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ATLANTIC CITY - Parents and students are complaining the high school's uniform policy has become exactly what it was installed to prevent: a distraction from education.

Violations of the recently amended policy have landed as many as 150 of the school's 2,300 students in in-school suspension, rather than classes, on each of the first five school days, Principal Oscar Torres said at Monday night's school board meeting.

Torres said the policy had improved discipline. He predicted that, "once the dust settles ... two weeks from now, we won't be talking about the dress code."

Judging from the comments from others attending the meeting, that may depend on the school relaxing its approach.

"I'm not buying any more clothes," said Doreen Nicholson, whose daughter Monica earned a suspension for wearing a shirt with five buttons down the middle. The new maximum is three.

"I can't afford it," said Nicholson, standing with her husband, Ted Nicholson. "We're bartenders and waitresses at a casino - we're not doing well."

Besides the button restriction, the new policy bans logos - small insignia were allowed last year - and khaki pants, reducing the choices to black and navy blue.

The board passed its final amendment in mid-August, and several parents said they learned about it well after their back-to-school shopping.

"I cannot keep affording buying new uniforms every year," parent Tina Watson said. "If y'all going to make a policy like this, y'all need to provide students with uniforms."

"It's like going to Catholic school," said another parent, Earlene Williams. "It's too much."

Torres said the policy was publicized on Channel 2 and the district's Web site in June, even before the board passed it. The amendment in August restored navy blue, a traditional school color, as an option for pants.

Gauging whether girls' tops were too revealing, and whether certain blues were too emblematic of gang colors, had taken too much staff time last year, the principal said. Gang-affiliated students even resorted to displaying colors on belts and socks, which prompted a further crackdown this year.

"I think if you walk through the school, you'll see 99 percent of students wearing the right thing," Torres said. "It has been, in my seven years, the best opening we've ever had."

Most people seemed to agree with having a uniform policy but found the current one arbitrary and the mode of enforcement disruptive.

"I don't like the new dress code," sophomore Kayla Kaukeano said during a break in her first meeting as the board's student representative. "It's making me late to my classes."

Students have waited in long lines to enter school each morning, Kaukeano said, as administrators, teachers and security guards check each for clothing compliance. The process is more meticulous than last year, she said.

Simone Hardy said her son was sent home from school for wearing the uniform he wore to school last year. "That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard," she said.

Seniors Brittany Emerson and Dominque Davis said each class period features a public-address announcement reminding teachers to check students' attire.

The school sells $10 uniform shirts, and Torres said they would soon be reduced to $9, which is what they cost the district to make. Those who demonstrate significant financial hardship may get further discounts, and the school is considering a loaner program in which students would wear shirts for the day and turn them over to the home-economics club for laundering, the principal said.

Torres even suggested that students who wear shirts with more than three buttons could cut off the extraneous buttons and sew the shirt closed at the appropriate height.

Monica Nicholson will not be doing that, and she expects to be suspended again. She has only one shirt that conforms to the dress code, she said: "I wore it today. I'm not wearing it tomorrow."

E-mail Eric Scott Campbell:

ECampbell@pressofac.com

37 comments:

• QADIRAH (0) posts 12:35 am

  I THINK ITS A BUNCH OF BS.THEY ARE STARTING TO MAKE IT AS A FASHION SHOW WEARING UNIFORMS. YOU MIGHT AS WELL SAY THEYRE GOING ON AN INTERVIEW AT THE CASINO. WHEN THEY SHOULD BE GETTING AN EDUCATION. WHAT THE HECK DO CLOTHES HVE TO DO WITH THE CHILDREN EDUCATION. EVER YEAR NEW DRESS CODE. BLACK IS MORE A GANG COLOR THEN TAN. I THINK.YOUR NOT SAVING MONEY YOUR SPEND MORE OF OUR MONEY AS IF THEY WORE REGULAR CLOTHES.

• 93Ford (81) posts 9:13 am

  What a great idea!!! Yet another reason NOT to go to school!! Yea!!!!

• joisey (238) posts 1:37 pm

  seems like these kids need to unite a little more. It should have been 2,300 kids suspended not 150!!! the rules cannont be changed every day or every week. and if these children are held up every day to get their clothes checked then they should be excused EVERYDAY for lateness!

• bigdaddymailinator2com (1) posts 8:17 pm

  When I was at ACHS, the security teams were certainly not able to count above three, so this type of code could not be enforced. Maybe the next step will be for the school to start to educate, as well as dress, the students. The academic vacuum I graduated from struggled with keeping roaches off the floors, drugs to a reasonable minimum, and carnal acts out of the bathrooms. When I hear the words "arbitrary and capricious" used to describe the dress code, it rankles me, as those words are more apropos of education one gets when one gets their "Viking" diploma. I especially love the principal's quote in the press, which reads like a dyslectic Yogi Berra describing the coming Yankee season:"I think if you walk through the school, you'll see 99 percent of students wearing the right thing," Torres said. "It has been, in my seven years, the best opening we've ever had."Thanks Oscar for those words of inspiration. Keep lowering the bar and eventually someone just may fall over it.

• whyoknabth (151) posts 7:34 pm

  So what's the point of having rules to follow in school? If the students are allowed to get away with breaking this one, what's to say they won't try breaking other rules? American society has already become uncivilized & this is why. People just think that rules are for everyone else & not themselves. What happens IF they get a job that has a strict dress code; say the military, a casino, a fire-fighter? This is ridiculous! If you wear the correct uniform, the lines will go much faster. Get over youselves!!

• SouthJerseyGirl (67) posts 2:03 pm

  This is absolutely about people feeling justified in not following rules because they don't like them. The rules wouldn't change if people didn't keep finding ways to circumvent them. Their are color restrictions for a reason - to keep students from displaying certain colors affiliated with gangs. Kids found a way around it, so the school had to change the rules again. If rules were followed in the first place, there would be no need for a dress code at all. But these kids feel above the law, and they have their parents supporting their decision to cast the rules aside. After all, it IS Atlantic City, what did you expect? The elected officials do the same thing!

• vwsteve (99) posts 1:29 pm

  Wouldn't the complaining parents be spending MORE money on regular "street" clothes. Seriously, is this even newsworthy. I can think of a handful of more interesting and relevant news to discuss here about ACHS and it has nothing to do with what the kids are wearing. This is laughable.

• kin2love (118) posts 12:39 pm

  Well gee golly Wizenheimer...you sher told them good! All that slang talkin malarkey sher makes US look a heck of a lot better then them! Dagnabitt! You're a swell guy! See you at the golf course for cheese and wedgies!

• Wizenheimer (68) posts 8:08 am

  Hey Tina, Y'all best git yo kid ta schoo so dey can gits some cipherin.

• kaceyreynolds (2) posts 12:18 am

  As a student as ACHS, I have quite a few points to make about this. First off, the "revised dress code" changes everyday. One day I'll wear a pair of navy pants and they're fine and then two days later I wear them and they're not "navy enough." I was stopped at the door this morning because my sweater was the "wrong color white." I was not aware that there were different whites. I am constantly late for class because of the uniform check at the door in the morning. Also, the uniform check in every period is one of the biggest and most annoying disturbances. Besides students, I've heard various teachers complain. One said, "I'm here to teach, not to be the fashion police." Obviously not everyone agrees with the policy. Many of the adults say to get over it and comply, but as a student, it's very difficult. I get stopped at the door because I am wearing the wrong color white while another girl walks by in jeans and a sweatshirt. The security and teachers have their "favorites" and let them get by with outrageous uniforms. Many student's education has been disrupted due to the uniforms. Doesn't the school board realize that if close to two hundred students per day land themselves in ISS, they are doing something wrong? The board cannot keep changing the uniform every year. Most people are just getting by on bills and cannot afford to go out and buy all new school clothes each year. Last year, I wore khaki pants and American Eagle polos. However, this year, I could not wear either, causing me to get rid of those clothes and waste more money. The whole button count is insane. If the students are looking neat and well put together, I don't see what the difference is between three and four buttons. After going to Holy Spirit for part of my freshman year, I feel that set uniforms ordered from a company is much more simple than sending a mass amount of kids to ISS each and every day because of a logo or four buttons. This uniform is not beneficial to the students, the student's education, the teachers, or the parents. So what's the point?

• kaceyreynolds (2) posts 12:16 am

  As a student as ACHS, I have quite a few points to make about this. First off, the "revised dress code" changes everyday. One day I'll wear a pair of navy pants and they're fine and then two days later I wear them and they're not "navy enough." I was stopped at the door this morning because my sweater was the "wrong color white." I was not aware that there were different whites. I am constantly late for class because of the uniform check at the door in the morning. Also, the uniform check in every period is one of the biggest and most annoying disturbances. Besides students, I've heard various teachers complain. One said, "I'm here to teach, not to be the fashion police." Obviously not everyone agrees with the policy. Many of the adults say to get over it and comply, but as a student, it's very difficult. I get stopped at the door because I am wearing the wrong color white while another girl walks by in jeans and a sweatshirt. The security and teachers have their "favorites" and let them get by with outrageous uniforms. Many student's education has been disrupted due to the uniforms. Doesn't the school board realize that if close to two hundred students per day land themselves in ISS, they are doing something wrong? The board cannot keep changing the uniform every year. Most people are just getting by on bills and cannot afford to go out and buy all new school clothes each year. Last year, I wore khaki pants and American Eagle polos. However, this year, I could not wear either, causing me to get rid of those clothes and waste more money. The whole button count is insane. If the students are looking neat and well put together, I don't see what the difference is between three and four buttons. After going to Holy Spirit for part of my freshman year, I feel that set uniforms ordered from a company is much more simple than sending a mass amount of kids to ISS each and every day because of a logo or four buttons. This uniform is not beneficial to the students, the student's education, the teachers, or the parents. So what's the point?

• 93Ford (81) posts 9:12 pm

  Maybe they wouldn't have to keep revising the policy if the school was not so afraid of law suits stemming from student's parents whose children constantly push the envelope arguing for their "personal freedom". BTW, think about this quote from the story: "parent Tina Watson said. "If y'all going to make a policy like this, y'all need to provide students with uniforms..................." Was the writer making a subliminal point about education by including this quote? It made me laugh :)

• BernieSchwartz (645) posts 7:06 pm

  Dess codes have proven effective in most U.S. cities, this is a fact. It's ashame AC is not a normal city. We have bigger problems to tackle people!!

• southjersey (240) posts 5:32 pm

  real365 Yep, pretty mcuh that's my opinion. I have kids all are working in their chosen professions. All I hear are parents and kids whinnig about the school dress code. Make an appointment( all of the partnes who feel as though theis code is unfair) and meet with the school board and hammer out a soltution. And yes, most of the kids who graduate from this school or any other school in this country -are not as smart as they think they are. We all have managed to allow the dumb down of learning. Oh I am not an immigrant. To teach kids in these past 10 years takes to much out of most educators, they have had to become surrogate parents to a great many children. No they should not be allowed in school, parents need to gather up themselves and let the school board know what they need to get a plan and stick with it. Uniforms seem to best th best idea. All this crap about individual freedom, for now they need uniforms, try it for a while. MORE EMPHASIS ON REALLY LEARNING WHILE IN SCHOOL. Then if they wish to protest and argue their postion on the dress code, perhaps they will have the tools with which to do so. I read the so called ex ACHS students reply, they did not meet test of expaling their opinion on the school dress code I deal with college grads, law grads, and business grads all the time, I have to say approximately 40% can write a clear email or memo, the rest are sadly inadequate. They all have to take extra courses paid by my company through Skillpath to learn how to really express and convey what they are trying to say in their memos to senior staffers.

• studentwbrains (1) posts 4:49 pm

  You know for some of you guys who semm to know everything about parenting because of the way you speak, let me ask do you have children. And if so because you stand up for them would you be called being a friend instead of parent to them. The issue is not one of following rules. The issue is that every year since the start of the 2007 school year the dress code has changed. So if you don't know everything about the issue find out before jus making claims that parents are against following rules. My mother is very strict about rules but finds the schools actions despicable as well. To have to buy new "uniforms" every year is ridiculous. And did you ever think that perhaps they would follow them if the school board wasnt so fickle changing things whenever they fell like it and not worrying about child education which is there job.

• real365 (10) posts 3:39 pm

  (southjersey).... basicly what your saying is that the kids that get sent home are not smart and can't make an essay on a topic? that's very ignorant to say something about people that you do not know anything about. i think that all of this is completely being thrown out of hand this is something that only the parents and community can change if they come together and go to a school board meeting. Your comment is something that was so stupid to say and something that should of not been said.

• southjersey (240) posts 2:09 pm

  ConcernedCitizen Nope not staged at all. Just like candid camera of years ago, they did this a joke, and it has become a source of much discourse regarding how much we all really know. Yes they are that dumb. Yes! we are ranked at the bottom. HMMMM No clothes will not make you smarter. But not having them as a source of badgering and bullying might remove that part of it. They should be uniforms not a code. I would love to see any (grammatically correct)essays on this by the students who are sent home.

• real365 (10) posts 1:24 pm

  to michael_barrow first off no one wears pelle pelle anymore, 2nd u misundertood her point the point was after buying school clothes there basicly telling her to go out and buy more but of what they said needs to be worn u ___hole. now if u would of read it correctly shes not asking for anyone to help her shes workin unlike others she just saying its hard to buy more and more when the child can wear the uniform she or he has already... now if the school board of atlantic city was of those with a brain this problem would not occur dont you think? the school system shouldnt be about what the child is wearing but about them furthering there education... if you had one you would know. Theres no need for a program to help her or people in this situation but there needs to be an understanding thats all so that the kids can get a good education.. so i'll end this by saying the more important thing here is education not what the child is wearing that makes no difference

• real365 (10) posts 1:24 pm

  to michael_barrow first off no one wears pelle pelle anymore, 2nd u misundertood her point the point was after buying school clothes there basicly telling her to go out and buy more but of what they said needs to be worn u ___hole. now if u would of read it correctly shes not asking for anyone to help her shes workin unlike others she just saying its hard to buy more and more when the child can wear the uniform she or he has already... now if the school board of atlantic city was of those with a brain this problem would not occur dont you think? the school system shouldnt be about what the child is wearing but about them furthering there education... if you had one you would know. Theres no need for a program to help her or people in this situation but there needs to be an understanding thats all so that the kids can get a good education.. so i'll end this by saying the more important thing here is education not what the child is wearing that makes no difference

• real365 (10) posts 1:24 pm

  to michael_barrow first off no one wears pelle pelle anymore, 2nd u misundertood her point the point was after buying school clothes there basicly telling her to go out and buy more but of what they said needs to be worn u ___hole. now if u would of read it correctly shes not asking for anyone to help her shes workin unlike others she just saying its hard to buy more and more when the child can wear the uniform she or he has already... now if the school board of atlantic city was of those with a brain this problem would not occur dont you think? the school system shouldnt be about what the child is wearing but about them furthering there education... if you had one you would know. Theres no need for a program to help her or people in this situation but there needs to be an understanding thats all so that the kids can get a good education.. so i'll end this by saying the more important thing here is education not what the child is wearing that makes no difference

• Michael_Barrow (196) posts 12:20 pm

  "I cannot keep affording buying new uniforms every year," parent Tina Watson said. "If y'all going to make a policy like this, y'all need to provide students with uniforms." ok, so...basically, the district is saving money for you and you can't handle it. this is why you are in the life situation you are in, because you can't understand basic finance as you have no common sense. that is why you are constantly asking others for help without figuring out how to help yourself. the answer is RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU, NITWIT! there is an uproar about having to purchase basic clothing, but these same people without a doubt will have no problem spending hundreds upon hundreds of dollars on whatever brands of clothing, shoes, etc that are currently popular in the city. maybe barack or jon will come up with a program to help you, so you can have the district pay for your clothing, and, at the same time, afford to GO BUY YOUR COOGI AND PELLE PELLE! the irony is incredible; this is a wonderul microcosm of what is wrong with the low class.

• real365 (10) posts 11:32 am

  me personally i think that no matter what the kids are told to wear its not going to help becuase they can still be picked on, they can still fight. Its not about what they wear it can be where there from who they be around, or who there dating anything like that. and as for the uniforms it can be oh well yours isnt as bright as mine or your pants are faided anything so making it the way it is, is not helping. then to have a certain amount of buttons on a shirt is just crazy i remember when i was in school had to wear a uniform but it didnt change anything. so theres nothing thats gonna be changed but the amount of kids that will drop out because of something like this. The school just needs to work with the parents and come to some kind of understanding so that this small issue can be over with

• ShawnMcGinty (2) posts 11:25 am

  Yes, it might be unfair that there is a uniform policy in public school. Will the children's learning ability increase, maybe? But, rules are rules. When it comes to the law ignorance is not bliss. The same goes for the rules. The in school suspension is a joke. Because That other joke of a law No Child Left Behind. If the children were sent home for suspension then maybe some results will occur. Then maybe parents will be parents instead of their childs friend.

• bobreynolds (1) posts 11:16 am

  While it is easy to say things like "uniforms make everything better", and "stop complaining", those comments are coming for outsiders to the school. I graduated in the spring from Atlantic City High School and speak from first hand experience that these uniforms were disadvantageous to the education I received. I graduated ranked six in my class, so this comment is coming from a student with an actual desire for education. My purpose is going to school every morning was to get educated, and often times because of the uniform policy, it was difficult. The school's policy was very fickle in deciding what was appropriate. What was decent to wear on Monday became absolutely absurd to wear on Tuesday. Even getting into the school every morning was a challenge that often made me late to my first class of the day. Between classes there was the same issue: a security guard would yell "yo" at you for navy pants not being navy enough. Meanwhile, students would walk buy in denim jeans and magenta hoodies, which never seemed to be an issue to them. (The security nepotism is another thing to be discussed, entirely.) I can recall that daily, discussions of the bogus uniform policy took over class discussions. Students would arrive late to class due to an outfit that was okay the day before. These students weren't ones that we're looking for trouble. We were there simply for our education. As I have a younger sibling still in the school, it is my understanding that the uniform policy has conflicted with students' education this year than it did while I attended Atlantic City High School. From my experience, the school's uniform policy has proven to be more detrimental to my education then beneficial.

• zebra2 (109) posts 10:59 am

  Its is ashame that the education level of these students does not match the great facility that they are in.

• ConcernedCitizen (222) posts 10:59 am

  southjersey I think (hope) the Jay Leno street questions are a staged act because I can't believe for a minute people are that stupid.

• southjersey (240) posts 10:41 am

  Our kids in the united states are number 39 in ratings of educatiion. most dont know whether or not Barak is a democrat or republican. Dont beleive me, just watch Jay Leno in his on the street quetions to young people, proves that our kids are not so smart. Or where is Hoover Dam? Euorpean kids know more of our hisotry and politics than our kids.. sad We need to bump that up a bit not with memorizing work int heir learning exclusively,but with a little creative learning added in. The uniforms, to those who speak about days gone by when we wore what we wanted to those days are over. The less the distraction of the clothes - perhaps the better they will be able to focus on learning.

• Up_To_Here (101) posts 10:35 am

  Concerned Citizen and Bobalong, The states education system as failed in the Atlantic City school system. Arguing over clothing between students took too much time from those who wanted to learn, the few anyway. The distractions hopefully will subside, but give all students a chance to learn even if only 10% take the opportunity The others can just day dream about what clothes they are going to change into when they get home. Clothing should have nothing to do with education BUT unfortunately today it does because parents have let their children run over them. Hey MRHS, hopefully you guys are next!

• ConcernedCitizen (222) posts 10:14 am

  Schools are becoming worse than government. I wouldn't have liked uniforms when I went to school. I guess students have no rights to an education unless they abide by uniform policies. Instead of schools getting rid of the kids who steals someones sneakers they penalize everyone else. I'm sure the entire staff at the high school are wearing the exact same uniform to lead by example. I hope that those parents hold out and refuse the uniforms and watch the education system in the state fail.

• southjersey (240) posts 10:06 am

  1. parents need to tell their kids that they must wear what is appropriate to sholl. 2. Students need to make sure that they can diagram a sentence and speak with knoweldge. 3. Make it official _ real uniforms. Girls:Navy Blue trousers and white blouses, or pin stripe blouses from a school uniform school the dumb excuse that this costs more doesnot hold water. Girls Navy skirts that hit the knee nothing above the knee that is more than 3 inches. Boys white shirts. Navy or gray pants. Sweaters or jackets when they get cold. Then the little miscredants and their dumb parents can get on with the business of making sure their children are doing their school work.

• UncleFrank (232) posts 9:37 am

  Can you hear the violins in the background?

• todfiat (0) posts 9:33 am

  bob, letting "people be people" is impossible in modern America, and a key reason why 2 million folks are in jail or on probation or parole. To the underclass, cars & drugs & toys & booty must be got. Too many lack self-control, so controls must be imposed by authority. Even then, the vulgarity on TV/radio and in the public square strives to burst its seams, and predators seem to be everywhere - not just Wall Street - from the schools and churches to the colleges. if you prefer a laissez-faire crumbling society, Jamaica looks inviting, or San Francisco.

• bobalong (7) posts 9:09 am

  i wish everyone would try to stop telling people what to do in matters,when i went to school,you wore what you wanted and kids survived,the argument that some kids dress better and or is a distraction doesnt hold water,what happens when the kids get out school and face the real world,i faced the real world in school all 12 years as did everyone else back years ago,i understand no halter tops and the likes and vulgar sayings on shirts but come on stop trying to police the world and making everyone alike ,kinda reminds me of trying to make kids like the old movie the stepford wives,let people be people,are we going nazi or communist here,wake up and keep on important issues,let people be people,not robots ,robert taylor

• just4u (25) posts 9:04 am

  Uh, HELLOOOO, the new dress code policy was mailed out. Do these parents even read what comes in the mail from the schools?? Uniforms is the best thing that can happen to these kids!! Gee, was I the only one, but before the uniforms, lots of these girls were wearing very tight jeans with stilettos looking exactly like prostitutes!!! Who in the world wears stilettos to school??!!! Eewwww!!!!

• njdlmkr (428) posts 8:42 am

  Another example of poor parenting skills. No wonder the kids don’t have respect … the parents don’t either.

• todfiat (0) posts 8:27 am

  really, they should get with the program. standardized clothing improves the tone & demeanor of the school day, no doubt. it lessens the pressure on the gaggles of teen girls to spend $$$ they lack on fashionable attire, looking like hussies on parade, as at MRHS, and drawing fewer lonely teachers into sexplay with the winsome lasses.

• BEACHBUMM (48) posts 4:11 am

  Those uniforms are cheapier than street clothes...the school did you a favor big time!!!!..........guess the street clothes budget needs to be cut back, so all are dressed appropriately...glad it has been done!!!!

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