6 year old suspended for a mohawk

I'm not huge on public schools having dress codes because they usually screw it up, but I don't have a huge problem with this. I like how she said they can tell her how to dress her kid, but not how to cut his hair, as if there's a meaningful distinction.

Sadly, she is going to take her kid out of school over this (although taking a kid out of a public school is actually a very good thing). There are some battles to fight, and this ain't one of them.

Part of my gut says the the school has every right to tell the mother and kid to shave the damn thing off, but who is this really hurting? Distracting class is an empty phrase here; this is bureaucracy squeezing the life out of childhood.

I saw the mother on fox or cnn. She seemed like a loser.

abacus wrote:

Part of my gut says the the school has every right to tell the mother and kid to shave the damn thing off, but who is this really hurting? Distracting class is an empty phrase here; this is bureaucracy squeezing the life out of childhood.

I half understand the school uniform argument. But your hair is your own. You don't have to buy that, it just grows. It's quite the empty phrase to say it's distracting. Someone's odor, or breath can be distracting. Sometimes hot girls walk by with amazing eyes, that's distracting. I don't buy their argument.

A uniform is your own too. You own it. They're essentially the same, they're both property. If the school can dictate what is worn it can dictate hair style.

why are there so many crap parents nowadays?

ok. 1st of all, i wore a mowhawk to school, and got a warning that i couldn't wear it again and i shaved it off that night. 2nd, the school gave the lady THREE warnings to cut the hair. I mean take a freakin shaver and shave the rest off. your 6 year old's hair isn't worth that much to get him suspended for it.

Mtn Dew wrote:

A uniform is your own too. You own it. They're essentially the same, they're both property. If the school can dictate what is worn it can dictate hair style.

I'm not a uniform advocate, but I think they have a better case for uniforms than hair cuts. Hair cuts make them seem like a nazi training camp.

I think a reasonable person can state that there is a point at which a haircut could be a distraction, yes? If we agree to that then it's only a matter of degree to which people can disagree. Saying a school dictating haircut regulations is askin to nazi training camp is way off.

The mother is wacko. She's using her own little boy for her own off-base agenda. If the kid really likes having his hair this way let him wear a mohawk during the summer. Or better yet, why doesn't she get a mohawk if she thinks it's so cool?

have you ever been around a classroom of six year olds? a shiny gum wrapper is a distraction. i'm sure kids think this other kid's hair is crazy and fawn over it repeatedly. it also looks ridiculous. i can't believe the mother would rather take her kid out of school, thus disrupting his education and his socialization, than shave his head. i saw an interview with the mom and the kid on fox and the kid has no idea what is going on. shave his head and get him back in school. it's not even close to a big deal.

School uniforms are so f***ing stupid. Why are people such uptight, controlling pricks when it comes to how kids can act? Let kids be kids, let them wear whatever their parents choose to allow them to wear.

Mtn Dew wrote:

I think a reasonable person can state that there is a point at which a haircut could be a distraction, yes? If we agree to that then it's only a matter of degree to which people can disagree. Saying a school dictating haircut regulations is askin to nazi training camp is way off.

Again I'd rather there be no uniform or haircut rules, but...

You can wear clothing that has beer, or drug paraphernalia on it. You can wear clothing that is sexually suggestive. Clothing is also a social status and can be used to make cliques. I wouldn't say haircuts have anything to do with beer, drugs, sex, or cliques. That's just my opinion on why clothes has more of a point than hair. I think both are bad points though.

Who cares what a 6 year olds head looks like?

We don't have any idea why someone would want to have a mohawk but kids should be allowed to go to school and learn stuff because our future depends on it.

school dress codes are funny. My 12 year old daughter keeps getting sent to the principal's office because she forgets to put the hood of her sweatshirt down when she comes into the hallways from being outside at recess. It is cold here in the winter and she is a space cadet. I really don't think it's a defiance thing, but the school seems to think it signifies gang affiliation. This is in a town with 4,000 people and 16,000 cows. Gangs are really not a big issue, but hey, they could be right?

Public schools are just that; public. And if a kid wants to wear a mohawk then why not? This country has gotten ridiculous. Only a private school should be able to tell a kid what kind of haircut is appropriate.

it's a charter school, which means it was the mother's choice to enroll him there (ostensibly because it is a better school than the local public school). this means they have the freedom to have whatever rules they want, as long as the state continues to approve their charter. they have no obligation to educate this particular child if the mother refuses to comply with the rules. she is welcome to send him back to the local school where he can be free to have his mohawk but is probably only about half as likely to score a proficient on the state math test. take your pick.

Chester wrote:

Public schools are just that; public. And if a kid wants to wear a mohawk then why not? This country has gotten ridiculous. Only a private school should be able to tell a kid what kind of haircut is appropriate.

So you think a child should be able to wear a shirt with a pot leaf on it, correct?

That's one (of the many) problems with public schools - they are paid for with taxpayer money and yet still must educate kids and set rules. A school that can't set any dress code will fail because it's a school that can't set any rules at all. Every school I've ever heard of has a dress code.

but my kid is special- he doesnt have to follow the rules.

yeah right