codes. But the rules should be clear, reasonable, current, and applied equally.
My daughters experienced many of the same issues in Humble ISD. Girls were called out for things that often seemed subjective, and in some cases the comments came from male staff members, which made an already uncomfortable situation even more uncomfortable.
The shorts issue is a perfect example. Boys' shorts have gotten much shorter over the years too (Larry Bird style), yet girls are still far more likely to be scrutinized over hemlines, straps, body shape, or how clothing happens to fit their particular body.
And that is where the biggest problem is for me: if the same outfit is considered acceptable on one girl but "inappropriate" on another because she is taller, curvier, or developed earlier, then we are no longer policing clothing. We are policing a child's body.
I also keep seeing comments that these are "babies," that they just don't like being told what to do, or that kids need to learn to follow rules. But questioning a rule does not mean you are against rules. Rules change because people challenge rules that no longer make sense. If nobody ever questioned standards of dress, women would probably still be expected to walk around in petticoats.
No one is advocating club clothes at school. There is an enormous amount of reasonable ground between "anything goes" and disproportionately policing girls' bodies.
Have a dress code. Make it specific. Make it gender-neutral. Apply the exact same standard to boys and girls. Don't invent rules that aren't in the handbook, and don't make a child's body type part of the violation.
And instead of tearing this kid apart for speaking up, maybe give her some credit. She saw something she believed was unfair, put her name behind it, organized other students, and asked the adults in charge to address it.
That takes guts. Good for her.
Joe tipped jbrabham 100 credits for a post in this forum discussion.
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txmusil : If its inconsistent enforcement, that is an issue thats easily remedied, but if the complaint is that girls are targeted more bc of "their body type", they need to understand that girls have more to show and that needs to be covered. Also boys dont try and wear booty shorts and halter tops….
MissAmericanPie : I agree, boys do not have as much to show and they are not trying to show it! If they showed it, they would be considered a pervert. Girls, on the other hand, have been trained from the beginning to wear skimpy little clothes. No one complains about their butts and boobs popping out. It is promoted all over the place. Look at the difference in the length of these toddler shorts. We had a neighbor girl who developed young and looked much older then the other girls in her class. Her parents got called in several times because of the clothing she was wearing in 5th grade. The same top would have been fine on a typical 5th grade girl but on her it was inappropriate. Instead of taking the time to teach the girl about what was appropriate for her assets the parents bucked the school and told them if their daughter can't wear it no other girl could. The other girls did not have breasts and the top was not inappropriate on them. It was a missed opportunity for these parents!
Mom Annoyed at Short-Shorts for Toddler Girls: 'Can Someone Explain How This Makes Sense?'
www.sheknows.com/par enting/articles/1235 030262/toddler-girls -clothing-sexis
txmusil : Kudos to this student for having the courage to speak up.
I signed the petition, and not because I think kids should be allowed to wear whatever they want to school. I absolutely believe schools can have dress codes. But the rules should be clear, reasonable, current, and applied equally.
My daughters experienced many of the same issues in Humble ISD. Girls were called out for things that often seemed subjective, and in some cases the comments came from male staff members, which made an already uncomfortable situation even more uncomfortable.
The shorts issue is a perfect example. Boys' shorts have gotten much shorter over the years too (Larry Bird style), yet girls are still far more likely to be scrutinized over hemlines, straps, body shape, or how clothing happens to fit their particular body.
And that is where the biggest problem is for me: if the same outfit is considered acceptable on one girl but "inappropriate" on another because she is taller, curvier, or developed earlier, then we are no longer policing clothing. We are policing a child's body.
I also keep seeing comments that these are "babies," that they just don't like being told what to do, or that kids need to learn to follow rules. But questioning a rule does not mean you are against rules. Rules change because people challenge rules that no longer make sense. If nobody ever questioned standards of dress, women would probably still be expected to walk around in petticoats.
No one is advocating club clothes at school. There is an enormous amount of reasonable ground between "anything goes" and disproportionately policing girls' bodies.
Have a dress code. Make it specific. Make it gender-neutral. Apply the exact same standard to boys and girls. Don't invent rules that aren't in the handbook, and don't make a child's body type part of the violation.
And instead of tearing this kid apart for speaking up, maybe give her some credit. She saw something she believed was unfair, put her name behind it, organized other students, and asked the adults in charge to address it.
That takes guts. Good for her.
muffy tipped jbrabham 100 credits for a post in this forum discussion.
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Honestly I would love to see uniforms. My great niece and nephew go to a private school . They are required to wear short or long sleeve polo style shirts with no visible logo. They can wear kaki or navy uniform style Bermuda shorts. Same with slacks. Girls can wear kaki or navy uniform skirts or jumpers as well as the slacks and Bermuda shorts. Same with cardigan sweaters - kaki or navy uniform skirts, or solid colored sweaters vests for both genders . No hoodies or jackets may be worn in class. Even their backpacks and shoes and socks are regulated . Uniforms such as these are available very reasonably at almost every store and Amazon. Less headaches for parents and staff and less bullying about clothing brand names.
teatime : I agree 100%! Uniforms would solve the problem. It would also save parents lots of money. When I was in private school 8th grade and under had uniforms. When they were outgrown parents would gift or sell them to another parent for their kids.
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teatime : I have noticed how short the shorts and dresses have been for a while. The dress code clearly states mid-thigh. They need to enforce it with everyone.
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elguapo : I am sorry you had a bad experience but you can't blame a whole state for a few ******s. What town were you in?
muffy :
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Humble ISD Student Petition Calls for Changes to Dress Code Enforcement A student-led petition is calling on Humble ISD to review its dress code and how the policy is enforced across district campuses. The petition, created by Creekwood Middle School student Valeria Requena on August 19th, argues that dress code enforcement has been inconsistent between genders and body types. Requena says the effort was prompted by her own previous experience with the dress code and concerns shared by other students. In an August 22nd update, the petition organizer said approximately 50 girls were sent to the Creekwood Middle School office for dress code issues before the first bell on August 20th, with roughly 100 additional girls reportedly cited throughout the day. She also alleged that no boys were dress coded during that period and that some students were told certain clothing was inappropriate because of their body type. Students involved in the effort are asking the district to consider clearer, gender-neutral guidelines and more consistent enforcement. The organizer said the petition had gained approximately 500 online signatures, along with about 100 signatures collected on paper, within its first several days. All of the figures, comments and descriptions of individual dress code incidents above come from the petition and its organizer. What do you think about the concerns about Humble ISD's dress code enforcement? Petition: www.change.org/p/cha nge-humble-isd-s-sex ist-dress-code
txmusil : I think boys and girls are naturally shaped very differently. The dress code can not be the same for girls and boys unless the girls want to dress exactly like the boys. Boy clothing on girls would be extra ugly but they would cover everything. Girls need to be aware of what is appropriate. When they grow up if they have a job they will most likely have to wear professional clothing that covers their assets. They need to be learning that now!
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elguapo : I believe it! My brother-in-law grew in Lake Charles. His grandparents had literal sharecroppers. Even where I grew up in Beaumont, there was a lot of racial tension. 100% white flight because some people didn't want their kids to go to school with black people. After integration, they moved and started a whole new school district on the west side. Then guess what, that got integrated in while I was in school in the early 80's. So then these people moved outside the city all together. There were also cross burnings at houses where people of color tried to move to white neighborhoods and this was in the 80's.
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