Jarek Rutz June 1, 2022 Education, Headlines
Among items that students wanted to address in a new head code were head coverings, ripped jeans and subjective views of what is distracting or inappropriate.
Red Clay Consolidated School District seems on track to adopt a new dress code this summer after months of student-led discussions criticizing the current rules as outdated, racist and objectifying, especially because they are largely enforced by male administrators.
“Students feel like the dress code was only used as a way to get kids in trouble,” said Eileena Mathews , an A.I. DuPont High senior who’s been active in the process.
The current dress code is broken down into five principles:
But there’s also quirks in the rules from school to school. At Stanton Middle School, for example, students are not allowed to wear jeans, corduroys, leggings, pajama pants, yoga pants or ripped and shredded pants.
Maya Levine, a Cab Calloway senior who worked with the dress code committee, said the current code is restrictive but also confusing and unclear, and uses language that objectifies students’ bodies.
“One provision was that clothes shouldn’t be too short, tight or revealing,” she said, “and that was something that was of a lot of concern to female students, particularly because it suggests that middle-aged men are expected to look at our bodies and our clothing and decide what’s too revealing for their standards.”
Levine, who served as a student representative on Red Clay’s school board, said she has a great relationship with her school’s administration, but even she’s been pulled out of class several times in regard to what she’s wearing.
“When they take students out of class, their learning is then disrupted because they are no longer in class learning,” said Dr. Adriana Bohm, a Red Clay school board member who has been pushing for a dress code change.
One female student told Bohm that she wore a pair of jeans with holes in them to school.
The student was kicked out of the classroom for wearing “distracting” clothing.
“They found duct tape, and they literally duct taped all of the holes in her jeans as she walked around the rest of the day,” said Bohm. “Now that was clearly more disruptive than anything she was wearing.”
In fall 2020, Adriana Bohm, a Red Clay school board member, went to Superintendent Dorrell Green and asked for a committee to specifically focus on the district’s dress code.
The request was rejected then and again in 2021. In summer 2021, Green organized a Code of Conduct Investigation Committee, and a subgroup was established to examine the dress code. The subcommittee includes board members, administrators, teachers and students.
The dress code working group will present their final draft to the Code of Conduct Committee Monday.
If approved, the new code will be presented to the district’s school board for a vote sometime this summer, most likely in July, said Mark Pruitt, who chairs the Code of Conduct Investigation Committee.
A copy of the final proposal was not yet available, but those working with it said it stripped the current code and revised the language to make it more student-focused and clearer about what constituted a violation.
“We really tried to get away from what students can and cannot wear and be more complete for all students, rather than look at it through the lens of what a traditional male and a traditional female could wear, and not being as punitive in consequences,” Pruitt said.
From the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year to the end of February, there were 108 disciplinary referrals relating to dress code violations in Red Clay.
While Bohm, Matthews and Levine said they felt like students of color were disproportionately punished, Pruitt said the number of cases was too small a sample to make that assertion.
“Going to school at A.I. with a majority of Black and Hispanic population, I really see the racial implications and wanted to focus on that in the dress code committee,” Matthews said, “especially with headdresses, durags and bonnets.”
Headdresses can include a Muslim hijab. Durags and bonnets often cover the hair of Black men and women to protect their hair.
Even though the current code implies that such headwear would be allowed for cultural and religious reasons, that needed to be explicitly spelled out, said Mathews.
“They might see a durag and think they’re wearing it because they don’t want to be identified, but then they don’t know the real reason why people are wearing these durags to serve as a protective style for their hair,” she said.
Mathews said how violations were imposed was one of her concerns.
It’s illogical to have students miss class time for something they are wearing, because someone’s attire should be irrelevant to their learning experience, she said.
Another problematic element of the existing dress code, Levine said, is how the school goes about disciplining their students.
“It wasn’t super clear on how you could break the rules, because there was that kind of subjective language all over the code,” she said.
Additionally, Levine, Mathews and Bohm all cited instances where a teacher or staff member physically touched a student to remove their hood or grab their hat.
“If it wasn’t a hat or a hoodie the adult was touching, they often will touch a student’s pants and say, ‘Oh, you can’t wear this.’ Students don’t want to be touched and adults have no right to do so,” said Bohm.
Levine said students often talk about how hats should be allowed in schools, because “the buildings are freezing during the winter months and students want to wear beanies when it’s cold.”
The committee tried to remove blaming and harassing language that makes people feel like their bodies are problematic, said Bohm.
“The current code prohibits immoral clothing and, again, that is extremely subjective, so we need to take the moral judgment out of the equation,” she said.
Red Clay isn’t the only system dealing with dress code issues. There’s been a lot of discussion about dress code in the Christina School District and others across the state, primarily led by students.
Student-driven changes is something Mathews has noticed since the beginning of the pandemic, as are districts being more willing to listen to them after shutting schools down for a year.
“Over the pandemic, a lot of students found their own personal style,” Bohm said, “and they looked at clothing as a way to express themselves and find joy during tough times.”
The recent change to incorporate studen t representatives in school boards is an important step, Levine said, but more is needed.
Students want and should have their voice heard, she said.
“Our next step is having broader student involvement, whether it be through surveys or in policy-making positions for things like this, which affects every student,” she said, “as opposed to just sending me to represent the thousand or so students in my school.”
Raised in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Jarek earned a B.A. in journalism and a B.A. in political science from Temple University in 2021. After running CNN’s Michael Smerconish’s YouTube channel, Jarek became a reporter for the Bucks County Herald before joining Delaware LIVE News.
The Delaware Division of Public Health on Friday said that vaccine provided can begin giving booster shots for all three brands of vaccines, and that the brands can be mixed. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration this week said OK to booster shots for Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine received the authorization last month. Following the FDA recommendations, Public Health also aid that any of the three authorized vaccines can be given to those eligible for boosters in a mix and match approach, meaning that a person doesn’t have to have the same brand for a booster that they did for the first go-round. Those eligible for booster shots six months or more after their initial series include: People 65 years and older. People aged 18 and older who live in long-term care settings People 18 and older who have underlying medical conditions, which include but are not limited to: cancer, chronic heart, lung and kidney diseases, dementia, diabetes, down syndrome, HIV, overweight and obesity, pregnancy, organ transplants, and stroke. People 18 and older who work or live in high-risk settings, including health care workers, teachers and daycare staff, grocery workers and those in homeless shelters or prisons, among others. For individuals who received the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, booster shots are also recommended for those who are 18 and older and who were vaccinated two or more months ago. For convenience, eligible individuals may choose which vaccine they receive as a booster dose. According to CDC, while data show vaccines remain effective in preventing hospitalization and severe disease, a booster shot will help provide continued protection against severe disease in these populations who are especially at risk for severe COVID-19, the press release said, Public Health is encouraging individuals in these most at-risk categories to seek booster vaccines first. “Today’s announcement is great news in the fight against COVID-19. Not surprisingly, we have seen signs that the vaccine wanes over time and getting a booster is key to increasing protection against severe disease and death,” said Dr. Karyl Rattay, director of Pubic Health. “Now is not the time to take our foot off the pedal. Those who are eligible should get their booster, and those who are not yet vaccinated should make this their number one priority.” In addition, Delawareans who have certain immunocompromising conditions, including those who have received organ or stem cell transplants, are undergoing treatment for HIV or cancer, or who are taking medication that suppresses the immune system, are currently eligible to receive an additional dose of either Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, if they completed their second dose at least 28 days prior. Public Health encourages providers to use their clinical judgment and to consider additional factors for their patients when determining if the person meets the qualifications for immunocompromised status and is eligible for an additional/third dose of Pfizer or Moderna. That may include assessing patients who reside in a long-term care facility or patients of advanced age (especially those over age 85). Members of the public who are eligible for a booster shot are recommended to seek vaccine at existing vaccine sites, including pharmacies, health care providers, Federally Qualified Health Centers (for patients), and standing DPH Vaccine sites: Blue Hen Corporate Center: 655 S. Bay Road, Dover, DE 19901 Georgetown Plaza: 19 Georgetown Plaza, Georgetown, DE 19947 Canby Park: 1920 Maryland Ave., Wilmington, DE 19805 University Plaza, 256 Chapman Road, Suite 100, Newark, DE 19702 For a complete list of locations where vaccines are available, visit de.gov/getmyvaccine.
The classes are paid for by Delaware’s rapid workforce training plan with CARES Act money.
Caravel girls basketball team coming out of a huddle photo by Nick Halliday The Caravel Buccaneers girls’ basketball team came into Monday night’s quarterfinals as the #1 seed in the DIAA Girls’ Basketball Tournament. Led by reigning Delaware Player of the Year, India Johnston, the Buccaneers were heavily favored heading into their matchup with the ninth-seeded Woodbridge. They had met earlier in the year, and Caravel won by 24 points on their home floor behind 21 points by Johnston. However, this game would prove to be much different. The Blue Raiders played with energy from the jump & made life very difficult on the Buccaneer offense. The first half saw Caravel have a ton of opportunities at the rim but unable to finish. The Buccaneers would lead 21-16 at the break. The second half would continue to be played tightly, although Caravel would build a 12 point lead, Woodbridge would close the third quarter on a run to cut the lead down to six-points heading in the fourth quarter, 33-27. The fourth quarter was the microcosm of the game. Caravel would slightly extend their lead to 8 points before Woodbridge would go on yet another run, led by Payton Keeler, who would hit from 3 and get to the rim, on her way to 21 points. With about 4 and a half minutes left in this game, it was only a two-point lead for Caravel at 37-35. This is where Caravel’s poise & experience took over. They would close on a 13-5 run, with buckets by Johnston & Giniah Gale, and some free throws down the stretch as well. The final 4 minutes saw Woodbridge get a little too sped up & sloppy play would doom them down the stretch, but not after giving the top seed a heck of a game. Coach Isaiah Robinson & the whole Woodbridge community should be proud of the performance this group put out there, despite the 50-40 loss. Caravel was on the ropes in this one after dominating the first matchup early in the season. Caravel moves on to the Semifinal round at the Bob Carpenter Center to take on another feel-good story this season, 5th seeded Tatnall. This game will be Thursday, March 10th, time to be determined.
The average daily number of new cases of COVID-19 in Delaware dropped by 50 in the last week, continuing a general decline in related numbers, according to the Delaware Division of Public Health. The number of those fully vaccinated, now at 528,767, continues to creep up. As of Thursday, Delaware has had 141,717 cases of the virus. The seven-day average of new positive cases is 333.4, down from 389.4 last week. The 7-day average for the percentage of total positive tests sits at 7%, down from 8% last week. Those hospitalized total 173, down 34 from last week. Of those, 24 are critically ill, a drop of six from last week. The state has has 2,045 COVID-19 deaths, with 19 deaths in the last week. The state said 79.2% of Delawareans 12+ have received at least one dose of vaccine and 81% of Delawareans 18+ have gotten one dose. The illness continues to prey on the unvaccinated, as this chart shows: The state also said that there have been 5,138 breakthrough cases in those vaccinated, affecting 1% of those vaccinated. Of those, 97 have required hospitalizations and 73 have died. Again this week, when the state randomly chose positive cases to genetically test for which mutant, all of the cases that could be typed were the Delta strain.
The six-mile trail from Rehoboth to Lewes is the pathway’s most popular part. Photo courtesy Southern Delaware Tourism Delaware has been in the top 10 of “bike friendly state” lists for the last decade, and on Friday, one more link in the network of bike paths will officially open. The $513,000 Junction and Breakwater Pathway Rehoboth Beach Extension will connect a 10-foot-wide asphalt trail from Canal Street to Rehoboth Avenue, among other enhancements, linking Rehoboth and Lewes. Along with the newly opened Grove Park Dock near the Rehoboth Beach Museum that allows residents to easily commute by water between Rehoboth and Lewes, the bike path that tracks along an old railroad line gives those in the beach area alternatives to automobiles. The Junction and Breakwater Trail also ties the resort’s glory days of locomotive travel to a 21st century method of staying in shape and enjoying the beauty of the local area. It’s also a popular method of staying off area roads and out of what’s often bumper-to-bumper traffic during the summer months. Running along the western edges of Cape Henlopen State Park, the Junction & Breakwater Trail winds through hardwood and pine forests, coastal marshes and open fields. “The trail is really beautiful and is a great way for me to get my daily exercise,” says Charlie Cole, a frequent rider of that path. He uses the route about three times a week year-round. “I really take the trail for the beauty of it, not only the forests and nature but also the people along the way who have spruced up the trail and made it inviting for everyone,” he said. The trail includes an old railroad bridge that dates back more than 100 years and crosses Holland Glade. and offers beautiful views of the area marshes located in Cape Henlopen State Park, Delaware’s most visited state park. The Junction and Breakwater Trail runs through Cape Henlopen State Park. Photo courtesy Southern Delaware Tourism Bike trails have become a premier attraction in Southern Delaware, according to Scott Thomas, director of the Southern Delaware Tourism office. Shops in the area rent bikes for those who don’t bring them along to the beach. “This trail is a must activity whenever I’m entertaining family and friends who are visiting,” he said. “You can bike it at your own pace and stop at some great places to eat, drink and relax. This is one of the best ways to take in the beauty and vibe of coastal Delaware.” The most popular section of the trail runs about six miles, but it does connect to other trails for health enthusiasts and nature lovers who want to continue on to other areas of southern Delaware. Beginning at Gills Neck Road in Lewes, the Junction & Breakwater connects to the Georgetown-Lewes Trail if you’d like to head a bit further west, as well as to the Gordon’s Pond Trail for riders who’d like to try a different path along the coast. “Taking the trail is a real pleasure and I like to take my time so I can see as much as I can,” admits Cole. “I go at a good speed and get my exercise, but I also enjoy looking around and enjoying myself as much as possible. “I really get the best of both worlds when I’m out on the trail.” In addition to Gills Neck Road, popular access points include Wolfe Neck Road near McDonald’s and behind the Tanger Outlets Seaside Center near The Glade Road, according to the website for the Lewes Chamber of Commerce. The Junction & Breakwater Trail officially opened in December of 2003 and was a length of just three-and-a-half miles until it was expanded four years later to a total of six miles. Now the associated trails add up to about 14 miles. Friday’s 10 a.m. ceremony in Rehoboth Beach at Canal Crossing and Church Street will feature Sen. Tom Carper, Deldot Secretary Nicole Majeski and others.
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