Dress Codes at School
* Re “Baggy Pants Aren’t the Problem,” April 12.
I am a teacher at Conejo Valley High School, a continuation school, and I want to give a different view on dress codes.
Some see them as a way of eliminating the bad look; others see them as an unnecessary infringement upon student rights. I wish to offer a third argument, which is that a dress code provides structure and discipline to a school environment.
Consider the case of the continuation high school student. These students, often because of lack of self-discipline and the inability to meet the demands of a structured school environment and poor attendance, are removed from the comprehensive high school. The job of the continuation school should be to teach these students how to succeed in a structured environment, be it school or work. A dress code adds to the self-discipline and structure needed in these young lives.
The goal of public education is to develop responsible and contributing members of society. That requires the ability to meet the structure of society.
DON GOETZINGER
Camarillo
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
