Trustees talk dress code, approve teacher contracts





Port Aransas ISD trustees discussed proposed revisions to the Port Aransas High School and Brundrett Middle School dress codes and approved teacher contracts for the 2016-17 school year.

Dress code

A staff-written draft of the dress code presented to the trustees raised questions about how consistent it would be enforced and what terms used in the draft meant.

Trustees discussed wording in the drafted dress code that read: “Dress and grooming should promote a productive, businesslike atmosphere that is conductive (sic) to learning.”

“I don’t like that word ‘businesslike’,” trustee president Lisa Shelton said. “To me, that means that our kids need to come to school in pantyhose and skirts and suits and ties.”

Shelton said another issue with the current dress code that needs attention is the consistency with which it is enforced.

“One day it’s OK, the next day it’s not. This teacher thinks it’s fine; this teacher doesn’t,” she said. “If we’re going to have the same dress code for the middle school and high school, then I just think that you consistently…enforce it in the same way.”

Trustee vice president Rick Adams questioned if consistency about enforcing dress code should go past the school day, into extracurricular activities like homecoming and prom.

“The last thing I want are our educators walking around with a ruler (to measure clothing lengths),” Adams said. “They have better things to do than that.”

Trustee Alfredo Gonzalez said the dress code also should be enforced for PAISD staff and faculty.

Trustee Deena Erdner suggested that the drafted dress code restricts more what girls at BMS and PAHS can wear.

“The girls in the middle school are primarily the ones getting dress coded,” Erdner said. “How do leggings compromise safety? I want to know the rationale behind that.”

Adams said leggings were most likely disruptive and provocative.

“Disruptive in what way?” Erdner said. “That’s your issue, not (a girls) issue.”

“Just from a male’s perspective… as you’re growing, I think you’re trying to figure out how you feel about young ladies and women and I think certain things are more disruptive than others,” Adams said. “What those things are may be more subjective, but I’ll bet that more will agree that some things certainly are (disruptive).”

PAISD Superintendent Wayne Johnson said overall, students work better with guidelines.

“When they know what the parameters are, it helps them be more successful,” he said.

Trustee secretary Marnie Pate said terms in the draft like “appropriately” need to be clarified more to distinguish what is and is not appropriate.

Trustee Michele Lorette said she doesn’t think the draft is discriminating, but draws a fine line between what is and what isn’t distracting.

“Why is it distracting?” Erdner said.

“I don’t understand why you don’t think it is distracting,” trustee Kelly Owens said. “It’s very distracting.”

“Well, so stop looking at it,” Erdner said.

Johnson said the drafted dress code will be revised again, with the discussion in mind to present to trustees at another meeting.

Teaching contracts

Teaching contracts were discussed in closed session and approved for 53 teachers and coaches at H.G. Olsen Elementary School, BMS and PAHS.

Contracts were approved for:

Clare Adams, Danna Alcorn, Paul Balcolm, Laurie Barello, Peter Barello, Gretchen Baughman, Cynthia Blackstone, Rhonda Burger, Carly Carlough, Pamela Cartwright (counselor), Jena Cates (speech therapist), Jim Cole (part-time), Judy Cole (part-time), Heather Collins, Marilyn Cook, Stephanie Cowen, Terence Davidson (part-time), Gay DeMontel, Suzanne Dietzel, Victor Dimond (part-time), Thomas Driver, Dalton Flowers, Merry Fore-Canion, William Grosse, Terry Hale, Tamara Hardegree, Veronica Harlin, Nona Hendricks, Sharon Holloway, Deborah Hood, Jason Johnson, Ginger Jones, Kristopher Jones, Gregorio Juarez, Lori Keitt, Christine Kreutziger, Valerie Martinez, Jackie McDaniel, Cindy Moats, Janice Moore, Michelle Parker, Rebecca Peterson, Emilianna Phillps, Penny Pillack (part-time), Ryan Piwetz, Daniel Reyes (parttime), Jonathan Sheffield, Katy Spofford, Amanda Tipps, Maria Truan, Pamela Voyles (librarian), Danny Welch (counselor) and Meghan Zigmond.



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