It is the goal of all of the policies and procedures contained in the Student Handbook to create the best possible learning environment for all students at John Glenn High School. We understand the importance of reducing as many distractions from the school environment as possible.
As is the case with society in general, if everyone always did what is best, no rules (laws) would be necessary. Regrettably, everyone cannot agree to what is best, are unable or unwilling to do what is best or just do not consider how their actions impact others.
At the conclusion of each school year, the JGHS staff meets to reflect and discuss issues that arose during the school year. In each of the last three years, a majority of teachers have consistently identified problems involving the dress code, cell phones and public displays of affection. As a result of these discussions we have attempted to remedy the situation either through revising the policy, consequences or consistency of enforcement.
Unfortunately those efforts have not been as successful as we would have liked. Logically, we realized doing the same thing and expecting different results is unacceptable. During the course of the staff discussion, several options were considered and the changes reflected in the Handbook were presented to the staff for review. They were then submitted to the Superintendent and reviewed and approved by the East Muskingum Board of Education.
As you have indicated in your article, there are many academic and non-academic concerns related to student cell phone use during school. In the 2008-09 school year there were more than 100 reported violations of the cell phone policy. Clearly this required that we review and revise the policy. The changes made are not as aggressive as some surrounding districts, but are more proactive than some. We believe the actions taken are reasonable and will help reduce student cell phone use in school.
With regard to the dress code, originally, students were allowed to wear shorts during the first and last few weeks of school due to the temperatures in those months and the fact the buildings were not air-conditioned. Even though the high school now has a climate-controlled environment, in fact most of the complaints are that it is too cold, students have been permitted to continue wearing shorts.
An increasing number of students choose to wear shorts that are not appropriate for school causing school staff to spend time dealing with this issue rather than what we are here to do, provide the best educational opportunity we can for students. The prohibition on shorts between November 1 - April 1 will eliminate these distractions, at least for those months. It also reestablishes the important difference between a right and a privilege. Students have a tremendous amount of freedom to choose their clothing and still remain within the dress code guidelines.
Another source of concern to the staff was the number of students engaging in public displays of affection during school. The most difficult task dealing with this concern was selecting the correct language to include in the Handbook. Intimate hugging is defined as an extended hug between students that have a romantic interest in each other. This is difficult to define but people know it when they see it. It is not appropriate for students to engage in this kind of contact during school.
Finally, the addition of the restrictions on early dismissals is the result of our commitment to instilling the importance of being at school. We have always had guidelines dealing with absences and tardiness, so it is only natural that we are concerned about students excessively leaving school before the end of the day. Students that leave school for appointments will not experience any changes as long as they bring a doctor's note to school. As far as study halls are concerned, we believe these can be useful times for students to complete work, study or receive additional assistance.
In conclusion, we as a staff, appreciate your willingness to stand up for what you believe. We want to encourage students to be independent thinkers and speak out in appropriate ways when necessary. Unfortunately, our society seems to have lost the ability to respectfully disagree, raise their concerns to those making decisions and listen to and accept other points of view even when we disagree.
Hopefully, I have presented the reasons for our actions in a way that at least helps you to understand why we believe these changes were necessary. At least we agree on this being a pleasant place to learn and work.
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