Macomb School District 185 will make some changes to its dress code for next school year.
The district will not allow students to wear hats in the classroom, and the hood on hoodies must be down. It’s part of a new policy that will prohibit the use of cell phones and earbuds in classrooms.
“If a student is wearing a stocking cap, you can’t really see if they have earbuds in. Or if they have their hoodie up, you can’t really see anything,” said Superintendent Patrick Twomey.
“There’s nothing wrong with wearing hoodies to school, nothing wrong with wearing hats to school. But when you walk in that classroom, they have to come off.”
Students are allowed to have their phones with them, but they must be shut off and put away throughout the school day.
Twomey said students stand a better chance of succeeding by focusing on what’s being taught.
“We’re trying to create an environment where school is about school, teaching, and learning, not about videos and other things on the cell phones,” he said.
“We’re trying to get a little uptick of respect in the classroom between students and teachers, and hopefully that will help.”
He said many school systems across the country are adopting similar cell phone policies.
Tri States Public Radio produced this story. TSPR relies on financial support from readers and listeners in order to provide coverage of the issues that matter to west central Illinois, southeast Iowa, and northeast Missouri. As someone who values the content created by TSPR's news department please consider making a financial contribution.
