I have a teenage daughter. Yes, thank you for your sympathy. She is very much like her mother, and does not conform to the expectations of any social group or clique. She is very much an individual, and her appearance is a reflection of her individuality. Mama's proud. She is modest in her dress and behavior. She is not one of those little teenage skanks who shows her goodies. She does not like tight, revealing clothing, and no, she is not a fatty. She has a lovely figure, but she does not feel comfortable showing the world.

How does she dress? Black jeans, (No, not skinnys) Tshirts, and always wears a hoodie. She does not like to fuss with makeup, or tease up her hair. She does like to dye her hair unnatural colors, though, and this seems to give people the wrong impression.

She likes to dye her long, straight hair black, and accent that with vivid hues of red, pink or orange. This has caught the attention of some of the teaching staff in her school. When she first told me about a group of special ed teachers who make snide comments and give her dirty looks as she passes by them by every day on her way out the door.  I didn't believe it until I saw it for myself today.

I was subbing in a special ed room, and had just finished loading the kiddos onto their buses, along with the other SPED teaching staff. As we were all heading back inside, who comes out the door but my daughter and her best friend. They did not recognize me, as they both had their heads down against the cold wind. I then saw the pointing fingers and snide looks those women were giving my child. I ran over to my kid and gave her a big hug. I then made sure to talk to her, ask if she had any homework, tell her to zip her coat, and gave her a cheery wave goodbye. I then ran inside and gushed about how I loved subbing at this school, because I get to run into my daughter.

The gaggle of hens looked absolutely shocked. Then, the old bat I had been working with all day blurted, "Ok I just have to ask- how did she get her hair that color, Kool Aid?" I explained that they make very good hair dyes these days, and I even had a red stripe in my own hair during the summer. Eyebrows shot up, and knowing glances were exchanged.

As we walked back to the classroom, the bat told me about how she had summoned up the courage to ask a boy one day how he manages to keep his Mohawk spiked up so high. She told me that she was so surprised that he was very friendly and warm. I told her that like that boy, my daughter has had to fight unfair stereotyping because of how she looks. She is a good kid, but some people cast her wrong. She then told me that years ago, she knew a deputy sheriff that told her, "When it comes to kids, if it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and walks like a duck, then it's a duck."

I was quite offended. My daughter is a good kid. She is very quiet in school, and has never gotten into trouble. She loves animals, and aspires to be a veterinarian some day. She is creative, caring, and a free thinking individual. Don't throw her into the same bucket as kids who have a police record and get knocked up by god knows who.

How is this woman even a teacher with this kind of attitude? I feel like dying my hair red now....