Today my hall pass was taken away.

This wouldn’t bother me so much except that – well – I kind of liked my hall pass. Maybe I should explain.

About three weeks ago, sitting in a large faculty meeting, one of our school’s APs announced the implementation of a new hall pass. In order to go to the restroom or leave the class, students would need to wear this:

Citing safety concerns and issues of trespassing (not mentioning anything about hygiene and actually washing these vests), the passes were handed out to teachers just over a week ago. Every classroom has one and the room number is written prominently on the back of the vest as well as the front’s reflective material.

Officially, it’s dubious whether the passes were actually vetted and approved through the appropriate channels (our school’s Shared Decision Making Council, for instance, has yet to cough up any record of voting on the use of these vests…).

Talking about the vests with my students, some seemed nonplussed about them. Most students disliked them, and a few were generally upset. “I think the school expects us to be construction workers,” one student speculated. The student explained that if the school had higher expectations about the students, they would have made the hall passes something like a lab coat or a stethoscope. Most students felt that the passes were further signs of a lack of trust or respect in the student body.

As a travelling teacher I was issued a vest that had my name written on the front and no room number on the back. As such, I stared at the vest and saw it as a giant canvas. An opportunity. Enlisting the help of an anonymous, talented student, the back of the vest was stenciled with a large black fist. It looked great. It was powerful and iconic. It fit into the themes taught in class and still actually functioned as a hall pass vest. It was confiscated two and a half days after it was finished.

I’ve spoken with the AP that took the vest from a flustered student (she refused to acknowledge who the vest belonged to – she didn’t want to “snitch me out,” despite the fact that my name was written on the vest…). It looks like I’ll be getting a “fresh” vest later this week. Though I intend to continue to appeal for my vest, it looks like this is one clenched fist that has seen the end of its efforts to fight the powers that be.

[Sadly, this is the only existing photo of the vest in action.]