APS throws down gauntlet on "sagging"

The leadership of the APS has sent a letter out to new parents, advising them of important issues related to school readiness.  On the subject of how to dress, they offer a link to a Procedural Directive that prohibits "sagging".

"Prohibited clothing and accessories include, but are not limited to:
'Sagging', or the wearing of pants below the waist and/or in a manner that allows underwear or bare skin to show, and "bagging", or the wearing of excessively baggy pants with low hanging crotches."

What was reported by KRQE, link, as a aberration at three high schools, apparently will apply to all schools.

According to the same directive (here quoted in significant part, emphasis added);

"... Principals may customize their individual school dress codes ... through use of a process which ensures input from students, parents, faculty and staff of the school and other interested community members. Students and their parents/legal guardians shall be aware of the individual school dress code and shall conform to those requirements. Principals shall interpret and enforce the dress code of his/her school. Individual school dress codes shall be reviewed periodically with parents, teachers, and student group representatives to enlist their support and encourage pride and good taste".

It would appear that if individual schools want to address their dress codes, they can, as long as they endeavor to involve the community in the decision making process.

In contrast, it would appear if Supt Winston Brooks gets a wild hair up his ass and decides to draft teachers into a war they had no part in starting and wouldn't if they could, there is no need to involve anybody in the decision.

Brooks is seen here at a community meeting at Manzano High School just before ordering the arrest of petitioners, link, looking for stakeholder input in decision making that affects their interests.

If the decision making that will start the sagger wars again, included the teachers and staff members who will be expected to do the wet work of enforcing an unpopular dress code, I doubt they would have adopted this issue as a hill they're willing to die on.

In particular, any teachers who were around the last time the district decided to draft teachers into their war on sagging, and who remember how utterly unsuccessful that effort was (students are still sagging after all) they would be less inclined to try the same thing all over again.

The circumstances have not changed; teachers and staff will be expected to enforce the ban on sagging without administrative backing.  They will take kids to the Office where they will sign a "contract" or some equally feckless stupidity, and will finish their paperwork before the teacher finishes theirs.

There are nearly 100,000 years of current and ongoing teaching experience in this district, and no seat anywhere at a table where decisions as far reaching and with such impact as these are made.

School starts Monday August 13th.  By Tuesday, the war against saggers will have begun in earnest, and by Wednesday, it will be apparent who is going to win, again.




photo Mark Bralley