TMS Uniform Petition

The reason for the change is to allow girls at TMS to wear pants, That hardly qualifies as an LGBT takeover of the school. Someone explain to me why forcing young women to wear a skirt when it's windy or cold is a good idea.

Just Don't

Let the parents vote on this matter as our children are the students at your institution.

I hope past and current students and their parents will speak up, so this great school will not become part of the decline we see every day.

let the boys be boys and the girls be girls! -Freddie Glusman

I believe this petition reflects a larger issue of parents-school communications. Though it began as a uniform policy issue, it now mirrors the concern that families don't have a true forum for their voice to be heard. We can't make every minute decision together, but the transparency and thoroughness of the process for making this decision and other impactful ones like it should be improved. I agree with the spirit of the Board's decision, but we need to move forward together.

Most private schools have a uniform policy that parents accept if they choose to have their children attend. My 6 children attended a school under Dr. Cobbley's high standards and are all professionals and college graduates. Dr. Cobbley's philosophy that having high standards elevates all children's abilities.

At a parent forum earlier in the year, it was suggested that faculty be thoroughly trained to counsel children dealing with grief. Mr. Gregersen's response was that the job of The Meadows School is to educate. Teachers offering counsel on topics as important as grief would open the faculty and school up to a variety of legal issues. Instead, The Meadows School will support the student and family in every way as they seek private counsel to deal with such issues. Isn't the same case to be made for gender issues? Families come to The Meadows School because it maintains tradition at a time when other schools bend to the issues of the day. A change in uniform is one thing. 'Gender issues' as a matter of policy is another altogether, and a dangerous one for the school.

There are many other issues I would love to see change in the Meadows School, starting at the Lower School. We need to see changes in they way we treat and respect the kids and show them our appreciation of their individuality by accepting them for who they are. A change in the uniform without a change in the way the teachers care and accept each and every child is what needs to be changed. Uniform is just the shell.

I do not agree with this decision. A long with the many reasons we are leaving The Meadows ..when you start breaking pieces of tradition away from a school that has alway been held in high regard and making decisions that are not in the best interest of the students you change the very mission of the school. Gender identification is vital to our society and it's communities and just because it's the " issue du jour" doesn't mean it belongs in an educational setting .

Although I believe that there should be an amendment to the dress code so that girls are allowed to wear pants, I don't think this is the proper way of accomplishing that goal. The proper research, and parent involvement is critical before making decisions that will impact the school as a whole and can possibly lead to unintended consequences. I implore the Board to repeal the dress code changes until all sides can be heard, and the parents, students, and Board can stand behind a fair, intelligent and forward thinking policy.

I agree with those who object to the process by which this decision was made. There clearly needs to be a full and open discussion of the issue and its implications.

11 years ago Featured

Trustee 1984-2002 I believe we need to have a community discussion before a final decision is rendered. This decision was in haste and did not seem to allow for the school community to discuss and offer all sides to the question.

I truly feel that more needs to be heard on this issue.

The current dress code should stay as is until there can be further discussion.

I do not support the proposed change as it sits. It is disappointing that a decision was made with no input from the parents who have always supported the Meadows School programs and financial requests. Speaking for myself, this is a financial investment towards our child's future. The education and structure has been the back bone of this school for us. The change in this policy is changing the structure of what the school has always emphasized. There should be input by the parents on a change that impacts any child's environment. Carol Jimmerson

The current dress code should be retained. This is the Meadows School, not the Meadows PAC. Our children are here to learn, not to serve as pawns of the chosen few who view political correctness paramount to education. Having been a student at George E. Harris under Dr. Cobbley's tutelage, I am confident that she would find these changes distasteful if she were Headmistress today. We need to return to the School's fundamentals and make education rather than appearances the top priority. The enactment of a new dress code is yet another breach of that objective.

While I first and foremost support gender equality and creating an educational environment where all students and faculty perform on their highest level, I still would like the opportunity to learn more about this decision. The original letter did not clearly outline all of these changes and I felt a little misled with the information supplied. I understand that by signing this petition I am not against adopting a new dress code, but rather in favor of allowing the parents, students, and faculty to take the time they need to transition into a more compassionate, tolerant and accepting policy. It seems to me that this goes beyond just a change in dress code.

It is my personal belief that we should keep the uniform code as it was prior to the boards recent action.

This decision was arrived at far too hastily by the Board of Trustees. I think parents need to be involved in this decision process with apporpriate facts, research and open discussion. I am not against uniform policy being simply amended for girls to wear uniform school khaki trousers if they choose. I think the language "Gender Neutrality" in the uniform code is actually going to do more harm to the young adults dealing with these issues for real, especially when boys show up wearing a skirt for a laugh. Can we fathom the psychological harm this would create to a young adult that sees his/her issues being made a mockery of? It also opens up the broader list of questions that a we as a small school are not equipped to deal with- for e.g. "gender Neutral" bathrooms/locker rooms, boys growing their hair long, wearing make up etc etc. There are already issues at school with alienation of some students that do not fit the "normal or typical teenage stereotype". I have not seen any action to correct this- in fact, I think there is general obliviousness to these issues, at all levels of the school, that will only get worse for the students dealing with gender issues. There are so many other issues at hand that we as a school we need to improve/work on, that this "watershed" moment, opening a can of worms, with consequences to come that we CAN NOT handle as a small school community. We can not put ourselves on the platform of all "Fine institutions around the country" unless we have the ability and resources to handle all that comes with these institutions- for e.g., physical and learning disabilities to name a few.... We should not cherry pick which of these issues as a school we will address and which will not be addressed. Where do we draw the line.......