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Ritchie E. Starnes / The Daily Advance via AP
Jakyra Kearse, a 5th grader at D.F. Walker Elementary School, poses for a photo in Edenton, N.C., Jan. 26, 2011. Kearse was removed from her regular class after her new hairdo allegedly caused a distraction among her classmates.
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I wonder where the adults were in this decision? Children do what they do and I've seen plenty far more extreme than this in the classroom. The students have a short discussion and then back to learning. If we as adults are so out of control that we cannot stem "distractions" from a group of children perhaps teaching isn't the career we needed to choose.
js, is right, everything in school is earth shacking to all the staff, it is their own little world and they play it , us against them, instead of all together. If their are rules in regards to hair, and she broke them, then they were in the right if she broke the written rules, if not then they better get it in writting.
Thanks StevG! I've worked in elementary schools for over 20 years. There were guidelines to follow for the children but coloring their hair, wearing a Mohawk, shaving their heads, wearing beads in the hair was not frowned upon. Where on earth are children going to have examples put before them other than in school? So if this hair design offended the staff I want to see their hair designs. I worked at a school where some female staff members well over 50 years old wore ribbons bows and barrettes in their hair like children. They needed to be sent home.
Hair Razing.
She was removed from class for her hairstyle and what else? Because there is nothing head turning about this hairstlye according to modern hairstyles. This particular style has been out for at least 4 years now...everybody is used to seeing and it dosen't qualify as wild and crazy or anything...what else was she written up for? Was it a daily progress report she had to carry around. How old is the teaher? 155 years old? The teacher should have just shifted the discussion to cosmetology. The class was probably boring. I take the childs side.
Like minds Danese! When teachers cannot handle students it is cause to wonder. I've know children needing special classes due to behaviors and disabilities but for hair-dos? Hmmm.
She got what she wanted. She wanted to be noticed, as was possibly the case with her mom. If you can't stand out academically or with your personality you do something outrageous and oftentimes stupid. The evidence is right here - she's on the internet. Before this who knew her? Practically no one. It is sad though that she had to make this desperate grasp at recognition at the cost of her fellow students (who you can be sure were distracted and loved being so) and the staff and faculty of the school (who are charged with keeping order AND teaching the previously mentioned distracted students) so we can all then judge their handling of the problem. So she could finally be noticed with a foolish hairstyle. My 2 cents - before she had the chance to attract all the attention she should have been stopped at the school door, taken to the office, been complimented and fussed over for her beautiful hair coloring etc, and told that it wasn't appropriate for school though and mom is being called to pick her up and meet with the principal to get clearer guidelines for what is appropriate.
Danese - The teacher should have just shifted the discussion to cosmetology. The class was probably boring.
Hmmm... US students ranked 19th out of 24 major countries in the world. US manufacturing has moved to other countries and advances in technology are developed and imported from Asia. Meanwhile, here in the good old USA, the enamoration is with the rights of 10-year-olds. One look at the picture and reading of the responses here magnificently illustrate the decline of the US and why you keep wondering where the jobs went. But hey... work is boring too.
what can i say, in the us the children has the upper hanc. They are always right and the parent has to takes responsibility.
I live in this town and my son goes to this school. The mom was not out for attention. She gave her daughter the Willow Smith hairdo that is popular with this age group. She checked the school rules and did not break or even bend them. I have the rules in my sons planner. My white son when to school with completely blue and totally spiked up (2-3 inches) hair last year and nothing was said. 4-5 years ago the same principal tried to suspend a hispanic child for a mohawk siting that it was distracting to students. She said that he couldn't come back to school unless he shaved it off. After the parents refused, she backed down. This was not an issue with the teachers at the school, most of them are really great. You always have a few that make really bad decisions, but I am sure this was not the case. My son's teacher was throwing books around the room when angered, but the principal refused to reprimand the teacher at all. This school system needs a better set of checks and balances. The parents have no way to be heard.
By the way, Cyndi Lauper had this hairstyle years ago and it was not a big deal then. If you go to the schools website you can see the principal's hair. Her hair is dyed and usually very poofy. Does she have room to talk? Do we have to room all students who dye their hair or have styles we dislike. What did she do in the 90s? Kid N Play? Really? This is ridiculous. The school is wasting time and effort on this when many children need education help. With so many budget cuts they should be worried about losing their jobs over taking a student out of the learning environment when she did not even break a rule!
I fwhip my hair back and forth! LOL
Okay people, listen up. I'm only going to say this once. Sending you kid to school with this type of hairstyle is crapbag parenting. Face it. Sending your kid to school with a spiked up blue mohawk, dreads that are messy and weird and freakish, you are not doing your kid a favor. Quit it. Quit naming your kids weirdo names, while you're at it. I am sick of it. Just do the right thing and be a good parent. Save your grandstanding and "freedom to do what I want" crap for yourself. Leave your kids alone - let them be kids and quit letting them do whatever they want. Say no. Jeez. It's common sense. What a bunch of stupid people. This is why schools are failing. Crapbag parents. Not the schools. not the teachers. the parents. dumb, dumb, dumb.