Ford Middle School teachers urge board to reverse or clarify hats-and-hoods policy change

Teachers from Ford Middle School told the board they were concerned about an apparent change to the school's dress-code policy regarding hats and hoods and asked the district to explain how the change occurred and whether staff and parents were consulted.

Kristen Baker, a teacher in the Ford program, said the standing policy requires students to remove hats and hoods when entering school buildings, with religious and cultural head coverings excluded. Baker said the staff group representing 221 years of combined service was surprised by the change and that teachers and building leadership were not consulted.

"Our policy is that students must remove hats and hoods when entering any building," Baker said, adding that some students wear hoods for anxiety, warmth or sensory reasons and that staff work with families and IEP teams to make accommodations.

Kristen Morton, identified in Baker's remarks as the clinical social worker for the Ford program, said changing the policy would make teachers' work more difficult and questioned whether the collective-bargaining agreement's shared decision-making provisions were followed. Morton asked for a response from district leadership about the policy-change process and consultation with parents.

Board members acknowledged the comments and the superintendent's team said they would follow up with the building leadership team and provide an update to the board. The district noted that building leadership teams and collective-bargaining language are relevant to how operational changes are implemented.