RE: D.J. Cooper's opinion

I was shocked to hear from D.J. Cooper (9/8/05) about the “two distinct factions within the staff” of Fallbrook High School: “those who look like they store their sad excuses for clothes in the glove compartment of their cars” and those “who dress professionally and set good examples for their students.” It’s funny, but I’ve been a member of this staff for 17 years and I’m having a hard time figuring out who you are talking about. Since I’ve been on campus just about every school day for the past 17 years, I’m wondering why I don’t know D.J. Cooper. S/he has obviously witnessed this shoddy faction personally. I’m curious how often s/he has been in a classroom at FUHS to judge the sad excuses for clothes this faction wears. Or maybe s/he is comparing the district staff, who wear those nicely ironed, starched white shirts up at the district office, to the clothes the site staff wears?

I have a great idea for D.J. Cooper. Back-to-School night is September 27. Please come to Room 206 and note the wrinkles in my pants and shirt and under the new professional grooming policy you can complain to an administrator, who will then bring me into his or her office to investigate and possibly place a note in my personnel file noting my non-professional attire. Or, why don’t you just give me the name of some teacher (Mr. Oder) and I’ll file a complaint against his non-professional attire? Or, why don’t you get one of your neighbors to call the school and give the name of a teacher who stuffs clothes in the glove compartment of his or her car?

All of these are justifiable under the new grooming policy. Oh, if you still have a son or daughter in school, you can have him or her file a complaint and the school will investigate. Remember, I’m in Room 206 — let me know if you are attending and I’ll make sure to stuff my sad excuse for clothes in the glove compartment that day. The only problem may be that I drive an SUV. The glove compartment is a good size and may not be quite as effective at wrinkling my clothes. You can still have me investigated.

Oh, one other idea. Maybe you can get one of the 17 new teachers (who have been on campus for a few days) to file a complaint against Mr. Oder’s attire, because you would have an impossible time trying to find any other teacher who feels differently about the policy being a “solution looking for a problem.” Maybe if you harass him enough he will “retire.” When he does retire, the party thrown for him will rival all parties ever given at FUHS in honor of a retiree and we’ll all have a great time in our old, sad excuses for clothes.