Bye, bye,
baggies, saggies By CAL BEVERLY
Staff Writer
Trenchcoats
are out. Book bags are in but only partly.
And tuck in those blouses and shirts, pull up
those baggy pants, put a belt on, and lose those
holey jeans, students.
That's
part of the Safety Task Force's proposed
draft recommendation to the Fayette County
Board of Education last Friday. The board will
take public input in coming weeks and then vote
on the new rules next month.
Also
part of the strategic plan is a
police officer in each middle school, no
timetable given. J.C. Booth Middle School in
Peachtree City currently has a pilot program in
place, with one resource officer
furnished by the Peachtree City Police
Department.
The
dress code and discipline rules are part of an
overall package designed to shore up student
safety in the wake of multiple school shootings
in recent years.
You
will be treated as you are dressed, Wayne
Robinson, director of secondary school
operations, told the board, quoting educator
Harry Wong.
The
proposals envision consistent dress and
discipline guidelines for all schools in the
system, Robinson said. Target date to enforce the
dress code rules is Sept. 7, three weeks after
school begins. That's to give teachers time to
emphasize the new rules to all students before
the deadline. Trenchcoats are banned immediately
for safety reasons.
The
bookbag restrictions will go into effect as
soon as lockers or appropriate locations are
assigned, according to the task force
draft.
The
dress code will work only if teachers support it
and let administrators know [of lapses],
member Connie Hale said. Some teachers will
watch and some just won't bother.
Robinson
assured the board that all teachers will be
required to enforce the final version of the
rules.
They've
been very reasonable in their approach,
Superintendent Dr. John DeCotis said of the task
force. I don't think they've gone too far.
It leaves the door open to exploring
uniforms and other conduct issues.
We'll
be able to readjust if we need to, DeCotis
said. Now we need feedback from parents and
the public. The proposals are posted on the
school system's website at http://www.fcboe.org.
A copy also is available for public inspection at
the board office on West Stonewall Avenue in
Fayetteville.
Uniforms
are off the front burner, according to the
recommendations. Each school can explore
the feasibility of school uniforms within their
own school communities, the draft proposal
says. Only Brook Elementary now has a uniform
policy, and it's voluntary. Parents who don't
want their kids in uniforms don't have to get
them.
Already
funded for the coming school year are photo
identification badges for all system personnel.
Also
certain to be in place by October are multiple
flip charts in every school containing checklists
to be following for a variety of emergency
situations, including armed intruders and violent
weather.
Each
school will be equipped with an emergency kit and
supplies, renewed annually, Robinson said. Each
school also will get portable and base radios
that tie in to police and emergency frequencies,
Robinson said.
Among
the proposals, the task force recommended the
following:
ä Consistent enforcement of
the dress code in all schools.
ä Students must wear pants,
shorts and slacks of the appropriate
size pulled up to their natural waist
levels, with no holes, patches or fraying. Pants
can't touch the floor.
ä All shirts and blouses must
be tucked in.
ä Pants with belt loops must
have a visible belt.
ä Trenchcoats are prohibited.
ä Bookbags will be
restricted. At the beginning of the school
day, all bookbags will be placed in lockers or
designated areas. Students may pick up their
bookbags at the end of the school day.
ä Faculty members will have a
dress code for appropriate and professional
attire. Jeans are prohibited for teachers.
In
a dialogue between Robinson and board member
Mickey Littlefield, some potentially contentious
issues were aired.
Will
the clothing have to be sex appropriate?
Littlefield quizzed Robinson.
The
principal has the right to decide if the clothing
is disruptive, Robinson said. The issue is
not specifically addressed in the dress code, he
noted.
Littlefield:
Is piercing allowed?
Robinson:
All the schools will be doing the same.
Piercing is not mentioned in the code.
Littlefield:
Bandannas?
Robinson:
Prohibited. They fall under gang
attire.
Robinson
noted that piercing and tattoos are addressed
under another set of rules already in effect.
There
will be some challenges, Robinson said.
But if we save just one student, this will
be worth it.
.
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