GA House Bill 1187

The approval of HB 1187 in 2000 has led to a number of interesting (mainly useless) changes in the education system in Georgia. I don't know how other counties have dealt with the bill, which mainly forces local school boards to improve test scores, but I can tell you how things are in Muscogee County (Columbus, GA). Recently a new county wide dress code has been implemented to address "incidents of that have occurred at some schools that relate to gang activities".

The first step to eliminate this "gang threat" (when honestly gangs don't even have a presence in over half the schools and are only a problem in a small number of them), was to issue student IDs. These IDs must be worn daily by all students and faculty at all times.

A second measure has been taken concerning dress codes. A list was just published as to unacceptable attire at schools. These include:

1. Shoestrings of different colors may not be worn.
2. Clothing, jewelry, medallions, earrings, and other items that have the following symbols are prohibited: five or six pointed stars, dollar signs, tanks, guns, winged hearts, dice, playing ards, pitchforks, playboy bunnies (I would like to meet members of the Playboy gang!), the number five or six (so much for the sports teams wearing their jersies to school before a big game), crescent moon, three or five pointed crowns, weapons, gang initials, or gang names.
3. Bandannas, doo-rags, and stockings worn as hats are prohibited at school and any school related activity.
4. Tattoos or branding of any gang symbol, initials, or name is prohibited.
5. Wearing of gloves in school or on one hand is prohibited (Michael Jackson gang?)
6. Wearing one sleeve of a shirt or jacket off the shoulder is prohibited.
7. All notebooks, folders, book bags, etc. must be free of gang symbols.
8. Students may not wear camouflage, work uniforms, or jumpsuits.
9. Eyebrows must not be slashed.
10. Pant pockets may not be worn inside out.
11. Pant legs may not be rolled up.
12. Plain white t-shirts may not be worn as outerwear.

While many of the dress code additions are common sense, many show the utter ignorance of the school administration of what constitutes gang activity and what does not. Besides this fact, why enforce these regulations on everyone when most of the schools certainly do not need it, and it only causes a disturbance amongst the students and faculty there?

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[paulgro]

Sounds like another case of government going too far...

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[paulgro]

Just a little!!!!!! http://www.dumblaws.com/ubb/wink.gif

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[cleoeo]

Good gravy. I'm sure the members of the Muscogee school board consider themselves educated and intellegent. No rolled-up bluejeans and white tee shirts. I suppose dressing like that leads to rock-n-roll records, souped-up Ford flatheads, and making out at the drive-in theater.

[aclu14]

This is so silly. At my high school we have to wear IDs but the dress code isn't too strict . . . you should see what the goths wear! Bright blue hair, one jean leg cut to the knee and worn with striped kneesocks, bike chains, safety pins as earrings, you name it. I'm surprised that the Georgia law doesn't crack down hair color.

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Well, the GA bill doesn't specifically state the dress code, it just "encourges" such action. However, I don't know of any other school district in the state with the same policies...

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[Idnew]

I think the student ID's are great but those seem like some really harsh dress codes. Yeah the rolled up jeans and white T's were very popular back in my day and we won't go into what day. http://www.dumblaws.com/ubb/biggrin.gif Maybe all of you should go to school dressed for church and see what they say about that.

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[Serendipity]

Dressed for church??!! http://www.dumblaws.com/ubb/biggrin.gif The teachers would collapse in a dead faint.....

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[aclu14]

Church?

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Since you last posted this on House Bill 1187 lets take a look at what has happened here in the Muscogee County School System. First of all The Muscogee County Police Department has a Gang Task Force and they identified some of the markings of the local gangs that ARE present in the Muscogee County School System. Slashed eyebrows, numbers, rolled up pant legs and the rest. Last year there was an elementary school 4 grader who brought a pistol to school, there have been several instances where knives were taken from students, a girl choked another student with a choke chain like you use for a dog collar, a Columbus Police Officer was shot in the leg at Kendrick HHS by a student when question about the gang markings on his clothes.
However, I do agree that some of the things were to an extreme, but the safety of our children has to be taken to the EXTREME. Evidently you do not have any children in the Muscogee County School System, or you would not have mentioned this as being a stupid law. Columbus Georgia used to be a nice quite city when we moved her from Miami.
There are some of the schools who have done quite well in protecting our children without all of the enforcement mandated by the House Bill 1187. However, there are others that are in higher crime districts that have to take every measure to ensure that the protection of the students and faculty are maintained at the highest levels possible. As a General Contractor we work in the Muscogee County School System and our employees not only have to wear our company identification badges, but they also have to wear security badges assigned to them by the Muscogee County School District. The school district wants to identify all adults on school property and make sure that they have a reason to be there. The same should hold true for students and faculty. I applaud the school system, the county and the state for seeing that House Bill 1187 was passed. Also, the school uniforms have not been implemented into all of the schools as of yet and probably never will be. Because they can't decide on the colors for each and every school.

[Serendipity]

Welcome to Dumb Laws, Ronald http://www.dumblaws.com/ubb/smile.gif

Hm. That list Jeff posted didn't proscribe bringing guns to school... maybe if that kind of thing was the focus of the school authority's concern then the kids could wear whatever they wanted. Surely it's the gangs themselves and the circumstances that make kids want to join them that need to be addressed, rather than the visible manifestations of gang membership?

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I understand the security risks that gangs pose to the school system. However, many of the dress codes implemented around the county will do no good, some will have a marginal effect however. For example...I have a scar above my eye from an little P.E. accident in 5th grade...am I in a gang? Many shirts are sold in stores such as Abercrombie and Fitch, American Eagle, etc. with numbers already on them. Are the wearers of these clothes in a gang too? What about those who wear jerseys to school? As for the incident at Kendrick, how would the dress code have prevented it? The officer was questioning the student about the dress code in fact when the officer was shot so I see no way a dress code could remedy this. The only solution I could see for this would be to arrest anyone on the spot with "gang markings" present on their body. However this could lead to enormous numbers of problems caused by officers arresting thousands of innocent students every year for such things as wearing a shirt with a number on it.

As for gang symbols in general, the most widely used forms of identification are the color of clothes worn. The items cracked down on by the school district, rather than being gang symbols, are more often than not, what I like to call ghetto fashions (yes, I know it's politically incorrect).

What I'm trying to say is that a dress code alone will not be the "silver bullet" to all of our problems. I doubt singling everyone out who wears a white t-shirt will rid society of all gang members. On the contrary, it will rid society of more good than bad members. What I propose is that some type of system is implemented that focuses on the big picture, rather than nitpicky aspects of students. We should be more concerned about how we will prevent guns from entering schools than worrying about a student who only has one glove on.....

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Co-Owner
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[aclu14]

Will I get in trouble iff I wear toe socks on my hands?

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[weldordave]

WOW! I don't know what is more astonishing. The dress code thing or Idnew's admission about the rolled up jeans and white T-shirts!

[CBranski]

I have no problem with school dress codes; too many parents IMO let their children run around looking like bums, gangbangers, or !%!%!%!%s. (And I find it amazing that the new dress code did not address the latter but had some rather bizarre provisions.) Most employers require that employees dress in a reasonable fashion, and schools should be no different.

As Jeff noted, dress codes are only one answer. Regarding the incident where a girl was choked with a dog collar, isn't it safe to assume that the perpetrator had prior run-ins and should not have been in that school? In short, i think this may be little more than window dressing-new curtains around a broken window still leaves you with a broken window.

School administrators in recent history have not really provided any solutions but bizarre programs.

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I live in Muscogee County (Columbus GA), and even I have not heard of most of these. About the ID we have to wear, we do not really have to have it. They give us an ID card at the beginning of the year, and if you lose it, oh well. All it does is allow you to check out books from the library, and allow us to go on the internet in the library. And the dress code is not that harsh. You have to wear long pants (girls shorts were too short last year), and tuck in your shirt. Belts are suggested, but you do not have to have one. As for the rest of them, I've never heard of them.

What school do you attend mackin? These rules mainly focus on the high schools...

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[Enforcer]

Welcome mackin...


Well anyway, I think this is rediculous, I can't believe poeple don't have the freedom to wear that stuff, and I want to be able to put on my books whatever I want...

Where's the whole"America is such a free country" now, huh?


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[aclu14]

My thoughts exactly.

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[Enforcer]

Anyone who doesn't agree with me and aclu?

*gets out his gun ready to shoot the first person to disagree*

*hears paulgro go: "Do you have a permit?"*
*flees in terror...*

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[Idnew]

LOL Enforcer

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[Enforcer]

not funny I'm so scared...

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[Phreakmeister]

Originally posted by CBranski:
I have no problem with school dress codes; too many parents IMO let their children run around looking like bums, gangbangers, or !%!%!%!%s. (And I find it amazing that the new dress code did not address the latter but had some rather bizarre provisions.) Most employers require that employees dress in a reasonable fashion, and schools should be no different.

That leads to a new question: what do you see as reasonable? Coz 'looking reasonable' is a matter of taste, and taste is different for every person.
Some people think goths look horrible, I personally hate Abercrombie&Fitch, Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren and stuff like that, while other people on their turn hate streetwear.


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[Enforcer]

And I think if some1 wants to look like a bum, gangbanger, or !%!%!%!%, that's his\her business...



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Originally posted by Jeff:
What school do you attend mackin? These rules mainly focus on the high schools...



Sorry it took me so long to reply, I haven't been her lately. Anyways, I am in 8th grade, (Middle School), but I do know lots of people in highschool, and my brother just got out of it. The rules are somewhat enforced, but to a very short degree. Only the simplist rules are enforced.

Just letting you know mackin, the rules were not nearly as strict only a year ago, so your older brother didn't experience any of the new changes...

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[jettmotto]

huh when i was in high school they were very strict. the skaters coundn't wear chains on thier wallets weither it went from belt loop to wallet or drug on the ground. the cowboys couldn't wear belt buckles over 1 1/2 inch diameter. we couldn't wear black on black (black pants and black shirts same time). i guess i have mixed feelings on it

Originally posted by Jeff:
Just letting you know mackin, the rules were not nearly as strict only a year ago, so your older brother didn't experience any of the new changes...



Well, I know some people in highschool and they aren't really enforced that much. You can wear pretty much whatever you want, but you have to tuck in your shirt, and you have to wear a belt, or have your belt loops showing. And I say this without knowing if this goes for highschools completely, they may not have to tuck in their shirts, I've never asked one of them. Our middle schools are more strict on it than our high schools.

[Phreakmeister]

Thank god I'm living in The Netherlands. They can only sue me for wearing nothing http://www.dumblaws.com/ubb/smile.gif

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