General Discussion

This has pissed my daughter off enough that she's threatened to just quit school, take the GED, and start college this fall. The child has already been taking dual credit classes and has some college credit already so it wouldn't be much of a change for her academically. She has also threatened to just keep on wearing what she wants to school and fighting "the man" every step of the way.

On a personal level, I'd kind of like to see her stay in school for her senior year and do all the extra curricular stuff--but at the same time I have to admit, it would have been attractive to me at that age to just say "fuck it all" and go on with my life. I told her if she wants to stay in there and fight I'd support her, and I'm serious about that. I've also told her that if she wants to opt out and start college, I'll help her do that too.

Something that I have always stressed to my kid is that when you think something is wrong, you stand and speak out. Yeah, I know it is counter culture in a lot of circles, but that is how I've always lived my life. I've had my daughter on picket lines, and at protests all her life, and she's been with me whenever I thought it was physically safe for her to be there. She's been active on social justice issues on her own for a few years now, and at 17 just recently applied for a summer fellowship with the DCCC doing political organizing. My kid is NO shrinking violet and I am extremely proud of her. She's a kick ass woman. If she wants to stay in the fight at the high school, I'll be there with her.

I've talked to a couple of female lawyers already and they both have wanted to wade in on this dress code discussion. Kids really don't have many rights in the schools, however, this discussion is rooted in EQUALITY of treatment, rather than just the right to wardrobe as one chooses. It really is an interesting discussion that I feel is rooted more in the rights of women and girls than anything else.


Laura