n recent years, public school dress codes have become a subject of controversy nationwide. A long and diverse list of groups, including feminists, First Amendment backers, and child psychologists, have called into question their existence. Most recent to join the anti-dress code stronghold are a group of Reading parents, organized under the Facebook group "Reading Dress Codes". Their purpose, as explicitly stated in the description, is "(To Push) for reasonable dress codes in Reading's public schools". The incident that sparked this call to arms occurred on May 11th at Parker Middle School on, one of the first 70 degree days of the year. A large group of girls, mostly eighth graders, were sent home after administration deemed their shorts "inappropriate". Mary Rienzo, creator of the Facebook group, said that she received a call at 7:30 AM asking her to bring her daughter Megan home. Megan was told that she had to change clothes because her shorts were not mid thigh-length, and was removed from class. Her dismissal was particularly disruptive as statewide MCAS testing for the eighth grade was to be administered that morning. The prior afternoon, an announcement had been broadcast over the school loudspeaker system warning against short shorts and tank tops, under the implication that such clothes were distracting to a learning environment. As always, Reading parents were quick to respond to what they saw as an unnecessary requirement at Parker. The dress codes at Coolidge Middle school, they argued, are not nearly as strict as the one that Parker administration attempted to enforce this month. Appeals were also made to the superintendent regarding the way in which the situation was handled. Ultimately, the parents' protests were successful. For the remainder of the school year, clothing choices at Parker Middle School will remain under the discretion of parents and students, as they are at Coolidge and RMHS. Although frequent involvement in educational affairs by parents can often be meddlesome, Parker parents were definitely in the right for this decision. As a past female student of Parker, I can say that I did not have a good experience with dress codes, or their enforcement at the school. My only run-in with the code occurred in sixth grade; by no means of exaggeration, it was a very demoralizing experience that still makes me uncomfortable to look back on. It was a typical hot spring day, and I was very surprised when my English teacher pulled me aside in the hallway on my way to gym class. She grimaced as she whispered, "Honey, I don't think those shorts are appropriate for school." My stomach dropped and my face immediately became bright red as I stuttered out a shaky, "Okay." I spent the rest of the day pulling my shorts down and fighting back tears, disgusted with myself for having committed such an offense. I made my mom take me to the mall and buy all new shorts, telling her that my old ones wouldn't button up anymore. The reason I felt such a jarring shame, I realize today, is that I knew what I was truly being reprimanded for. It was not the length or style of my shorts. The light wash, raw hemmed, Mudd brand shorts from Kohl’s with blue stitching on the back pockets were not what my teacher was calling inappropriate or offensive. It was the body in them.
My lanky, sixth grade, female body was morally wrong. It was something that needed to be covered up, something that I should be ashamed of. In later years, I would be told, it was a distraction. Even more so because I was tall, and because I looked older than I actually was. And that ruined my body image and self confidence in my identity for several years to come. Today, at 17 years old, I realize that none of this is true. As much as some members of society (notably the Parker Middle School administration) want me to believe it, I know that my body is not a crime. I also know that I was not the only one so negatively affected by the school's notorious dress code. Almost every girl I know can recall their dress code experiences, and the shame it caused them in the days and years that followed. One junior that I spoke to even recalls an instance at Parker during which a female substitute teacher referred to her as a “slut” in front of her female classmates, instructing them not to dress like her. On behalf of all the girls who have attended Parker, and those that will in the future, I'd like to thank Mary Rienzo and her fellow parents for finally addressing the school's dress code ridiculousness.
No matter the length of shorts they choose to wear, Parker students will never again feel ashamed of their own bodies as a result of administrative discipline, and Reading is the better for it.