CALVERT COUNTY, Md. – The Calvert County Board of Education motioned to prohibit students from wearing their hoods with the amended dress code policy 3170 at their June 13, 2024 meeting.
Students may still wear hoodies but the hood cannot be worn over their heads inside Calvert County Public Schools.
Cecilia Lewis, the director of student services, reviewed survey results the CCPS staff provided on dress code and hoods which influenced the Board of Education’s decision including:
- Approximately 36% of respondents believe wearing a hood extremely impacts student learning
- Approximately 33% of respondents believe hoods have extreme impact on the learning environment of the school
- Approximately 30% of respondents believe hoods have an extreme impact on school safety
- Approximately 56% of respondents believe the current dress code on hoods is not enforceable
- Approximately 81% of respondents believe students should not be allowed to wear hoods in school (1035 out of 1271)
These statistics are due to the common challenges respondents face with hoods:
- Faces are partially or completely covered by hoods, making it difficult to identify students or intruders and monitor their behavior
- They can be distracting (by hiding airpods or younger students tend to play with the strings) leading to disengagement and reduced focus in the classroom
- Students vape discreetly by putting up their hoods
- The inconsistency in addressing dress code violations makes it easier for students to wear their hoods.
However, there may be special cases where students are exempt from the hood dress code to “preserve student dignity,” according to Lewis.
On the other hand, few respondents believe the focus should be more on education and teaching rather than enforcing strict rules, or that dress code doesn’t pose a problem at an elementary level.
Several other changes were approved by the Board of Education for the Calvert County Public Schools Code of Conduct based on the May 9 Board of Education meeting feedback.
These changes include the statement of understanding form, the levels of response chart, alternative program extracurricular restrictions, specific cell phone/smart watch misuse, and vape misconduct.
Cell phone use specifically was discussed and how it disturbs the learning environment at CCPS.
Sometimes phones are used to promote fights and create or organize fights, according to Larry Titus, the school system’s school safety specialist. Discipline is at the discretion of administrators with their investigation and their findings, he said.
Students tend to also use their cell phones to meet in the bathroom to vape or do other disruptive things.
Cell phone use can impact social emotional learning and as a result kids don’t know how to communicate or socialize with each other or even resolve conflicts.
The decision making in banning cell phone use was based on feedback and strong data where 70% of CCPS staff discussed disruptions and concerns related to cell phone misuse and requested they be regulated or banned through the Code of Conduct, according to Lewis.
Board member Dawn Balinski suggested if the phone policy has a bumpy start in the fall, CCPS should utilize Yondr Cell Phone Pouches which lock the phone away to have a phone free space. This could help remove the burden from teachers of struggling to enforce the policy.
Board member Lisa Grenis vouched for this option as she spoke to a superintendent where their school district implemented the pouches and said it changed the entire culture and climate of the building, with students communicating face-to-face rather than through a device.
A full summary of changes to the CCPS Code of Conduct can be found here. Watch the full meeting by clicking here.
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