Commentary; Posted: 3/5/03

High school students should dress to learn

Don Heinzman
ECM Editorialist

In most Twin Cities high schools, the style of clothing worn by the boys and the girls is becoming more revealing and tantalizing. While this is not a new problem, the new styles are a challenge to school officials and staffs, who are trying to enforce a dress code.

A teacher in the Apple Valley High School, has drawn attention by writing a letter to Thisweek Newspapers. Donna Lock invited parents to see the hallways and classrooms at passing time.

ìThere is enough cleavage visible here that sometimes I think I made a wrong turn into the First Avenue parking lot. Skirts are 18 inches long, if that. When these girls sit down nothing is left to the imagination.î

Boysí pants without belts are so baggy one boyís pants fell down over a pair of shorts in a study hall, she wrote.

With spring coming, Lock sees ìdress getting even skimpier.î

She asks parents to unite and voice their concern about inappropriate dress in school. Lock recognizes the problem parents face when she writes, ìItís time to face facts. While individuality is a great thing, there are places where seductive dress and lack of coverage becomes a distraction to productivity.î

Since her letter was published, the reaction has been all positive. The boys and girls in her third-hour English class applauded her efforts. Many parents support Lockís desire to have some rules on school attire for parents and students to follow.

After Lockís letter was published, another staff member, Jeanne Schleppenbach, wrote a letter to the paper and told of a freshman girl who wore a revealing tube top. When the girl refused to cover up by borrowing a sweatshirt, the teacher finally called the parents who became upset with the teacher because her daughter was ìwearing whatís in style.î

Schleppenbach says teachers shouldnít have to deal with inappropriately dressed students who distract other students around them.

Most schools have dress codes, usually enforced on a case by case basis.

Apple Valley High School Principal Steve Degenaar plans to talk to the students about acceptable dress at school, hoping they will become involved and police themselves so adults wonít have to force a dress code upon them.

While there is no dress code in the district, there is a policy that does ban wearing T-shirts and sweat shirts that advertise alcoholic beverages.

Degenaar says of the 1100 girls in the school, about 75 to 100 wear inappropriate attire, but he recognizes that number could go up during the warmer weather. Lock says because some girls get by wearing revealing styles, they attract attention that forces other girls to ìsink to their level.î

This problem will only get worse until parents take more of an interest and insist their students go to school dressed to learn and not to distract. Lock is satisfied she has increased awareness of the problem, and already sheís noticed a difference in what students wear to her classes.

She concludes, ìSchool is not a Britney Spears video or a Cosmo photo shoot. Perhaps education in this day and age needs to begin with what is appropriate dress for school, church and the work place.î ó Don Heinzman

Top of Page