🚀 go-pugleaf

In la.general ShirKahn <shirkahn@earthlink.net> wrote:
: As for a dress code in the public schools I for one would like to see
: it. 

Why? To what purpose? 

: I try to consider myself open minded. Hell, I even give *almost*
: every one of Demming's posts reasonable consideration (more than 4
: Bible quotes I skip it) but  I believe that things have gone too far
: in many of our classrooms.  

Define "too far". If you mean that teachers don't teach, then maybe you
should get involved with the school board and try to change that by
eliminating tenure and instituting a policy of peer and parent reviews. If
you mean that parents don't teach their kids self control and expect the
school to be a babysitting service, then maybe you should start demanding
that the schools start enforcing educational standards (holding kids back
that can't progress) and elimination the bad apples from the program
(disipline). But, before that, maybe we should ask why these kids are
uncontrolled in the first place. Maybe we should ask their parents why
they have stopped parenting.

: I don't know if any one cause can be
: pinpointed and blame attached but I do feel that things are going to
: have to start changing and quickly if today's youth (and at this rate,
: tomorrows organ donors) are to have a reasonable expectation of
: success. 

Darwinism still works. Those that are given the tools to survive and
excell will. Those that are marginal and those that don't care will fail.
If you expect the school system to "do everything", well forget it. It is
a parents job to ensure that their kids have all the tools that they need.
Parents would rather give a kid an $80.00 pair of Nike's than 8 hours of
their time (assuming that they make about $13.00/hr that's the
equivilent). Parents think that cartoons are acceptable baby sitters and
that the school system is there to care for their kids so they can work,
or play golf, or whatever. Kids who have parents that have abdicated their
parental responsibility will fail, and it isn't my job, or the schools
job, or societies job to pick up the pieces of failed parenting (unless
the parents are willing to get steralized so they won't further burden
society with thier inability to do more than procreate like rabbits).

: Now before you go off on me about clothes not being an accurate
: measure, look at it from my point of view. For years, I have done
: hiring for the finer restaurants in Tulsa.  A girl with 12 piercings
: in one ear and a barbell in her tongue is not going to get a job from
: me because her appearance would cause my customers to balk. 

What do you tell the kid? Do you say. "I'm sorry, but you have made life
decisions that were optional. The decisions to change your appearance,
while personal, result in making you unfit for employment here." Do you
explain that so that they can LEARN from this experience?

: A young
: man dressed in a manner generally associated with gangs is not going
: to get hired because who are his friends going to be that come to
: "hang" until he gets off work? 

Hmmm, I suggest that you consider listening to a real old song about "long
haired" fellas {Sign, sign everywhere a sign... }. You may have cut off
you nose to spite your face. A French resturant in NY (5 star) in 1974
agreed to hire a long hair as a busboy, three years later he was a
chef-in-training and was a asset to the resturant (Yeah, I was a long
hair, so...). 

If you set the rules straight in the beginning and let everyone know the
rules and the consequences, then there should be no problem. Just remember
to keep a rewards system in place as well. Success should be acknowledged
and rewarded, just as failure should be repremaded and punnished.

: Are they going to scare/intimidate/irritate my high paying customers?
: I don't know and never will simply because I'm not going to take the
: chance. Wouldn't that be a real shame if the applicant was intelligent
: and would have done a good job for me but for the sake of fashion or
: "expressing his individuality" he didn't get the job? Nobody wins.

Actually, if he doesn't give up and continues his search, someone might
say... "Hey, I'd like to hire you but your appearance is not what we are
looking for. It is nothing that you can't change. How about you consider
the job you are applying for and come back dressed like you want it
tomorrow." Imagine what a catch someone with an open mind, and someone who
wants to help and hire bright kids could do with a statement like that. A
winning situation for everyone.

: These are just my opinions debate if you like,  flame if you feel like
: making an ass of  yourself.

I love making an ass of myself. Isn't that why they invented Usenet?

I propose that the next time someone comes in and apply's for a position,
but is not properly attired, that you tae them aside and ask them if they
really want a job. Ask them why they applied for a job dressed the way
they were. Point out that in service based businesses appearance is
important. If they are smart you will find out in a few seconds. If they
cath your drift, then offer them a chance to "try again tommorrow, but
this time, apply like you want the position." You might be the person that
makes the difference in the way that they move into their adult life.

jmi