FULTON, NY – Months ago, approaching the start of the second half of the 2016-2017 school year, two G. Ray Bodley High School students approached the Board of Education with a proposition.
Their intent was to initiate an experiment that they believed would demonstrate changes in behavioral and attendance issues in regards to the current school policy that bans students from wearing hats in school.
The plan, developed by senior Calinda Ceterski and junior Mason Rowlee, was to change the dress code policy to allow students to wear their hats during school hours except in instances where removing your hat is expected as a sign of respect during times such as the Pledge of Allegiance, while in the auditorium, or by individual teacher discretion.
Superintendent Brian Pulvino said the experiment was an example of “democracy in action,” as the students respectfully and thoughtfully pleaded their desire to change school policy through proper channels of authority.
The temporary policy was implemented for the third and fourth quarters of the school year and yielded results that the students had expected.
Pulvino said the number of minor referrals specific to wearing hats in school decreased from 79 in the first half of the school year to one in the second half while under the temporary policy change.
Similarly, major referrals for insubordination specific to wearing hats in school decreased from 13 in the first half of the school year to zero in the second half.
“So, just as some teachers have commented, there’s not that power struggle anymore,” Pulvino said.
Ultimately, after the annual review of the school code of conduct, the student led initiative resulted in a potential permanent change to school dress code allowing students to wear hats in school except under the aforementioned exceptions.
“Overall the atmosphere has been much more comfortable and relaxed,” said assistant principal, Marc Copani. “It really allows us to focus on what’s important and that’s getting kids to graduate, their social and emotional needs. We’re not having negative interactions with kids right off the bat.”
Copani said that despite the traditional social norm regarding not wearing a hat in school, as times evolve that standard is less and less understood by kids today.
“So it just becomes a rule because I say it’s a rule,” which leads to instances of power struggles among kids and school staff and administration, he said.
The new policy has produced beneficial results that has positively impacted the school, he continued.
“When students are being asked to take their hats off whether it’s in class, in the auditorium, or for any other reason, they’re doing it with the exception of one (minor referral) so they are very respectful about taking their hats off when it’s appropriate and I think they’re very appreciative that we’ve allowed them the freedom to wear their hats to school,” Copani said.
The policy change was present in a draft of the district code of conduct presented to the Board of Education June 27 that specifically approved wearing hats in school when authorized by a building principal.
Several other changes to the code of conduct were also included though most were “not sweeping or significant changes, but just some clarifications,” said Geri Geitner, director of student support services.
Board members will vote on the adoption of the code of conduct at the reorganizational meeting on July 11.
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Why in the world could a teenager NOT wear a hat to school? What sort of tangible discrepancy does doing so create? I think I would be more concerned with making sure students’ pants actually covered their butt cheeks versus sending someone to the principal’s office for wearing a New York Yankees hat. Educators need to worry about educating. Let’s quit being the moral police. Not everybody shares in these administrators moral values. While there are baseline values which should be observed (hat off during the pledge, while in the auditorium when someone is speaking, no obvious gang related colors or derogatory messages, etc.), silly prohibitions like the hat rule only create tension within the student body for no good reason. Meanwhile, the school board should sit back and think for a moment about their own time in high school. How many of them were permitted to wear hats in school? I’m guessing the answer is probably all of them.