[Southsider2k12]

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/porter/...1339271b8b.html

MICHIGAN CITY | Half of the schools in Michigan City Area Schools will have a beefed-up dress code in the fall requiring students to wear polo shirts and khaki pants.

The district will contact the parents of any students who show up in attire such as blue jeans or baggie pants. Other consequences for dress code infractions still are being developed.

"Hopefully, it will succeed, and if it does it will be expanded to the other schools," Michigan City School Board President Jim Kintzele said.

Also prohibited under the new Dress For Success campaign will be clothes that are tight-fitting and garments such as cargo pants along with flip-flops and slippers.

Gym shoes and boots will be allowed.

The dress code will be adopted at Pine, Coolspring, Lake Hills, Edgewood and Knapp elementary schools along with Krueger Middle School.

Those schools volunteered to give the significantly bolstered dress code a try after a survey that showed widespread support from parents for a movement led by new Superintendent Barbara Eason-Watkins.

Kintzele said the School Board felt it was time to enact a strict dress code after talking about doing something for years.

"It's a step in the right direction," Kintzele said.

Parents will be responsible for buying the clothing. A list of stores where those garments are available will be provided.

Some of the clothing that will be prohibited is kind of pricey, so conforming to the policy might help parents save money, Kintzele said.

"It should be cheaper than the normal clothes (the students) wear," he said.

To help families in the transition, school district spokeswoman Betsy Kohn said there will be more emphasis on instilling a positive attitude in students to wear proper attire.

She said clothing that students have outgrown might be accepted, kept in stock and made available to families.

School Board member Beryle Burgwald said he's in favor of tightening the existing dress code but feels what's being imposed goes too far.

He said the policy falls just short of uniforms, something the board a few months ago opposed.

"We don't want them looking like hoodlums or prostitutes certainly, so you need some kind of prescribed dress as to what you can or cannot wear. You can have a sensible dress code, it seems to me," Burgwald said.

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2011/0...a6460227382.txt

Dress for Success’ support fund set up by anonymous donor

By Amanda Jacobson
Staff Writer
Published: Sunday, July 31, 2011 5:08 PM CDT
MICHIGAN CITY — The importance of a neat appearance will be instilled in many Michigan City Area Schools students this year, when the “Dress for Success” program launches at six schools this fall, with the help of generous funds given by an anonymous donor.

The contribution by the anonymous source to MCAS was used to set up a “Dress for Success” support fund through the Unity Foundation of La Porte County.

The fund will provide assistance to Coolspring, Edgewood, Knapp, Lake Hills and Pine elementary schools and Krueger Middle School in launching the program for their students.

On the first day of school, Aug. 24, all students from those six schools will be required to wear khaki or navy pants, shorts or skirts, and white, blue or gray shirts as part of the “Dress for Success” guidelines.

*
“The donor who is initiating this fund believes that the ‘Dress for Success’ program will make a real difference for students in our community,” MCAS Superintendent Dr. Barbara Eason-Watkins said in a press release. “We hope others may also want to assist these schools in making sure that all students are able to dress according to the new requirements.”

The “Dress for Success” program is designed to build school spirit, emphasize academic dedication and promote a culture of growth and success for all students.

Additional contributions to the fund are being accepted by the Unity Foundation of LaPorte County. Anyone looking to contribute may make donations payable to the Unity Foundation, P.O. Box 527, Michigan City, 46361, noting that they are for the Michigan City Area Schools’ “Dress for Success” fund. Credit card transactions may be made by calling the Unity Foundation at (219) 879-0327.

Gifts made to the Unity Foundation are tax deductible. For more information, visit www.uflc.net or call (219) 879-0327. To learn more about “Dress for Success,” visit the MCAS website at www.mcas.k12.in.us.

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2011/0...3b622647305.txt

Help out an area student by donating school supplies

Published: Sunday, July 31, 2011 5:08 PM CDT
Area schoolchildren need your help in the next few weeks, as the summer winds down and it becomes time to go back to school.

Eleven local organizations are collecting supplies donated by the public from now through Aug. 10. The supplies will be distributed to area students who are in need of materials to start the school year. Supplies will be available at the City-wide Back to School Rally from 3 to 7 p.m. Aug. 12 at Elston Middle School Gill Field.

Many area businesses, including major retailers such as Wal Mart, Office Depot, Al’s and Jewel Osco are providing collection bins to accept donations from their employees and the general public. Additional collection sites are located at First Trust Credit Union, Horizon Bank, the Michigan City Area Schools Administration Building, Captain Ed’s Candy Island, City Hall, The News Dispatch.

Supplies collected by community organizations and individuals may be brought to Elston Middle School’s Meer Gym on Aug. 10, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

*
Suggested donations include: pencils, black pens, crayons (24 count), spiral notebooks (wide or college rule), dry erase markers, glue sticks, glue bottles, pink erasers, scissors (blunt and sharp tipped), pencil boxes, 2-pocket folders, antibacterial wipes, facial tissues, backpacks (new or gently used), small “Ziploc” sandwich bags, colored pencils, rulers, highlighters, composition books, small pencil sharpeners, calculators, markers (washable), three-hole notebook paper, and three-ring binders/organizers.

So as you are out shopping this weekend, pick up a few items to help out area students get a good start on the school year. And if you have time to volunteer, help out with the sorting of the school supplies on Aug. 11. Call or e-mail Rachel Weaver, (219) 785-5414 or raweaver@pnc.edu for details about volunteering to sort supplies or help out at the rally.

[taxthedeer]

Here's an article from "The Local" AKA the free newspaper that comes in the mail:

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2012/0...f1597876523.txt

MCAS may require all students to 'Dress for Success'

By Lois Tomaszewski
Staff Writer
Published: Wednesday, February 29, 2012 5:08 PM CST
MICHIGAN CITY – If a proposed revision is approved next month by the Michigan City Area Schools board, nearly all students in the school system will be part of the "Dress for Success" program, meaning they will conform to a dress code.

Superintendent Barbara Eason-Watkins outlined the results of feedback she obtained from principals at the six district schools that are taking part in the "Dress For Success" program as "extremely favorable. They have indicated that the new dress code is contributing to a positive school atmosphere, where students are focused on learning and have a true sense of pride in their work and appearance. Feedback from parents and staff at these buildings has been supportive as well."

The pilot program at Coolspring, Edgewood, Knapp, Lake Hills and Pine Elementary School and Krueger Middle School was approved by the board in March 2011 and implemented for the 2011-2012 school year. All students at these schools are required to wear khaki or navy pants, shorts or skirts and white, blue, or gray shirts. The policy revision will add black pants and shirts to this list.

Eason-Watkins told the board that the only students who will be exempt from the dress code are those attending A.K. Smith Career Center. "Instead, these students would be 'dressing for success' in clothing appropriate to their career path, such as chef jackets, scrubs and shop shirts," she said.

*
The policy revision will be introduced at the March 13 school board meeting. A second reading of the policy change would take place on March 27. If approved, it would be in place for the 2012-2013 school year.

The details of the policy would be shared with families in late spring or early summer.

"We will also be working with area vendors to ensure that our local stores can meet demand for specific back-to-school clothing items," Eason-Watkins said. "And we will be seeking donors to help us provide assistance for families in need."

Board member Beth Pishkur, who Eason-Watkins named as a staunch supporter of the pilot program, voiced her support of the proposed district-wide policy.

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2012/0...29914274460.txt

‘Dress for Success’ expansion a good idea for MCAS

Published: Saturday, March 3, 2012 5:06 PM CST
Michigan City Area Schools proposal to implement “Dress for Success” in all schools other than the A.K. Smith Career Center is another positive step by the school corporation.

The Michigan City Area Schools Board is considering expanding its “Dress for Success” pilot program at Coolspring, Edgewood, Knapp, Lake Hills and Pine Elementary schools, and Krueger Middle School, to all schools. All students in the pilot program are required to wear khaki or navy pants, shorts or skirts and white, blue or grey shirts. The new policy would add black pants and shirts to the list of allowed school clothing.

Students at A.K. Smith Career Center would dress in clothing appropriate to their career path such as chef jackets, scrubs and shop shirts.

The policy revision will be introduced at the March 13 school board meeting with a second reading of the policy scheduled for March 27.

*
If approved, the policy would go into effect for all MCAS schools for the 2012-2013 school year.

We hope the school board members adopt this policy change and that “Dress for Success” becomes the new standard for appearance at all Michigan City Area schools.

[Ang]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2012/0...52929818180.txt

'Dress for Success' will require fund donations

By Lois Tomaszewski
Staff Writer
Published: Wednesday, March 14, 2012 5:06 PM CDT
MICHIGAN CITY — If the proposed Michigan City Area Schools "Dress for Success" dress code policy is approved March 27, a fund to help families pay for uniforms will have to quadruple in size.

The first reading of the policy that will institute a uniform dress code in all MCAS schools was presented to school board members Tuesday evening. Instead of the six schools that piloted the "Dress for Success" program, students at all 13 MCAS schools would be required to wear navy, khaki or black pants, skirts or shirts and white, blue, gray or black shirts.

When the program was placed in the six pilot schools, a fund was established to help needy families pay the uniform costs. About $5,000 was raised for that fund and almost all of it has been distributed, MCAS communication director Betsy Kohn said.

With the additional seven schools, including Michigan City High School, the fund will have to increase to about $15,000 to $20,000, school officials estimate.

Superintendent Barbara Eason-Watkins said the community was very receptive to contributing to the uniform fund and she is hoping that will prove to be the case again, if the board approves the policy.

The only school exempt from the dress code policy is A.K. Smith Career Center. Students there are expected to wear work appropriate clothes, such as chef coats, shop shirts and medical scrubs.

In other matters, school board members approved a bid from Automated Data Systems for an upgrade on the school district's computer systems, including more memory and other upgrades. Grant funding for the $643,821 E-rate project is pending and if approved by Jan. 1, would cut MCAS' contribution to 18 percent or about $110,000.

The three-year technology plan would replace voice and data networks in all office buildings, increase capacity from 1 gigabyte to 10 and prepare the schools for the Fiber Works project, an initiative to link city and county offices and schools through a fiber optic network. The project is in its early planning stages.

[Southsider2k12]

It went smooth at the lower levels, but this will be an ugly year up at the HS.

[lbl]

It went smooth at the lower levels, but this will be an ugly year up at the HS.

Why do you say that?

[Ang]

Younger kids are more willing to follow the rules without question. The older kids are afraid to give up their identity, and they aren't so willing to follow rules. So I'm guessing there will be some rebellion issues with the dress code at the high school level.

[Southsider2k12]

Younger kids are more willing to follow the rules without question. The older kids are afraid to give up their identity, and they aren't so willing to follow rules. So I'm guessing there will be some rebellion issues with the dress code at the high school level.

This is pretty much how I feel about it. I don't even think it will be the majority of kids who have a problem with this. It will be a small but extremely vocal minority, who are also responsible for the vast majority of discipline and other issues up at MCHS. And as a wild card, I don't think there will be any racial or other theme to the descent. But as we all now, it doesn't take many to make a big problem. If you get 50 to 100 kids up there who decide they don't want it, they will make it hell for teachers and staff up there.

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2012/0...93878198180.txt

So far so good

Kamar Scully and Hailey Kaczmarek, students in Vicki Hill's kindergarten class at Coolspring Elementary School, show their uniform choices. Photo by Kim Nowatzke
Reactions given to first year of ‘Dress for Success’
By Kim Nowatzke
For The News-Dispatch
Published: Sunday, March 18, 2012 5:06 PM CDT
MICHIGAN CITY — Halfway through the school year, Michigan City Area School’s “Dress for Success” has earned high marks.

Last May, the MCAS administration office announced that five elementary schools: Coolspring, Edgewood, Knapp, Lake Hills and Pine as well as Krueger Middle School were implementing the new dress code for the 2011-2012 school year.

“The Dress for Success pilot has been very successful for these schools. Feedback from our school board members, parents and others in the community has been overwhelmingly positive, and our principals, teachers and other staff tell me it made a real difference in establishing a positive climate for learning at these buildings,” said Michigan City Area Schools Superintendent Dr. Barbara Eason-Watkins. “The students really do seem to feel ‘Dressed for Success.’ That has an impact on the entire environment at school – helping staff focus on academics, and nurturing a sense of school pride.”

The dress code consists of navy or khaki cotton dress “Docker”-style pants, dress shorts, jumpers or skirts. Approved tops are solid gray, white, navy blue or light blue polo or oxford-style shirts, sweaters or sweatshirts. Certain other restrictions such as no hoods or pockets on sweaters and sweatshirts, logos, leggings or cargo-style bottoms also apply.

*
“We’ve seen such a positive impact with our kids,” Knapp Elementary School Principal Cathy Bildhauser said. “Our kids seem to be pumped up about learning, and I think it’s part of it. Everybody has really been on board about it. We’ve had very little negative feedback about it from parents.”

Jodie Macke, who teaches fourth grade at Coolspring, said, “I really like the dress code. They (the students) settle down a lot quicker. I’ve noticed a big change in their behavior.”

Coolspring Principal Lisa Suter agreed, “I’m very pleased with the uniforms. It has performed a calmness in the building. It’s made everybody equal across the board.”

Ericka Attar, mother of second and third grade daughters and a fifth grade son who attend Coolspring, also appreciates the reduction in peer pressure.

“I love the idea of no labels. It puts a lot less pressure on parents and kids. It keeps everybody on a more even playing field.”

Michigan City Bus Driver Jen McKinney, who has two sons attending Pine Elementary School and one heading to preschool there next year, said, “We don’t have to worry about what’s popular and what’s not.”

And Leann Thurman, whose son is a Coolspring Elementary third-grader and daughter is a Krueger seventh-grader, said, “it gets the ‘cool clothes’ and ‘not cool clothes’ out of the picture – one less peer pressure thing to worry about.”

“It’s not a fashion show. There are no names. – it’s not about that,” said Tina Carey, who has a second grade son at Pine.

With less choices, parents face fewer morning battles, too.

Attar, who considers herself a “huge advocate of the uniforms,” emphasized that they “make mornings less congested and gives them (students) boundaries.”

McKinney makes mornings go a bit smoother by pairing bottoms and tops together on hangars so her boys can just grab a set and go.

Principal Martha Birkholtz at Kruger Middle School said “things are going unbelievably well. It’s changed our building – we’re working as a unit” and “parents have been 100 percent supportive.”

She stressed that “it’s more of a dress code – not a uniform” because the “students are able to individualize.”

Birkholtz said students have added variety with accessories such as belts, scarves, ties, jewelry and fashion boots. She mentioned that Krueger also added black to their color scheme, which gave the kids more choices.

Thurman agreed, “I think it’s a good idea. There’s enough versatility. They give enough leeway to be able to accent them so they still give them enough originality. They don’t all look the same because there’s enough different color variations.”

Her daughter, Sarah, who’s in seventh grade there, admits she was first very unhappy with the dress code decisions, but now thinks “they are actually better than I thought they would be. You can express yourself even though you’re in a dress code.”

Abby Hall, a third grader at Coolspring, said the dress code “gets boring with it being the same colors every week. I’d rather wear regular clothes because they are more exciting and colorful.”

But she admitted she enjoys “the really cool socks in different colors” her mother, Rachel Hall, purchases, and likes it when her classmates say, “Wow, I like your socks!”

Hall said it’s challenging to find dress pants that fit correctly, and there are limited brands to choose from. She’d also like to see leggings approved for girls who are wearing skirts or jumpers in the colder months.

Any changes to come with the dress code?

Eason-Watkins responded, “We will be meeting with the principals in the coming weeks to review all aspects of the Dress for Success program. Our objective for the pilot was to provide a very basic selection of colors and clothing options that could be purchased from a number of retailers. Consistency in the choices is also important; we want to ensure that if a student moves from one school to another within our district, they will not have to purchase different clothing.”

Understandably, cost is also a big consideration in the dress code equation.

“To me, getting uniforms was cheaper,” McKinney said. “We don’t have to go through as many other clothes. They are better quality.”

Suter said she hasn’t found following the dress code to be any more expensive than buying other kids’ clothing. Attar still has the “whole hand-me down effect” as in past years and advises parents to “shop year-round, shop new places and think ahead.”

Michelle Laux finds it a challenge to often replace her third-grade son’s pants because of holes in the knees due to thinner fabric, but appreciates that there’s less laundry to do.

Eason-Watkins said, “Because this is the first year for the program, there was a limited amount of ‘hand-me-down’ clothing coming from older siblings, which some families counted on for school clothes. Thanks to generous donations from members of the community we were able to purchase clothing for some families in need, through a fund established with the Unity Foundation. Our hope is to expand this fund to meet the needs of even more students next year. Schools and parent organizations are also being very creative, considering clothing swap events, sales and other means of helping parents with affordable clothing that meets the code.”

At Coolspring, Suter said the Coolspring Community Association held a sale for Coolspring wear that met the dress code criteria and parents have been helpful in turning in outgrown clothes to the school office to be used by those less fortunate.

At Knapp last Spring, Instructional Assistant Judi Schnick organized a special fashion show for students and parents featuring dress code clothing.

“She chose the music and worked with the kids, teaching them to walk down the runway and not be nervous and have fun with,” Bildhauser said. “Everyone walked away with a good feeling because it was presented in such a positive way. You could see that the students felt really positive about themselves.”

Many of those interviewed hope the dress code is adopted district-wide next year. According to the MCAS Administration Office, an announcement about any additional schools adopting the Dress for Success dress code will be made in late February or early March after board approval.

Currently, students at the MCAS A.K. Smith Career Center already “dress for success” for respective courses of study in Career and Technical Education, Eason-Watkins said.

“Each group wears its own professional attire, be it a chef’s jacket in culinary, scrubs in health careers and cosmetology or shirts with the Career/Tech logo in automotive, welding and other classrooms,” she said.

Dave Johnson, who teaches seventh grade social studies at Krueger, said he was one of the early proponents of the dress code, pointing out articles “that indicated kids who are compliant to a dress code are apt to achieve at a higher level.”

He said that “it has its strengths and shortcomings” (noting that he would prefer to see shirts tucked in) but “it’s made school a better place ... it’s improved our learning environment ... I’m happy that we’ve done it.”

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2012/0...c2682521192.txt

MCAS should have dress code opt out clause

If the Michigan City Area Schools board passes its uniform policy without first adding an opt-out clause, MCAS parents will have been shortchanged on rights that the majority of America’s parents in public uniform schools enjoy. With few exceptions, public uniform districts now offer parental opt-outs; previously, so many uniform programs lacking them lost in coercion lawsuits that some states now require opt-out clauses for any public district adopting uniforms.

Opt-out clauses are the national standard for good reason and it’s a mistake that MCAS administrators aren’t drafting one.

Opt-outs would be especially appropriate here since the administration hasn’t sold its case. There remains no consensus that uniforms benefit anyone but clothing companies, and respected research over a decade concludes that dress uniformity has no significant effect on academics or behavior (see, e.g., studies by ND’s David Brunsma).

This research isn’t refuted by MCAS employee anecdotes.


Nor has the administration persuaded a majority. By their own 2011 figure, of 4,521 polled, only 49 percent preferred a uniform dress policy. The board has no mandate to pass their proposal and saddle Michigan City with among the most parent-hostile uniform regulations in the nation. Approval would actually go contrary to the preferences of the majority.

Parents who want uniforms can khaki their kids to their heart’s content and have never been prevented from doing so. But MC parents shouldn’t be forced to greyscale their children to comply with yet another social fallacy about appearances, and MCAS’s administration has certainly failed to convince us that we should.

The board will exhibit good judgment by rejecting any proposal which lacks an opt-out clause. This will reduce the board’s legal exposure to coercion and put them in step with similar programs nationally.

And teachers can go back to emphasizing substance again.

Alan Brown

MCAS parent

La Porte, IN

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2012/0...79853474732.txt

More money is not the answer

Published: Wednesday, March 21, 2012 5:07 PM CDT
After reading your article in the March 14 Anvil Chorus about “Dress For Success,” I believe the MCAS corporation has more than enough money if it is needed to help purchase uniforms.

After seeing the budget published in your paper each year, all that is needed is to transfer one bus cost (approximately $33,000, 1⁄6 the annual bus purchase budget) to an account for that purpose.

They will have $13,000 to $18,000 more than is needed (MCAS wanted $15,000 to $20,000) for that purpose, and problem solved!

In the Gettysburg Address, President Lincoln states “ All men are created equal.” If this is the case, then the MCAS should purchase uniforms for all students, shouldn’t they?

*
Another solution to the uniform problem is, the schools that have uniforms should have a uniform swap/reduced purchase a week before school starts, held in their gym for any parent that needs clothes for their children.

The children seem to outgrow them before they outwear them, so they could sell or trade for larger or smaller cleaned clothes which we did when our children were growing up.

I don’t feel the school system should act as the parent and supply clothing or money for people’s children unless they do it for all children.

Furthermore, the school corporation should be ashamed of asking the public for donations when they have our tax dollars already!

It is not how much you have, it’s what you do fiscally with what you have (referring to the school systems budget).

Dennis Metheny

Michigan City, IN

[Southsider2k12]

http://heraldargus.com/articles/2012/03/29...23896403673.txt

Drug testing proposal fails; committee formed to address concerns

By Lois Tomaszewski
Published: Thursday, March 29, 2012 12:46 AM CDT
Staff Writer

MICHIGAN CITY — Beginning next year, students in all Michigan City Area Schools will have to adhere to the “Dress for Success” uniforms policy.

By a vote of 6-1, with board member Beryle Burgwald casting the dissenting vote, school board trustees adopted changes in the district’s policy to expand this year’s pilot program to elementary, middle and high schools. Students are required to wear navy, khaki or black slacks, shorts or skirts and white, khaki, light blue or black shirts.

Burgwald said he would not support the school-system wide uniform policy; instead he wanted to see a stronger dress code. “Boys should not dress like gang members and girls should not dress like prostitutes,” he said.

Communications Director Betsy Kohn said that a complete uniform for an elementary student is $46 and for a high school student the cost is about $66. This includes two pairs of pants, one pair of shorts, two polo shirts and one sweatshirt.

Horizon Bank has donated $7,500 to be used to match any donations made to a fund to help families purchase uniform pieces for their child. The money in this fund comes from private donations and does not include any school funds, board member Jim Kintzele Sr. said.

To make contributions; mail a check made payable to the Unity Foundation, P.O. Box 527, Michigan City, IN 46361 or call (219) 879-0327.

The check should note that the donation is for the Dress for Success fund, School District Superintendent Barbara Eason-Watkins said.

In other action:

• The random drug testing policy proposed by Burgwald was defeated by a vote of 6-1, with Burgwald voting for approval.

Instead, a resolution from Dr. Vidya Kora called for the appointment of a committee to include himself, Burgwald, school district administrators, parents, the high school principal, representatives from the drug testing company and a mental health professional, among others.

The committee would work on addressing the concerns regarding Burgwald’s policy and come up with another version.

At the request of Eason-Watkins, no time limit was set for the creation of the policy. When completed, the policy will go before the board for a first and second reading and vote.

The resolution requests that the committee place a priority on confidentiality and that it “keep the consequences of failed drug testing to be significant enough to foster deterrents but not so severe that they would lead to the destruction of the academic future of the affected student,” Kora read.

The resolution also said the policy should also be cost effective and gives access to treatment for those students who need it. It will only apply to high school students and not the seventh and eighth graders included in the previously proposed policy.

• Lance Werner, a graduate of the MCAS and Purdue North Central, has been named the Chief Financial Officer for the district.

He will replace interim CFO, Richard Cook – who filled in for Theo Boone in late 2011.

Werner was previously employed by South Shore Railroad as the controller and treasurer, a role he has held since 1998. A certified public accountant, he holds a certificate in executive management from the University of Notre Dame.

In the community, he has been active in Junior Achievement, Leadership of La Porte County and the Michigan City Rotary Club.

“Lance impressed the interview team with his solid understanding of budgeting and finance,” Eason-Watkins told the board. “One of the things we were looking for was someone who is able to engage stakeholders, including the Board, in a transparent budgeting process.

“Lance exhibited a willingness to dig deep and present clear data for decision-making. In these challenging financial times, these are essential qualities for a CFO. Lance has established strong relationships with financial institutions and has experience in large finance projects – both key for our corporation as we deal with ramifications of our county’s long-standing property tax dispute.

“I would also like to express sincere thanks to Dick Cook, who will be concluding his service as our Interim CFO when Lance assumes his new role on April 16,” Eason-Watkins said. “Dick will be serving as a consultant with us for a short time, to support Lance as he transitions to his new role.”

[Southsider2k12]

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/laporte..._medium=twitter

All Michigan City schools will require uniforms for students
By Stan Maddux Times Correspondent | Posted: Thursday, March 29, 2012 1:00 pm | 1 Comment

MICHIGAN CITY | All Michigan City schools will require uniforms as part of a dress for success movement beginning in the fall.

The school board this week approved expanding a beefed-up dress code, which for the past year was tried in all three of the middle schools and some of the elementary schools.

School board member Bill Greene said not allowing students to wear things like pants with their underwear exposed or shirts displaying too much cleavage has been successful enough to include all students in the policy.

''It helped with discipline. The teachers are amazed at what it's done for their classroom behavior,'' Greene said.

Beginning in the fall, all schools will require boys wear khaki pants and slacks along with polo or button shirts. Girls can wear capris, but any dress or shorts must not be shorter than two inches above the knee. Parents of students showing up in clothes like blue jeans and cargo pants or flip flops will be contacted.

All clothing must be black, gray, blue or white.

The lone dissenting vote was cast by Beryle Burgwald, who said students shouldn't dress like ''gang members or prostitutes.'' However, he felt mandating uniforms goes too far.

''It's too regimented. That's fine for a private school or a military school but not a public school,'' Burgwald said.

All parents will be provided with a list of acceptable clothes for them to buy for their students.

Greene said Horizon Bank is providing $7,500 to help low-income families purchase the outfits. He said adapting to the dress code might be more difficult for students at the high school but having next year's freshman wearing uniforms this year in the eighth grade should make the transition easier.

The dress code is part of the Dress for Success campaign waged by superintendent Barbara Eason-Watkins when she came here in 2010 from Chicago.

Read more: http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/laporte...l#ixzz1qXCUCU1r

[Commuter]

I went to a school that required uniforms, followed by part of high school in the south where we basically had to dress like we were going to church (girls couldn't wear pants, but could wear tasteful shorts or skirts that went below the knee; boys had to have a collared shirt, no facial hair and no hair touching the collar).


I liked both.

Now that fashion marketers market freely to children, there is all kinds of peer pressure.

I don't like seeing pretentious kids with louis vuitton dayplanners, herve chapelier bags, Kate Spade, Seven jeans, Lacoste, Polo etc. Kids are acutely aware of what clothes came from Michigan Avenue, or family dollar, and can be cruel to the ones who may not be able to afford the expensive stuff.

Schools can get a little too diverse -- where the diversity becomes a distraction. I'm all for individuation and experimenting with adult identities, but goths and emos and gangbangers can all be identified by their clothes, and it becomes a distraction.

I think it will work.

[Southsider2k12]

I went to a school that required uniforms, followed by part of high school in the south where we basically had to dress like we were going to church (girls couldn't wear pants, but could wear tasteful shorts or skirts that went below the knee; boys had to have a collared shirt, no facial hair and no hair touching the collar).
I liked both.

Now that fashion marketers market freely to children, there is all kinds of peer pressure.

I don't like seeing pretentious kids with louis vuitton dayplanners, herve chapelier bags, Kate Spade, Seven jeans, Lacoste, Polo etc. Kids are acutely aware of what clothes came from Michigan Avenue, or family dollar, and can be cruel to the ones who may not be able to afford the expensive stuff.

Schools can get a little too diverse -- where the diversity becomes a distraction. I'm all for individuation and experimenting with adult identities, but goths and emos and gangbangers can all be identified by their clothes, and it becomes a distraction.

I think it will work.

I have a feeling that a very small number of students will cause the vast majority of problems as the higher grade levels. It all depends on how far the school system wants to go to fight with them. We all know that kids getting disciplined is now a bad thing, as things like suspension numbers are held up as proof of how good or bad a system is, as is attendance. If a kid doesn't dress right, are they sending them home? How will they deal with them? Will there be suspensions for repeated violations? It will be interesting to see how far Watkins and Botana let in-school administration go to be the authority on these matters.

[Southsider2k12]

http://www.thenewsdispatch.com/articles/20...3f565255976.txt

‘Dress for Success’ takes away freedom

Published: Tuesday, April 3, 2012 5:06 PM CDT
I must say that I am very glad that I don’t attend the Michigan City Area Schools, or that I don’t have children attending MCAS either.I am of the opinion, that here in America we are suffering the indignity of having our personal freedoms taken away from us at a very alarming rate, and the shoving of this “program” down the throats of everyone who will attend the MCAS next year is disgusting and wrong.The freedom of self expression by wearing any decent clothing, regardless of color is being taken away, as is the freedom of choice, and I firmly believe that the motto of the State of New Hampshire sums it up best, that being “Live Free, or Die.”New Hampshire, by the way, is the only state in the United States that does not have a seat belt law, which I find to be an interesting link to their state motto.Another reason that I am firmly against the Dress for Success program is the fact that it is a very thinly veiled euphemism for what could be more appropriately titled “school uniforms.”You might ask yourself why I don’t like school uniforms, well it is a very plain and simple reason. I remember seeing films of school aged children wearing uniforms back in the time that I was in school, and I didn’t like it at all. You see, I couldn’t understand the narration of those films, because it was in German.

Thomas J. Labadie

Michigan City, IN

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2012/0...ad134191834.txt

School system should have dress code

Published: Tuesday, April 17, 2012 5:06 PM CDT
I think that if the parents won’t or don’t make their children look decent when they attend school then the school system should.

I think children should be taught when they look for a job, companies are not going to hire someone that has his pants hanging down to his knees and piercings and tattoos everywhere, they also want young ladies to look like young ladies, not tramps.

When you apply for a job and look like a wild person with hair that looks like a clown, tattoos and wierd peircings everywhere, they won’t hire you.

Most companies and stores want a clean cut person.Most of our young people do look decent, but as usual a few mess it up for the rest, therefore I think there should be a dress code.

No tattoos, no weird piercings, no pants down to their knees and no hair that looks like a clown with a bunch of different colors.So I feel the school system must take a stand.

Pat Janz

La Porte, IN