I had no more set my coffee on my desk and fired up the computer when my phone rang yesterday morning. My 11 year old is sobbing into the phone and I cannot understand a word she’s saying.
The school nurse gets on the phone.
“Ms. Holbrook your daughter has been sent to the office for wearing spandex. It is against school rules. She needs a change of clothes brought up here for her immediately,” the nurse explains.
I rewind my morning trying desperately to remember what Hailey was wearing when she left the house for school that morning. I see her everyday, I ok her outfits, what happened this morning? Then the image comes to me. I remember what she’s wearing.
Her capris look just like this but in pink.
“Isn’t she wearing little capris leggings underneath a pair of shorts and a t-shirt?” I ask.
“Yes but her leggings appear to be made out of spandex,” she retorts.
“Okay, well have her take them off and she can wear just her shorts,” I reply shortly.
“If she takes them off her shorts are too short to wear without anything underneath them,” she replies sounding bored.
I take a deep breath. It’s going to be one of those mornings.
“So what would you have me do, leave the office so I can run her some clothes or what? What happens to Hailey if I can’t come up there?”
“She will spend the day in ISS (In School Suspension).”
“ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?” I shout, louder than I anticipated and no longer trying to remain calm.
“Yes maam. Are you on your way?” she replies without so much as concern in her voice.
“Oh yes, I am.” I slam the phone down.
I stare at my computer. I drive Target and purchase a pair of shorts long enough for school (which by the way…thank you fashion industry… are incredibly hard to come by). As I am headed to the school my brain is fuming. She’s worn these capris almost weekly for the last several months. They are one of her favorites to put under shorts or skirts. Today apparently her teacher had a stick lodged in her ass. I am all for following the dress code, by all means.
However, these capris are not made of spandex they are cotton, and in school suspension? Really? You are going to keep a child from learning today because of an outfit that looks like this? But I digress, if the rule is that they cannot wear spandex and her capris are made out of cotton… what is the problem? Don’t you have students failing classes or destroying property or shooting each other to worry about?
She wore denim shorts, but instead of the tights worn here, she had capris similar to the ones posted above on.
Xanax or Running Shoes? 
Welcome to public school – they will worry about the stupid stuff – the meaningless stuff – but bullying? By both students and faculty? No – that they don’t care about. Physical altercations – eh, mebbe they’ll worry about those. The public school system and it’s arrogant apathy are nothing more than a reflection of our current Government and Society as a whole in this country.
All we can do is hope to affect change – at school board meetings, at PTOS, etc – we have to get out and make voices heard over stupidty like this…
dumb da dumbbbbbb
I hope to god you let them have it. I am so freaking sick of Alabama schools. Its all I can do not to move us to Florida. My daughter is failing English because the damn teacher either loses or doesn’t grade her work and projects. All of her teachers curse. They are crazy as hell. What is going on. When did it become ok to be a shit ass teacher?
I actually didn’t raise too much hell because when I got there they were waiting on an ambulance for a kid that ate peanuts but was allergic to them. The nurses were also arguing over giving him Benadryl… that post is still being written!
Great post. Thanks for speaking out. A lot of us are having the same problems. Our daughters are covered up and cute but they still get in trouble. The PE teacher routinely goes after stylish girls or those with unique styles. These girls never look slutty or uncovered yet they are punished (unlike sloppy girls in baggy boy cargo pants and sloppy shirts and dirty matted hair – who happen to be children of school staff).
My 12 year old daughter has long legs so it is almost impossible to find shorts and skirts that fit the school “finger tip” rule. I tell her to keep her hands away from the hem of her shorts so nobody will notice.
Anyway, sorry for my own vent. Great blog. I hope a lot of other parents see this and speak up.
I know what you are talking about trust me! There was apparently a pair of pants in the nurses office that they tried to make Hailey wear back to class before they called me. They were 3 sizes too big for her and she didn’t want to wear them. So they called me, and then threatened the suspension. She can’t wear a cute outfit, but send her back to class in jeans that her poor little butt will hang out of when she moves…. at least they’re not spandex right? People… get some common sense.
So you took her into the bathroom, had her take off the capris, and shoved the tag into the teacher’s face right?! Why is spandex not allowed anyways? What’s so wrong with it? Her butt’s not hanging out, her boobs aren’t showing (even though she’s 11), she isn’t hitting people….spandex, really?! I would have loved to be there with you.
I am not really sure why spandex isn’t allowed… doesn’t really matter, if it isn’t allowed it isn’t allowed… but damn, to throw the kid in in school suspension? How about a warning and send her back to class? She’s never been in trouble for a thing and you’re going to just pull her out and toss her into the bad kid room for capris pants?
this is her grandmother and i am not oldfashioned, but i do think a child should dress respectfully. saying that i do believe her mother dresses her properly.hailey has always beenvery appropriatlyclothed where ever she goes.
SMH, I guess I get to look forward to this starting in Sept. Which my little girl is only going into Pre-K but ARRGHH. Sometimes I think I just need to home school, but then again she needs interaction with other kids.
Schools, they havent changed. Dress Codes are retarded, and I remember never finding shorts that were (3inches over the knee – was our dress code) and I wore jeans everyday! Being 5’3, you barely find any kind of clothes to fit regardless.
I don’t understand putting the child in ISS.. it’s not like she brought a knife to school, or missed too many classes.. ~sighs~
Oh for goodness sake! Couldn’t they just call you to say a note is being sent home with Hailey and that she cannot wear that outfit again? Suspension? Sheesh!!!
I would ask the administration if the same no tolerance and immediate suspension policy is exercised with regard to staff members. You know, maybe a teacher’s daily plan is not up to date – immediate suspension with no written or verbal warning. Or arriving late for school – immediate suspension. Seems to me the adults get a lot more slack than the kids for whatever reason. What ever happened to common sense and practicality?
Awesome, off with her head and bring me my Grog!!