If standards are not enforced, why bother?

(H/T: Lucianne)

The South Bend Tribune is reporting this story about the first day at school at Morton High School:

HAMMOND (AP) — Fed up with inappropriate outfits, the principal at a high school suspended 128 students on the first day of school as part of a crackdown on dress code violators.

Wednesday’s one-day suspensions came minutes after doors opened at northwestern Indiana’s Morton High School and affected more than 10 percent of the 1,200 students.

The offending attire — including baggy pants, low-cut shirts, tank tops and graphic T-shirts — are banned from classrooms. Students were also cited for cell phone use. 

Hey, didn’t anyone get the message?  Or, as it seems to be when some authority figure lays down the law, those affected didn’t think anything of it?  However, the story continues in a vein that I was sure was going to follow:

That didn’t stop parents from complaining about the punishments.

Yup, parents.  Let’s give them a chance and see if they have any valid claims….

“This takes their first day and makes it traumatic,” said Bridget Lane, whose daughter was suspended for wearing a tank top and layered clothing. “I agree with putting some fear into the kids, but I think this was way too hard-nosed.”

Well, the score for me goes Principal-1, Parent-0!  Boo-hoo, "traumatic" she says.  What was she expecting, a whack on the bottom and tell her to not do it again?  Oops, I raised the specter of spanking in schools (hmmm, it could have a positive impact [pun intended]).  If she wants traumatic, that’s what would have happened if one of mine got thrown out for not following a simple rule.

Look, if anything, the parents should be supportive of installing ANY kind of discipline.  And discipline means setting expectations (the school did send out notices in July) and ensuring that the expectations are met (via visual observations in this case), and punishment if the expectations are not met (the suspensions).  Doing anything other than what the school did would show that authority figures are to be mocked and that rules mean nothing.

Here, and over at GilfordGrok (our "local" blog), I take the local Educational-Industrial Complex to task every time I think they deserve it.  This time, the local school deserves kudos for coming up with a common sense policy and then enforcing it.

“I’d be supportive if half the school was sent home, because 99 percent will get the message our schools are for education,” board president Rebecca Ward said. “They don’t need to come in thinking they’re posing for a fashion magazine.”  

Good for the school board!  The students have to learn that actions and decisions have consequences. 

Now, I only have one question – do the teachers and administration have a dress code for professionals that they have to abide by?