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BATES EXEMPTION REQUEST |
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Exemption Request August
19, 2002
To Whom It May Concern:
I request my child Benjamin Bates be exempt from the Natalia ISD uniform policy. It is obvious from my actions the last two and a half years, my petition drives, my comments in the media, the ten letters that have been published in local newspapers, and my appearances before the school board that I feel strongly about the issue of mandatory school uniforms. I am requesting an exemption based on my philosophical and religious objections under the Texas Education Code 11.162 (c), which states: A
parent or guardian of a student assigned to attend a school at which
students are required to wear school uniforms may choose for the student
to be exempted from the requirement or to transfer to a school at which
students are not required to wear uniforms and at which space is available
if the parent or guardian provides a written statement that, as determined
by the board of trustees, states a bona fide religious or philosophical
objection to the requirement. From my extensive research over the last two and a half years on the issue of school uniforms, I sincerely believe that school uniforms are at best, a fad and at worst can be extremely harmful to the learning environment. As Los Angeles Millikan Middle School principal Norman Isaacs states, "I have soured on uniforms over the past three years, interest has declined. The uniform is like a bandage; it solves some of the symptoms but not the real problem. I think it is going to gradually fade away." At Los Angeles Mulholland middle school they have a uniform policy. Only problem is nobody wears one. The uniform look has been pushed to the back of the closet. Mr. Tarin, the principal, said it makes very little difference. He states "I'd like to see all of my students in them. But I would rather use my time to improve education at my school." A
federal study of nearly 5000 students published Sept/Oct `98 in The
Journal of Educational Research conducted by David Brunsna & Kerry
Rockquemore has found that students that are required to wear uniforms are
NO LESS LIKELY than their casually dressed peers to get in trouble in
school, to fight, smoke, drink alcohol, or use illegal drugs. And
they were NO MORE LIKELY to attend school regularly or to get higher test
scores. A second study published by Educational Testing Service
found, "schools that required school uniforms did not have levels of
delinquency significantly different from schools that did not require
school uniforms." As a parent, supporting and promoting school
uniforms given the amount of information that is contrary to uniforms is
illogical and hypocritical. This is one reason that as a parent I object
to my son being forced to wear school uniforms. As
a Christian I believe that both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible
contain instruction by which we should live our lives and raise our
families. I use many of the lessons contained in the Bible in my
day-to-day life. I have taught my son many of these lessons through out
his life and continue to instruct him, as he gets older. I believe that
forcing Benjamin to wear a school uniform when he knows how opposed I am
to this issue will jeopardize the spiritual instruction I have given him.
I consider my job as a parent to be the most important thing I do.
I only have a short time to teach, train, model, and prepare my son for
his future. I have always had an active role in my son’s upbringing and
education. I believe it is my job as a parent to provide him with the
guidance he needs to prepare him for his future. This guidance involves
devoting myself to meeting my son’s needs. I believe a parent
should set REASONABLE and AGE-APPROPRIATE limits. I also believe it
is a parent's job to help their children learn to take care of
themselves. With understanding guidance, a child will grow from
dependence to independence gradually and always with the love that is his
birthright. My son has been choosing his own clothes wisely for many
years. I believe that a superficially imposed mandatory school
uniform policy would be a backward step in his growth process. I believe
that many principles by which one human being can influence another to
develop in a psychologically healthy manner can be found in the Old and
New Testaments. As a parent, I rely on Christ's examples of
acceptance, gentleness, kindness, trust, faith, forgiveness, patience,
understanding, and unconditional love. The Golden Rule not only applies to
adults, but also to children. When I stop and think, "Am I
treating my child the way that I would want to be treated", I find
myself handling parenting much differently than I otherwise might.
When I apply the Golden Rule to school uniforms and ask myself,
"Would I want to be told what to wear day after day and not be given
a choices in my attire?" No, I wouldn't. Then why should I
expect my children to conform to school uniforms if I myself wouldn't want
to be told what to wear? One of the key factors in choosing to move into the Natalia School District was the research I did concerning the school system. At that time there was no Uniform Policy but a very straightforward dress code was in place, I thought this was good. I wanted Benjamin to attend a school the size of which would not relegate him to being just another number on someone’s attendance roster. I also wanted him to learn socialization skills and at the same time be able to express some individuality. I do not wish my son to accept without questioning interventions from the government. In (Colossians 2:20) we are instructed not to subject oneself to regulation. Some of the greatest leaders of our history believed in standing up to government intervention in their lives. If no one took a stand to try to improve the quality of life or to challenge something that is wrong, we would still have segregated schools, women would not be allowed to vote, and young children would be working instead of going to school. I have always taught my son to stand up for your beliefs, even if it seems that everyone else is giving in. This confidence to be able to resist is important for him to be able to say NO to peer pressures of alcohol, drugs, etc. I have taught him to value education, because the more education he has, the more choices he will have in his adult lives. Many minimum wage jobs require uniforms. Professional positions usually allow for more flexibility in attire. A higher education provides more choices in life. I don't wear khaki pants and a polo shirt to work day after day. It is a choice I have made in my life. What a boring town this would become if Natalia were like "Pleasantville" and the only acceptable clothes were khaki pants and the only acceptable shirts were white, and navy polo shirts. Texas Education Code CHAPTER 26 addresses PARENTAL RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES In Sec. 26.001. (a) Parents are partners with educators, administrators, and school district boards of trustees in their children's education. Parents shall be encouraged to actively participate in creating and implementing educational programs for their children. (b) The rights listed in this chapter are not exclusive. This chapter does not limit a parent's rights under other law, (c) A board of trustees, administrator, educator, or other person may not limit parental rights. I believe the passing of school uniform policies shows a lack of respect for the authority of parents. Until this uniform policy was brought up, my son’s attire was never an issue, in the home or at school. I believe that it is the PARENT'S RESPONSIBILITY TO TRAIN THEIR CHILDREN. I accept and do not wish to relinquish my responsibility to raise and educate my child. I believe that a mandatory uniform policy is unnecessary government intervention into how I spend my limited resources. There are many families including mine that rely on good quality hand-me-down clothing and don't spend a large portion of our income on school clothes each year. This mandatory uniform policy places a financial burden on many parents that don't qualify for assistance. I
believe forcing my son to appear as a clone of the person next to him
promotes group thinking and lessens his individuality. I believe my son
must first learn to stand as an individual, to form his own beliefs, to
make his own choices and to understand that he and he alone, is
responsible for his actions. I believe mandatory uniforms promote group
thought and not individual thought. I am raising an individual, not a team
and I am not a proponent of the "anything for the team"
philosophy, nor do I want my son socialized in this manner. I want him to
make his own choices and I want him to be able to explain why he made
those choices. The argument “everybody’s doing it” doesn’t work
with me. I
believe mandatory uniforms infringe upon Benjamin’s right to freedom of
expression guaranteed in the First Amendment. As a parent it is my
obligation to ensure that this does not occur. I want Benjamin to fully
appreciate his constitutional rights. I have taught him that he is free to
express himself and develop his own identity. Identities are not something
that can be turned off and on like a light switch nor should he be
required to do so. And yes I believe children by virtue of their U.S.
citizenship do have rights. I realize many people quote the First &
Fourteenth Amendments of the Constitution when discussing freedom, which
is argued by attorneys and defined and clarified over time by judges
through the legal system. Although the Supreme Court stated that a
student's rights are not relinquished at the school door, there are still
some who believe that children have no rights. However, the only age
limitation you will find in the Constitution deal with the holding of
legislative and executive offices and the age limitations referenced in
the Amendments relate to apportionment of Representatives and then finally
there is the reference “The right of citizens of the United States, who
are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or
abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age.” While
this does not limit those who are under the age of eighteen from voting,
it does ensure that those over the age of eighteen cannot be denied the
right to vote. What children do not have is the power to assert their
rights. The Constitution would be just another piece of paper if we did
not have the power to assert our own rights. The rights of adults are
often violated but we have the ability and power to seek redress, whereas
children do not. Laws and Limits have been set on a child’s ability to
seek redress, and therefore it becomes the responsibility of the parent to
do so. Rather than arguing a legal point, I'd like to point out that the
Declaration of Independence clearly states that all Men are endowed by
their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life,
Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. As Americans, we greatly
value our freedom of choice.
Abraham Lincoln once said, "Those who would deny freedom to
others deserve it not for themselves." Uniforms in public
schools should be a family or individual choice within reasonable
guidelines of decency and safety. Students should be allowed to
dress comfortably and uniquely. Their rights as human beings do not
stop at the school door. I realize that some people look down
on children as inferior, but I am comforted by (1 Timothy 4:12),
"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are Young, but set an
example for the believers in Speech, in Life, in Love in Faith and in
Purity." The
School District has stated that one benefit of uniforms is to improve a
student’s self-esteem. I believe physical appearance is a faulty
foundation for building a child's confidence. I give God all the
credit for every gift my child has, and I try to teach him to do the same,
I feel this gives my son a sense of humble appreciation. I
continually teach my son to value the inside of a person, not the outside.
"The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks
at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart" (1 Samuel
16:7). Jesus said, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all
kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his
possessions" (Luke 12:15). I have always emphasized that no one
is better or worse than anyone else because of what they have or don't
have. This applies to uniforms as well; no one is better than anyone
else because they wear a uniform. Instead of taking the emphasis off
of appearances, this uniform policy places the emphasis on our student's
appearance! I
believe that by teaching my son, that we are defined by who we are on the
inside and what we accomplish, not by what we look like or dress like will
help him develop in a positive manner. I grew up with these values and I
want to pass them on to Benjamin. I will not sacrifice this concept
because of someone’s notion that a modicum of control will be gained. I
believe that mandatory uniforms incorrectly places to much value on how
one is dressed and not how they are acting or what they are accomplishing
at school. Benjamin’s
self esteem is just fine in the clothes he was previously wearing which
meet or exceed any requirements of the pre uniform dress code. I believe
forcing him to wear a uniform could potentially harm his self-esteem and
diminish the value of the lessons I have tried so hard to teach him. The
district has also implied another of the purposes of school uniforms is
"BUILDING PRIDE", yet I have taught my children that pride is an
attitude of superiority, a puffed up mentality that manifest itself in an
arrogant, unrealistic estimation of oneself in relation to others.
Instead I believe we should be humble, not thinking of ourselves as better
than anyone else. I also believe we should not base our self-esteem
on conditional or transitory factors such as how you look, what you've
done, the job you hold, or the attention you receive. Another purpose
of school uniforms is to create a "SENSE OF BELONGING",
yet I believe that a child's sense of belonging should be with the family,
not the school. I
believe we live in a world where we depend on our ability to get along
with people that are different than us and that in this diversity we can
find our own individual identity as well as accept others in their
differences. UNIFORMS
VIOLATE the TRAINING that I have given my son. (Proverbs 22:6) teaches
that I should train my child in the way he should go, and even when he is
old he will not depart from it. It is my belief that it is my right and
responsibility as a parent to teach my son what is appropriate and what is
not. I do not want anyone to teach my son that stripes, plaids, prints and
non-offensive designs are inappropriate attire for school or anywhere. Nor
do I want anyone to punish my son for wanting to wear such attire. It is
my responsibility to teach Benjamin what is appropriate attire. I feel
that plaids are appropriate to wear to school and I do not want my son
taught that they are not. I feel that prints are appropriate to wear to
school and I do not want my son taught that they are not. I feel that
stripes are appropriate to wear to school and I do not want my son taught
that they are not. I feel that non-offensive designs are appropriate to
wear to school and I do not want my son taught that they are not. I could
of course go on and on, but I think my point should have been made by now. I
believe learning to live with ethnic, racial, and a social difference is a
big part of growing up and maturing. I also believe we need to celebrate
these differences and not try to force everyone to conform to one
standard. It is my belief that requiring my son to dress a certain way and
in taking away his choice, you are not guiding him towards the realization
that certain things or actions are inappropriate, but instead you are
fostering the horrendous belief that it is unacceptable to dress, look or
think any other way than as dictated by certain people in society. I
believe mandatory uniforms teach intolerance of individual differences and
foster the concept that it is unacceptable to be different. I am
vehemently opposed to Benjamin being taught this or socialized in this
manner. Another
example of this comes specifically, from the book DESIGNER GENES by Ken
Abraham. (Psalms 139:13-16 and Romans 12:2). "You are a
unique individual. An original with unique gifts, talents, and
personality traits. Why should you want to be like someone
else? You don't have to be! You, as a Christian, are free from
external status symbols of the world. In fact, our Creator despises
our attempts to squeeze all of His diverse, original creations into the
same mold. That's why Paul wrote, `Do not be conformed to this
world, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and
acceptable and perfect.' Dare to be yourself!" I
think the Natalia School District’s diversity is one of its assets in
teaching our children this important life lesson. I believe this lesson in
dealing with diversity would greatly benefit my son after school when he
enters the real world. I do not want his next experience at choosing his
own clothes to come after he graduates from High School. According an
article in Education Week titled "Violence Is Preventable" by
Maurice Elias, professor of psychology at Rutgers University, "To
change a school's culture so all children can learn, we must address the
relationships that exist in that school. Adults and young people who
develop skills to communicate with one another, problem-solve together,
believe in the richness of diversity, and embrace conflict as an
opportunity to grow, can and do contribute to the kind of school culture
we search for in schools today." Uniforms It
is my belief that we must teach our children tolerance of individual
differences. I will not foster any concept that says in is unacceptable to
be different. If we have children who look down on others, I can guarantee
you that it is a behavior they have learned, whether it be from their
parents, society, television, or some other influence in their lives. This
is not an innate behavior that a child is born with. Until we teach them
it is wrong they will continue with that behavior and thus pass it on to
their children. You cannot change this behavior by making everyone look
the same. What about individual differences we cannot change, like race,
sex, physical appearance, etc.? We have had to establish laws to protect
people from this non-acceptance. Thankfully society’s notions are
gradually changing and we as members of the human race are beginning to
understand that it is outrageous to even consider such things. But still
we see discrimination. We have to do everything we can to fight any form
of it. We cannot make everyone fit into someone’s notion of what is
right. By saying you can only dress this way, we are erroneously teaching
our children, by example, that it is okay to exclude something that is
different from what we say, simply because we are adults and we are in
power. We are not teaching our children acceptance, but instead we are
teaching them that as long as they are in a position of power or have the
upper hand, that they can exclude and control anything or anyone. I also believe Uniforms can be the cause of problems between students. Uniforms make it more obvious to other students that someone is violating a dress code because the guidelines are excessively strict and if one student is not reprimanded, but another one is, selective enforcement is significantly more noticeable. This can cause problems between students that otherwise would have gone unnoticed under the previous Natalia Independent School District dress code. I believe that mandatory uniforms can actually be detrimental to the learning environment. I have been informed that teachers are the "police" of this policy and have taken time from classroom time to check the students for "proper attire". Uniforms create a visible difference that is not conducive to the learning environment. There are no studies showing that requiring collar on shirts or khaki over denim promotes either discipline or learning -- a T-shirt and jeans is perfectly appropriate for public school wear. The teacher/student relationship is important in a child's learning process. It is important that the teacher not be seen as the "uniform police" that this mandatory uniform policy requires them to become. I believe uniforms also jeopardize the safety of our children. If a student is assaulted, he will be less likely to identify his assailant if he doesn't know that student's identity, since he won't be able to identify him by his clothing. I also believe uniforms jeopardizes the security of the schools since anyone dressed in khaki and white can slip into the hallways posing as a student. I would like to remind everyone that Schools were not created to mandate conformity, but to educate. The work of John Dewey reflects this in “Democracy and Education”, Dewey addresses the problems of emphasizing conformity with external standards. Dewey states that since conformity is the aim, what is distinctly individual in a young person is brushed aside, or regarded as a source of mischief or anarchy. Conformity is made equivalent to uniformity. Consequently, there are induced lack of interests, aversions to progress, and dread of the uncertain and the unknown. I believe the mandatory school uniform requirement is an improper external standard. Since the spring of 1999, I have been opposed to the methods used to promote uniforms, of misleading the Board of trustees and the parents with partial and biased information. I was disappointed with the District Administrations intentional misrepresentation of statistics in order to promote this policy. I am sure we could also find that many schools with uniforms did worse than other schools that did not have uniforms during the past two years in the area of attendance, dropouts, discipline referrals, and grades.
In closing I believe that school uniforms cross the line and
intrudes on my rights as a parent. The United States Supreme Court made a
ruling on June 6, 2000 in the case of TROXEL
v. GRANVILLE (99-138), 530 U. S. ____ (2000), (Found on-line at
http://supct.law.cornell.edu/supct/pdf/99-138P.ZO), Which said a parent
has a fundamental liberty interest in the care and upbringing of their
child. While some may attempt to dismiss this case as just a custody
hearing I believe the opinions written by U.S. Supreme Court Justices O’Connor,
Souter, and Thomas in, Troxel
set out with great specificity my right as a parent to rear and to
socialize my child. With regard to my constitutionally protected parental
rights, Justice O’Connor writes “[t]he liberty interest at issue in
this case—the interest of parents in the care, custody, and control of
their children— is perhaps the oldest of the fundamental liberty
interests recognized by this Court. Troxel
v. Granville, Opinion of O’Connor, J., page 6. She went on further
to explain that, “in Pierce v.
Society of Sisters, 268 U.S.
510, 534—535 (1925), we again held that the ‘liberty of parents and guardians’ includes the right ‘to direct the upbringing and education of children under their control.’ We explained in Pierce that ‘[t]he child is not the mere creature of the State; those who nurture him and direct his destiny have the right, coupled with the high duty, to recognize and prepare him for additional obligations.’” Id. page 6-7. After referring to numerous other similar cites, Justice O’Connor concludes that “[i]n light of this extensive precedent, it cannot now be doubted that the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment protects the fundamental right of parents to make decisions concerning the care, custody, and control of their children. Id. page 8. I believe my son will think less of my ability to make a decision on his behalf if he is forced to wear a uniform while knowing my beliefs thus forcing him to break the 5th commandment which instructs children to honor their parent’s and their parent's teachings. This is reinforced in (Proverbs 1:8) stating; "My son, hear the instruction of thy father and forsake not the law of thy mother." I respectfully request that the school board now find my reasons sincere and genuine and grant the exemption from the uniform policy to me under the Texas Education Code 11.162 (c) which states: A parent or guardian of a student assigned to attend a school at which students are required to wear school uniforms may choose for the student to be exempted from the requirement or to transfer to a school at which students are not required to wear uniforms and at which space is available if the parent or guardian provides a written statement that, as determined by the board of trustees, states a bona fide religious or philosophical objection to the requirement. I
ask that you will respect my rights as a parent, my parenting Respectfully,
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