The general decline in standards today

[R.G. White]

Oh and FINALLY!:
http://www.usatoday.com/money/media/story/2012-07-17/teacher-dress-code/56579488/1

There are teachers here who dress worse than the children they teach and they wear inappropriate clothing that the children themselves cannot wear. You see them with flip flops and pajama pants for goodness sakes. Grow up and realize that you are a role model whether you like it or not!

I just got out of school and the teachers almost always had a more strict dress code than us. They were hardly allowed to wear jeans and it wasn't at all uncommon to see the men in shirts and ties. :/ I can't even imagine what would have happened if one of them showed up in pajama pants, except for all the students thinking it was some kind of joke. These were public schools too.

 

[Touchofevil]

Teens today will commonly state that cussing is a normal part of their language, hence their reasoning for using foul language in my presence. It wasn't that long ago that such an excuse would have never been used let alone needed.

 

[sheeplady]

I think quite a poignant comment was added to the article by one of their readers- a school bus driver at Idaho Falls School District:
"Excellent point! But I'd still require uniforms in all schools for staff and students alike. Why? Well, I work in the public education system as a school-bus driver, and I see more often than not kids who are ridiculed and ostracized simply because of the clothes they wear. If everyone wore the same outfit kids would be more likely to look at the person and not the attire they're wearing. One young boy actually took his own life because he felt he could not fit in because he didn't have the right clothing. If everyone looked the same, these kids would know who their friends really were."

One of the reasons why I pulled my sons from public school and now they wear uniforms to class. It was cheaper in the long run too.

My personal opinion on uniforms is that if the students have to wear them, the teachers and other staff should wear them too. (Different uniforms for staff and teachers than the students of course, but uniforms.) It always smacked of hypocrisy when a teacher would enforce our dress code in high school while wearing clothing that violated it- my favorite was a teacher who wore spaghetti strap sun dresses and mini skirts who picked on girls with mildly short shorts and spaghetti straps.

Although, as a long-legged kid with long arms, it was difficult finding long enough shorts and skirts in the 90s- most were an inch or two too short. Luckily my teachers pretty much ignored that because it was close enough.

 

[Angus Forbes]

I had several actual, genuine union-card-carrying longshoremen in my immediate family. And I never, ever heard the f-word from any of them -- ever.

My dad was both a gentleman and a life-long member of the Steelworkers Union, as were a lot of the men I grew up around in Baltimore. The two are not mutually exclusive (as I am sure you know!).

 

[1961MJS]

...a school bus driver at Idaho Falls School District:
"Excellent point! But I'd still require uniforms in all schools for staff and students alike. Why? Well, I work in the public education system as a school-bus driver, and I see more often than not kids who are ridiculed and ostracized simply because of the clothes they wear. If everyone wore the same outfit kids would be more likely to look at the person and not the attire they're wearing. One young boy actually took his own life because he felt he could not fit in because he didn't have the right clothing. If everyone looked the same, these kids would know who their friends really were."

One of the reasons why I pulled my sons from public school and now they wear uniforms to class. It was cheaper in the long run too.

Hi

My son went to a middle school 6-8th grade and wore uniforms. The requirements were closely (not well) defined, but the kids worked around it. Imagine a 120 pound 5'6" kid wearing a 4XL polo shirt, tucked in, but hanging to his knees so you can't see his 28 inch waist in size 40 means khaki pants. He could still carry a bazooka in there.

The kids DID wear uniforms, but they did find a way to be cooler than everyone else, shoes. One of the boy's Mom's haunted Athlete's feet so that her kid would be the FIRST (and therefore the coolest) kid by wearing the newest shoes that came out. 1998-2001 roughly. The uniforms were helpful in the price category though.

later

 

[Feraud]

I never understood the negative reaction from adults on the school uniform issue.
My son wore a school uniform from 1st. through 12th. grades. Teaching children to follow rules is an opportunity any parent should jump at.


As for foul language I use it when necessary (of course my wife would disagree on that..) but try and keep a perspective of where I'm using it. My issue with foul language is when people use it and fail to recognize when it's inappropriate. I object to the ignorance of the user than the language itself.

 

[scottyrocks]

My school is a uniform school. Being a public school, the 'rules' have no teeth, though. However, most of the kids wear uniforms, and many of those look like they just crawled out of bed, but I guess that is also symptomatic of being a child these days, when many parents just can't be bothered. There is no punishment, or even corrective steps for those who don't wear uniforms. They just don't wear them.

 

[Edward]

My personal opinion on uniforms is that if the students have to wear them, the teachers and other staff should wear them too. (Different uniforms for staff and teachers than the students of course, but uniforms.) It always smacked of hypocrisy when a teacher would enforce our dress code in high school while wearing clothing that violated it- my favorite was a teacher who wore spaghetti strap sun dresses and mini skirts who picked on girls with mildly short shorts and spaghetti straps.

I never had a problem with that... there were just always more important things, it seemed, to rebel against. Personally I (like most of my contemporaries) was always very grateful for school uniform. Children are vicious. Uniform kept a lot of it at bay.

My mother was a teacher for several decades, and she would have welcomed a uniform, fwiw.

The kids DID wear uniforms, but they did find a way to be cooler than everyone else, shoes. One of the boy's Mom's haunted Athlete's feet so that her kid would be the FIRST (and therefore the coolest) kid by wearing the newest shoes that came out. 1998-2001 roughly. The uniforms were helpful in the price category though.

later

Beyond primary school, the uniform norm for us included grey socks and black leather shoes. Nipped that in the bud right there.

I never understood the negative reaction from adults on the school uniform issue.
My son wore a school uniform from 1st. through 12th. grades. Teaching children to follow rules is an opportunity any parent should jump at.

I can only assume that some people don't like their special little snowflake not getting the chance to shine, or otherwise want them to learn early that the outside is important? One of the best things about school uniform was that we learned how to assert our individuality with our minds.

As for foul language I use it when necessary (of course my wife would disagree on that..) but try and keep a perspective of where I'm using it. My issue with foul language is when people use it and fail to recognize when it's inappropriate. I object to the ignorance of the user than the language itself.

When I was thirteen I had a teacher who used to say "It's a remarkable person can hit their thumb with a hammer and not say something rude, but to have to use it every other word is a sign of a limited vocabulary". I think there's some truth in that - though of course it is a terribly middle class thing to be offended by swearing. The working classes and the upper classes tend to be far more likely to swear like troupers.

 

[amador]

I forget who said it or the exact wording but I often repeat it:

"Vulgarity is the language of the powerless."

That is powerless over a situation or themselves.

 

[PrettySquareGal]

I forget who said it or the exact wording but I often repeat it:

"Vulgarity is the language of the powerless."

That is powerless over a situation or themselves.

It's the language of the lazy.

 

[jamespowers]

I just got out of school and the teachers almost always had a more strict dress code than us. They were hardly allowed to wear jeans and it wasn't at all uncommon to see the men in shirts and ties. :/ I can't even imagine what would have happened if one of them showed up in pajama pants, except for all the students thinking it was some kind of joke. These were public schools too.

You are lucky to live in a sane school district then.

 

[jamespowers]

Teens today will commonly state that cussing is a normal part of their language, hence their reasoning for using foul language in my presence. It wasn't that long ago that such an excuse would have never been used let alone needed.

That is a non-excuse to me. Send them to the office with a referral. (if they still have those things today).

 

[jamespowers]

My personal opinion on uniforms is that if the students have to wear them, the teachers and other staff should wear them too. (Different uniforms for staff and teachers than the students of course, but uniforms.) It always smacked of hypocrisy when a teacher would enforce our dress code in high school while wearing clothing that violated it- my favorite was a teacher who wore spaghetti strap sun dresses and mini skirts who picked on girls with mildly short shorts and spaghetti straps.

Although, as a long-legged kid with long arms, it was difficult finding long enough shorts and skirts in the 90s- most were an inch or two too short. Luckily my teachers pretty much ignored that because it was close enough.

I agree completely. I also reiterate that it is a shame that we have to tell grown people how to dress correctly though.:eusa_doh:

 

[jamespowers]

Hi

My son went to a middle school 6-8th grade and wore uniforms. The requirements were closely (not well) defined, but the kids worked around it. Imagine a 120 pound 5'6" kid wearing a 4XL polo shirt, tucked in, but hanging to his knees so you can't see his 28 inch waist in size 40 means khaki pants. He could still carry a bazooka in there.

The kids DID wear uniforms, but they did find a way to be cooler than everyone else, shoes. One of the boy's Mom's haunted Athlete's feet so that her kid would be the FIRST (and therefore the coolest) kid by wearing the newest shoes that came out. 1998-2001 roughly. The uniforms were helpful in the price category though.

later

Oversized clothing is not allowed where my son is so that guy would have been sent home to change into non-blob clothing. lol lol
If the least I have to worry about are shoes then I will live. The money I save on pants not costing $100 a pair can be used for decent shoes---as long as they are the correct color.

 

[Touchofevil]

As the Teacher-in-Charge, I have found it odd that parents are more likely to be angry that their child is being required to abide by our dress code than they are concerned with said child's lack of effort towards graduation.

 

[jamespowers]

My school is a uniform school. Being a public school, the 'rules' have no teeth, though. However, most of the kids wear uniforms, and many of those look like they just crawled out of bed, but I guess that is also symptomatic of being a child these days, when many parents just can't be bothered. There is no punishment, or even corrective steps for those who don't wear uniforms. They just don't wear them.

They might as well not have uniforms then.

 

[jamespowers]

As the Teacher-in-Charge, I have found it odd that parents are more likely to be angry that their child is being required to abide by our dress code than they are concerned with said child's lack of effort towards graduation.

There seems to be some connection there.

 

[Touchofevil]

That is a non-excuse to me. Send them to the office with a referral. (if they still have those things today).

It is an invalid excuse. It is so prevalent today that the office would too quickly overflow with offenders. As the person in charge with dealing with discipline we have many alternatives which work pretty well. But with a population of 120, it is much easier to maintain some sense of order.

 

[Flicka]

No schools here have uniforms, public or private. Completely unheard of, now and back when.

 

[John in Covina]

I forget who said it or the exact wording but I often repeat it:

"Vulgarity is the language of the powerless."

That is powerless over a situation or themselves.

It's used in various ways.

Often people would lapse into vulgarity in an argument where they were frustrated in trying to get across the idea and their emotional attachment to their position. I believe that today's schooling has represented a lack in both judgement and reasoning abilities making many unable to clearly argue a point and lacking a reasonable nature simply go to vulgarity first for impact alone.

Others use it to escalate the emotional value in certain places and with certain people.

The thing is that with the social skills and judgement of a growing number of people they use it in inappropriate places with people that should not have to hear it.

As an example I'd say places you don't use profanity - religrous places such as church or temple.
Where there are a lot of children. With the judge in court, a police officer, IRS guy or the like.

Today people don't see the difference when they go on a tirade in front of the Pope or at the kindergarden class.

There was a time when one had standards of how one spoke with Grandparents, a nun, uncles and aunts, family, mom, friends as opposed to at work or at war. Now there are those that can't or won't distinguish because they feel it maybe disrepectful to expect them to restrain themselves. Now there kids are not admonished for using the language.

A friends used the term ghetto and how it was authentic speach as in keeping it real and did not see is as a loss of any kind but a simple cultural difference. Well it has spread thru cble tv and is seen as expected now. People gravitate to the slouching side very easily.