Nowhere in the proposed dress code policy does the word “pajamas” appear.
Rogers High School’s Student Integrity Board and academic advisor have spent the past school year studying and modifying the NPS dress code policy. The goal was to move the policy from the negative — what they cannot wear — to the positive and what they can wear. The “pajama” controversy is a distraction, a talking point that the press heard and, as they are want to do with anything relating to Newport Public Schools, blew out of proportion.
The new dress code will end over-policing of the female students’ bodies. It will provide easier guidelines for the faculty and staff, and it will cut down on dean referrals and reduce lost classroom time. As a Rogers parent and a member of the School Committee, I have been speaking with the students. The students feel this policy gives them a voice in decision making, making them feel heard and valued. It gives them autonomy. The students do not think pajamas will be an issue, and it’s frankly insulting that adults think so little of their decision making and sartorial choices to turn this into an issue. And if the policy isn’t working down the round, it can be changed.
It appears that a lot of the negative reactions are from people who are not in our schools, have not seen the new policy, and are making snap decisions from a news article that does not properly represent the new policy.
What message are we sending our students? “Use your voice!” (Students use their voice) “Wait, no, not like that!” We can either trust the student to the occasion and use this new student-led policy to empower themselves, or we can tell them we do not trust them to make decisions about their own clothing (within the guidelines of the dress code). The latter will only continue to send the message that the adults in Newport do not value student input and voices.
The proposed policy was sent to students, faculty, and parents for feedback. It has been vetted, and it aligns with existing policies throughout the country. I thank the students for taking the lead and hope in the future they continue to look at student policies and bring changes to the School Committee.
Sincerely,
Kendra Wilson Muenter
NPS Parent/Newport School Committee Member
It would be helpful if you publish the proposed dress code in the paper or online with What’s Up Newp so that we can all see the actual language. Just a thought.