The administration has officially committed to revising the student dress code policy to remove gendered language and discriminatory enforcement practices. I am grateful to each of you for supporting this effort to cultivate a more respectful and equitable environment for all students. We will continue to monitor the implementation of …
June 14, 2019
Final supporters
I have created this Petition on behalf of all of the young men and women of Kirkland Middle School, Past-Present-and-FUTURE, as well as for their parents.
KiMS needs to develop policies that do not shame our daughters or underestimate our sons by assuming that they cannot be expected to behave appropriately around girls who show any skin. The shaming of the female form - and the blaming of girls, while excusing boys for being boys - are the real disruption to the educational environment. There is also the feeling our daughters get when it's NOT the boys at school that are "uneasy" about their clothing, but the adults and administrators who feel "uncomfortable" seeing them.
When we communicate, as one example, that "girls" have to make sure to wear shorts that comply with 'the fingertip rule' lest they distract "boys" in the learning environment, we are sending a very powerful message. Whether the words "girls/boys" are stated or left unstated, what we are saying to boys is that girls are a distraction to you, that you cannot and are not to be expected to control yourself. T
We are supposed to be creating an environment where we are teaching boys and girls how to move through this world, have accountability, and being respectful humans.
Daily girls are pulled out of classes or otherwise humiliated for showing their bodies. They are also blamed for their male peers’ inappropriate behavior when it could possibly be brought on by their bodies. By taking this stance, administrators insinuate that boys’ education is more important than girls’, and it is more important for a male student to not be distracted than for his female counterpart to miss an entire class or be subjected to humiliation.
The disciplinary measures employed by KiMS imposes unequal burdens on our daughters. Girls are removed from class and miss important learning opportunities. The stress caused from an instance of sex discrimination at school might be profound enough to diminish academic success, at least for our girls.
Aside from the potential academic challenges this poses for girls, schools are also perpetuating damaging norms of rape culture when they make no attempt to discipline boys’ inappropriate leering and harassment of female students, opting to blame the girl's attire. This instills the message that it is the victim’s fault when she is harassed, and it is her responsibility to prevent the harmful behavior of others.
We are talking about Legs, Thighs, Collar Bones, Shoulders, Shoulder Blades, Necklines, Belly Buttons, Lower Backs, Ankles, Bra Straps... REALLY. Which of these body parts is dress coded on our young men???
Updates
May 14, 2019
The momentum behind this initiative indicates that our community is ready to move toward a more equitable standard for all students. I am encouraged to see so many families prioritizing dignity and mutual respect in our school policies.
Reached 100 supporters
May 14, 2019
48 Comments
Signing as a mother of an incoming 6th grade girl. I do not want my daughter in a learning institution where she is shamed or made to feel uncomfortable in her own skin, nor should she have to bear the burden of responsibility for her classmates or school faculty being uncomfortable by her simply existing as an adolescent female.
My son starts KiMS in the fall. This dress code undermines all of the hard work his dad and I have done to ensure respect for women and girls. Change it.
The dress code is so unfair and sexist! Who has shorts that go to your finger tips? No one! They don’t even sell them! Also girls can’t help showing their bra straps. I am signing this because this dress code needs to change! I get it if your butt or boobs are showing but that isn’t what is happening so it is just unfair and sexist.
I’m always gett dress coded for the littlest things, a lady that works in the office came up to me and moved my hair just to see the straps of my dress and said the dress was very inappropriate when it’s not, I get dress coded a lot for things that are just stupid rules and the teachers/staff will embarrass you about it, I think the dress code needs to Change!
Subjecting girls to humiliation to “inspect” their outfits in front of classmates whilst disturbing the learning environment is unacceptable. Girls have been humiliated and left in tears at the treatment by some KiMS staff for no reason. Threats of removing girls from leadership positions have also been made if the girls don’t fully comply. I am beyond happy to support this petition.
Young people are uncertain about their bodies, so why make it even bigger issue. There are certainly better ways to teach you to appreciate your own body and to respect the privacy of another person than a tight dress code that focuses only on the length of the shorts or bra straps. We are living in 21th century.
I have three girls. I know very well the challenges teenage girls go through, especially in middle school. I think more time should be spent on teaching these impressionable girls how to be patient, kind and respectful to fellow students, rather than humiliate girls in class about their attire. Let them feel good about themselves. They are trying so hard. Let them show confidence about their style and who they are. Again, they are trying so hard. And I recommend those making these dress code rules go shopping for a teen girl right now. See what is in the stores. If you are that concerned, enlist uniforms. They are actually a great way to even the playing field.
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The administration has officially committed to revising the student dress code policy to remove gendered language and discriminatory enforcement practices. I am grateful to each of you for supporting this effort to cultivate a more respectful and equitable environment for all students. We will continue to monitor the implementation of …
June 14, 2019
Final supporters
I have created this Petition on behalf of all of the young men and women of Kirkland Middle School, Past-Present-and-FUTURE, as well as for their parents.
KiMS needs to develop policies that do not shame our daughters or underestimate our sons by assuming that they cannot be expected to behave appropriately around girls who show any skin. The shaming of the female form - and the blaming of girls, while excusing boys for being boys - are the real disruption to the educational environment. There is also the feeling our daughters get when it's NOT the boys at school that are "uneasy" about their clothing, but the adults and administrators who feel "uncomfortable" seeing them.
When we communicate, as one example, that "girls" have to make sure to wear shorts that comply with 'the fingertip rule' lest they distract "boys" in the learning environment, we are sending a very powerful message. Whether the words "girls/boys" are stated or left unstated, what we are saying to boys is that girls are a distraction to you, that you cannot and are not to be expected to control yourself. T
We are supposed to be creating an environment where we are teaching boys and girls how to move through this world, have accountability, and being respectful humans.
Daily girls are pulled out of classes or otherwise humiliated for showing their bodies. They are also blamed for their male peers’ inappropriate behavior when it could possibly be brought on by their bodies. By taking this stance, administrators insinuate that boys’ education is more important than girls’, and it is more important for a male student to not be distracted than for his female counterpart to miss an entire class or be subjected to humiliation.
The disciplinary measures employed by KiMS imposes unequal burdens on our daughters. Girls are removed from class and miss important learning opportunities. The stress caused from an instance of sex discrimination at school might be profound enough to diminish academic success, at least for our girls.
Aside from the potential academic challenges this poses for girls, schools are also perpetuating damaging norms of rape culture when they make no attempt to discipline boys’ inappropriate leering and harassment of female students, opting to blame the girl's attire. This instills the message that it is the victim’s fault when she is harassed, and it is her responsibility to prevent the harmful behavior of others.
We are talking about Legs, Thighs, Collar Bones, Shoulders, Shoulder Blades, Necklines, Belly Buttons, Lower Backs, Ankles, Bra Straps... REALLY. Which of these body parts is dress coded on our young men???
Updates
May 14, 2019
The momentum behind this initiative indicates that our community is ready to move toward a more equitable standard for all students. I am encouraged to see so many families prioritizing dignity and mutual respect in our school policies.
Reached 100 supporters
May 14, 2019
48 Comments
the dress code is completely unfair and sexist and needs to change. I’m more distracted in school of worrying if I’ll get dress coded on a hot day then what people are wearing. it makes students embarrassed and makes them want to hide their body which is not a message a school should send to students!
Signing as a mother of an incoming 6th grade girl. I do not want my daughter in a learning institution where she is shamed or made to feel uncomfortable in her own skin, nor should she have to bear the burden of responsibility for her classmates or school faculty being uncomfortable by her simply existing as an adolescent female.
My son starts KiMS in the fall. This dress code undermines all of the hard work his dad and I have done to ensure respect for women and girls. Change it.
The dress code is so unfair and sexist! Who has shorts that go to your finger tips? No one! They don’t even sell them! Also girls can’t help showing their bra straps. I am signing this because this dress code needs to change! I get it if your butt or boobs are showing but that isn’t what is happening so it is just unfair and sexist.
I’m always gett dress coded for the littlest things, a lady that works in the office came up to me and moved my hair just to see the straps of my dress and said the dress was very inappropriate when it’s not, I get dress coded a lot for things that are just stupid rules and the teachers/staff will embarrass you about it, I think the dress code needs to Change!
Subjecting girls to humiliation to “inspect” their outfits in front of classmates whilst disturbing the learning environment is unacceptable. Girls have been humiliated and left in tears at the treatment by some KiMS staff for no reason. Threats of removing girls from leadership positions have also been made if the girls don’t fully comply. I am beyond happy to support this petition.
Young people are uncertain about their bodies, so why make it even bigger issue. There are certainly better ways to teach you to appreciate your own body and to respect the privacy of another person than a tight dress code that focuses only on the length of the shorts or bra straps. We are living in 21th century.
I have three girls. I know very well the challenges teenage girls go through, especially in middle school. I think more time should be spent on teaching these impressionable girls how to be patient, kind and respectful to fellow students, rather than humiliate girls in class about their attire. Let them feel good about themselves. They are trying so hard. Let them show confidence about their style and who they are. Again, they are trying so hard. And I recommend those making these dress code rules go shopping for a teen girl right now. See what is in the stores. If you are that concerned, enlist uniforms. They are actually a great way to even the playing field.
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the dress code is completely unfair and sexist and needs to change. I’m more distracted in school of worrying if I’ll get dress coded on a hot day then what people are wearing. it makes students embarrassed and makes them want to hide their body which is not a message a school should send to students!