wednes | And when I woke up, it was 1961.

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And when I woke up, it was 1961.

Children suspended from school for wearing shirts with first amendment printed on them.

Since I don't have any kids, I had no idea of the bullshit contemporary kids are dealing with at school. Parents are being advised to read their kids Emails, text messages, and online journals. Why don't they just bust the locks off their diaries and open all their goddamn mail? Would it be too much to ask for these people to simply TALK to their children? Apparently it would. Someone should tell them that spying and violating privacy is not the way to form trust or bond with a kid. In 20 years, they will still remember that you had no respect for them and their things/space.

But I digress. It seems that PUBLIC school districts are banning T-shirts with logos, wearing hats or headbands, size limits on brand names on clothing (despite many school selling ads to be hung in hallways) all kinds of crazy shit. Some schools are banning jeans and T-shirts altogether. Am I missing something? What the hell kinds of students don't wear jeans to school? I realize that there are some very expensive jeans out there; but overall, denim jeans are cheap, durable, comfortable pants. They are also made of natural fibers, which are good for us. Is making kids uncomfortable supposed to make them learn better? Such idiocy!!
I can remember my mom's husband telling me that he wasn't allowed to wear jeans to school. He said they told him the rivets would scratch up the desks. I laughed and laughed, glad I didn't live in such a "Leave it to Beaver" time. I spoke too soon, apparently. Why are the school dress code rules suddenly the same as they were when my parents went to school?!?

I'm pretty sure our dress code rules in school (public school, my years in Catholic school are a horrible, bullied blur) consisted of the following:

No shorts or sweatpants.
No open toed shoes.
No crop or halter tops.
and I'm pretty sure we were required to wear socks.
I honestly can't think of anything else, except once in high school a gay guy got sent home for wearing a long T-shirt that school officials called "a dress."
Did I leave anything out?

Seriously, why are schools implementing these absurd rules? Do they realize that not all kids get a whole new wardrobe every school year? We certainly didn't get one, although I seem to think I was in the minority in my town. Couldn't schools maybe concentrate on education and not what a kid has printed on his T-shirt (or F shirt if both of his arms are on the same side)? Couldn't they work toward keeping kids in school rather than sending them home for arbitrary reasons that are probably about appeasing easily offended parents.

I could understand if they didn't allow profanity or pro-drug shirts. But what they've said in Lincoln Park is that the only logos or writing kids can wear on a shirt is "pro school spirit," sports teams and shit apparently. So it's okay to wear garish clothing if it's a school fundraiser, but not if you simply want to express yourself. Clothing is one of the primary ways that kids rebel, and it's really, really important to let them do it so they won't seek out other, more extreme forms of rebellion. I can tell you that when everyone is forced into a uniform, hairstyles can get damn ridiculous. I guess the 80's had something to do with that...but still.

Anyway, the ACLU is looking into it. They seem to think it's unconstitutional. I can't tell if it's that or if it's just gross and absurd. Myself, I'm going to blame The Conservatives for this crap--just because I don't like them. ;-]

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No shorts or sweatpants.
No open toed shoes.
No crop or halter tops.
and I'm pretty sure we were required to wear socks.
I honestly can't think of anything else, except once in high school a gay guy got sent home for wearing a long T-shirt that school officials called "a dress."
Did I leave anything out?

That was about it for our school, too. Well, suggestive t-shirts got you sent home, too. I remember one day a guy wore a t-shirt with a motorcycle on it (being ridden by a bikini-clad woman) and the slogan was "Put something exciting between your legs." That didn't go over very well with the administration.

I seem to think this is all unconstitutional, too. And gross and absurd. Go ACLU!!

I forced to do the catholic grade school thing too. That was nutz. Grade 8.. I got sent home for 3 different tshirts.
1) RHCP Blood Sugar Sex Magic - But "not because it has the word sex on it" ...Nice try guys.
2) Support Satans Choice - ok, I understand that one. :P All they needed was a 13 year old who is known for going drinking with Choice members in their school. Better to look the other way and pretend it's not happening.
3) PLain old Harley Davidson Tshirt. Didn't say anything bad on it. Just the name and a picture of a bike. I guess they figured it went along with #2.

It's so silly.
the message of that seems to be "no one can learn with that horrible shirt in the room"

Like naughty language, it's giving a shirt an awful lot of power.

i remember when the gay guy got sent home, but wasn't he wearing a kilt?

Not if you refer to Mike Bellasco.
He was wearing one of those "Choose Life" style shirts, but so large it hung almost to his knees. He wore it with, I want to say black capri pants.

Of course it is inherently sexist to send him home for something it's perfectly appropriate for me to wear. But then, I wouldn't have expected ol' Kimball to be anywhere near that progressive.

yeah he had the bleach blonde hair, right? i seriously heard it was a kilt he was wearing that day.

Yep. And nope, not a kilt.

LOL today I think a public school wouldn't dare tell a kid he couldn't wear garb from his country of origin.

yeah no, doubtful that they would haha. maybe i just saw him wearing the kilt later in the day? that poor kid, he was so cool, just ahead of his time i guess.

Actually, I was just talking to Scott Jacob about how Royal Oak was supposed to be this educated, liberal little burg. But gays were treated like shit back then.

Have you heard that another organization is up in arms against Evolution. The Michigan Detpartment of Education is considering a proposal to state that Evolution is one of several scientific theories. Although I have yet to hear of such an alternate theory. It makes me want to move out of the state. Maybe I'll move to Kankakee.

PS. I'm embarassed that I live in that city. Maybe I should pay better attention to this shit.

I guess if they can find it in a science book, and a scientist will stand by it, it's valid (not valid as fact, but valid in terms of a scientific argument). I learned all kinds of stuff in school that later turned out to be bullshit. I mean, we don't know if the Big Bang theory is true but we still allow it to be taught.

Besides, aren't you sending your kids to a place where they'll be taught that anyway--and paying for the privilege? They'll also learn why gays are bad and 10% of your income should go to the church without question.

LOL Kankakee, here we come!!

The Big Bang theory accomidates the most amount of observable evidence. The same is true of evolution and countless other theories. Science has methods in place to decide what the most likely explanation for something. Public opinion is not one of them, although many people think it should be.

I think scientists should certainly be at the forefront of science. But I also think that you may have something of scientific value to suggest even though you don't have a degree in science. I've never studied psychology academically, but I know more about certain topics than those who have been practicing.

Of course the public at large should not use mob rule to dictate what is taught as fact in a public school. But I have no problem with them teaching a diverse collection of theories, so long as kids aren't getting marked down for their beleifs. There's nothing wrong with saying "some people beleive..."
Even though I think common sense would dictate that God talk should stay out science talk, but I wouldn't support legislation that required everyone to agree with me.

My issue is that people want the book to basically say...

Some people believe that the evolutionary process directed by random mutation and selection is the source of life, some believe that a guiding power directed evolution, some believe that god spoke the world into existence 6000 years ago. But we don't know which is really true, because they are all just theories.

And that should not be allowed in our public schools.

At best it should read...
Modern Science believes that the evolutionary process directed by random mutation and selection is the source of life. Some religions believe a guiding power directed evolution, and some religions believe that god spoke the world into existence 6000 years ago...

Are those quotes from somewhere, as the italics imply, or is that made up by you?

Maybe I'm getting worn down, but I'm really reaching a "let the baby have it's bottle" stance with those people.
If anything I think kids should be warned about people who will try to tell them that religion is all fact. Education is more than imparting data; it's supposed to teach children how to think for themselves, how to research information, how to separate the bullshit from facts.

I'm paraphrasing from a variety sources. I included the interests of Scientists, Intelligent Design, and Creationism.

So...you spoke for them and then independently reached the conclusion that what they were saying was wrong? Imagine...

No, I listened to what they said and made a decision. Then in trying to explain it to you I paraphrased what was previously said.

If I ever have kids... Let say it together... *HOME-SCHOOl*

It's funny, because Conservative Christians usually are the ones to support home-schooling, but I think the school systems are failing. I am tired of these paranoid Post-Columbine administrations hindering the artistic and expressive nature of the maturing child, because of personal fear. If you are scared of children, don't be a teacher! AND, that's not mentioning the lies they actually teach children, but that's another topic.

Schools didn't know how to reach children, especially the eccentric student, in my day. Sadly, it seems that it's even worse now.

It's sad, because often times the really great teachers are also hindered in this cycle of ignorance.

I must disagree there. Given my situation, it's not surprising that I would be passionatley opposed to homeschooling. Not only are schools important for education and social skills; they are a safety net to catch illness, abuse, mental problems (often times parents are oblivious or in denial of this) and more. Many if not most parents are in no way qualified or able to teach their children the basics; but that doesn't always stop them.

I think the larger problem with public schools is the lack of space, funds, supplies, and strong teachers--not to mention a lack or parental support that would not be helped by home schooling. Beleive me, if the government thought home schooling would work, they'd have dismantled the school system 30 years ago.

If it were possible to put, say 10-15 kids in a class, everyone would get the individual attention they deserve. They could even separate the kids and teachers by learning style (they can test for that now) so that everyone is doing what they do best. But at 40 kids to a class and not enough books to go around, a slow or even average kid is gonna have to fight to learn.

My academic setting has consisted of both small and large class sizes, and what you describe would or should happen for smaller classes...doesn't. Teachers are still just as oblivious, real abuse goes unmarked, and potentially genius kids fall away. Also, I think schools are teaching children ruthless competition, and not truly benevolent socialization.

Homeschooling may not be the best answer for everyone and maybe I prefer it because I do feel qualified to teach and am in conflict with many of today's "ethics" or commonly taught "truths"

"If the government thought home schooling would work, they'd have dismantled the school system 30 years ago." --- Really, what country are you living in? Since when does our government do what's best for its people?

Argh, without equivocation, I must concede my issue is not solely with the product (schools) but with the manufacturer (current social setting).

Wow...you have just insulted a great many caring and dedicated educators out there. Of course, you could not possibly know what goes on in every classroom in the country but you seem rather quick to say that they mostly suck. This sounds much more like a reflection of your own experience as opposed to what's going on in the country at large.

"If the government thought home schooling would work, they'd have dismantled the school system 30 years ago." --- Really, what country are you living in? Since when does our government do what's best for its people?

What I mean, is, if there was a way to close all schools and rely soley on parents to educate their own children--and not have a huge wave of crime, illiteracy, or religious hysteria, that they would certainly do that rather than continue to allocated funds for public schools.

In some circumstances, home schooling is an effective and viable option. Of course it is up to the parents to decide this. But to suggest that it's the best answer for everyone implies that you don't know your countrymen very well.

"You could not possibly know what goes on in every classroom in the country but you seem rather quick to say that they mostly suck."

And you seem rather quick to say that they don't. Either way, we are both making assertions based on personal experience, e.g. you sentiments concerning homeschooling based on you experience with abuse.

I can say with certainty that there are more good teachers than bad ones. Like plane crashes, you pretty much only hear about the bad ones.

I just think it's silly to say all public schools are bad because there are issues. The fact that some schools aren't doing as well as they should in no way negates the neccessity of public education.

As you may know, abused children are fairly common...far more common than overlooked "genius" children. I would agree that a very bright child would likely fare better in a private school/homeschool/tutor/progressive environment. I probably would have as well--my social skills were appalling.

The bottom line IMO is that if there were no public schools, poor children would remain uneducated. Most families don't have the luxury of a stay at home parent, and their children's education shouldn't suffer for that.

"You have just insulted a great many caring and dedicated educators out there."

I forgot, refer to my first statment about good teachers caught up in the cycle of ignorance.

"Not only are schools important for education and social skills; they are a safety net to catch illness, abuse, mental problems (often times parents are oblivious or in denial of this) and more."

ABSOLUTELY!!!

I so wish people in general & the gov't in particular would focus on improving public schooling instead of letting it go to hell in a handbasket trying to appease extremists who want "homeschooling"-type control over public schools even if they won't actually homeschool themselves.

The concept of homeschooling truly makes me shudder - it's so much about fundies gleefully brainwashing their offspring in a vacuum where they have absolute control. ::freaks out::

I'm with you there! I'm sure there are some homeschooling environments that work out wonderfully. But the idea that it's best for everyone is terrifying.

I got sent home for wearing a t-shirt that said, "No Bull, Quality Meats Only...The Butcher Block...Livonia."
Mr. Ringle said "Everyone knows what "No Bull" means.
I fought back, and said I had four cousins go through this school before me with the same type of shirt, which by the way has a big Bull face on the front of it. Mr Ringle was a dick.
I think he singled me out because he didn't like me.

I can recall that it was not a problem for high school kids to wear Hooters shirts; so a girl made a shirt with a big rooster on it that said "Cocks" in the same logo. School officials were not amused.

Fuck those sexist school officials! ::heavy scowl::

Wait ... no, don't give them that pleasure, after all. ::rolls eyes::

I love the idea of a "Cocks" tee shirt ... I mean, it's a rooster, hey, what on earth is wrong with that? Geez, they must have really filthy minds. ;)

I think the enforcing of strict dress codes and uniforms is a simplistic and misguided approach to much more complicated social and learning issues. However, I think it's arguable that teens are already wearing uniforms, those dicatated by the mall, and I'm not sure there's as much individual self-expression going on as might be thought.

As someone who works in a public school, I'd be the first to say that the schools are a big mess right now. I have to agree, though, that such factors as lack of funding, substandard facilities, sub-pigsty food, No Child Left Behind, and an otherwise absurd focus on standardized testing play a much greater role in deadening of creativity than that of lousy teachers, of which there are some. A lot of teachers do get jaded and sometimes take their frustration out on the students. I wouldn't try to defend such educators. However, I'm convinced that teachers with designs to exclude, belittle, or oppress certain students for being different are few. Many have high ideals that get watered down within the system. This has just been my experience, though.

I'm quite thankful that my parents didn't home school me, and they both have Master's in education! I've heard a number of different rationales for home-schooling, some I respect more than others. However, I can't see how, even under the best of circumstances, it wouldn't be a very monolithic educational environment. While I identify myself very much as a liberal, I wouldn't want my education brought to me exclusively by iconoclastic leftists a whole lot more than I'd want it imparted by evangelical Christians. And I surely wouldn't want to get thrown into a social work environment after years of rarely leaving my parents' house.

Dude, I had no idea both your parents had master's in education. I just think it's crazy that I never knew that--I've known you for so damn long.

Yeah, I often forget that myself, especially given that they both wound up on very different paths. They have tons of books at their house, but sadly, they are gathering mold, and my mom's "literature" of choice is often People magazine.

Well, if it makes you feel any better there is always this guy here in Nashville:

http://www.newschannel5.com/content/news/21994.asp

So...the sign should actually say "I, unlike the rest of the developed world, can only speak one language--my own. And that's the way I likes it."

or maybe "I fear anything new or different"

or "I hope I never travel, because poetic justice is a bitch"

LOL.. well from a free speech standpoint he gets to be an asshole. That's all I'm saying.

Well yeah, luckily for half the people I know, assholism is not a crime. There should probably be a 12 step program for it though.

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And when I woke up, it was 1961.

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