Color-coded
ID cards bad idea for students
Wednesday, April 13, 2005 • The
Express-Times
Phillipsburg High School's experiment
with color-coded student ID cards might have been a great
idea on paper, but it backfired when it debuted in the
school's hallways and classrooms. Instead of giving students
an added incentive to do better, it sets a "gold" standard
for the best students -- based on grades, attendance and
conduct -- and relegates everyone else to an also-ran
spectrum of colors: garnet, gray and white, in descending
order.
After fielding complaints from parents,
the school board is considering dumping the color-coded ID
cards and going back to white tags for everyone -- and it
should. The new tags came about as part of the school's
Renaissance Program, which seeks to reward kids for their
performance, according to high school Principal Mary Jane
Deutsch. Among the perks are discounts at local fast-food
restaurants.
There's nothing wrong with that. Many
other schools use the same methods to encourage academic
excellence and good behavior, handing out stickers or other
items kids can wear and use for reduced prices at
eateries.
A school-issued ID card is something else
again. It's a mandatory tag used for identification and
security purposes. Requiring students to wear "colors"
invites instantaneous judgments by peers and teachers that
might not reflect a student's true record, and it provides
another distraction for a group of people already obsessed
with appearances.
One parent told the school board Monday
she believes the cards are discriminatory and might violate
federal privacy laws. Superintendent Gordon Pethick advised
the board to hold off on returning to same-color ID cards
until the school district's attorney can provide an opinion
on the matter.
It doesn't require a lot of research or a
threat of litigation to recognize a bad idea, however
well-intended, and correct it -- in this case, as soon as
the new cards can be printed.
© 2005 The Express-Times. Used with
permission.
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