Hey, School District: Get Out of the Kids’ Pants and Hair

by Carolyn

My local school district is currently soliciting opinions on its repressive dress code (yeah, I have an opinion). I responded with a resounding “No,” to the question of whether I want the current dress code to continue, and they provided space for comments. I had a few.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. I don’t understand the current ~~regime~~ administration and why they choose THIS as a sticking point. This is a lazy way to attempt to make the school administration’s and teachers’ jobs easier. And I think it’s doomed to failure if that’s their goal.

I’m encouraged they’re actually asking for opinions, although I suspect it’s simply part of yet another insidious campaign to add uniforms to the requirements. I’m thinking that marching in goose-step is next. *sigh* When are we going to let kids be individuals?

Relax the Dress Code

Children have to learn how to deal with a world in which people dress differently. Why impose a false uniformity on them in schools with severe dress codes? I think the dress code should be simpler:

“Your underwear can’t show.” That would rule out problems with sheer blouses, saggy pants, etc. And there would be no ridiculous rules requiring belt loops.

I’m OK with the existing rules about body-hugging spandex, too-short clothes, low-cut or low-back styles. I’m also OK with prohibitions about clothing that promotes illegal substances, violence, profanity, sexual suggestiveness, or gangs.

The statement prohibiting clothing that “displays language or symbols that create a disruptive environment” is overly broad. That leaves WAY too much up to the schools to interpret. How do you define “disruptive”? One that advocates civil disobedience? One that just says “homework stinks”? Or what? What about simply saying they can only wear solid colors or woven patterns (plaids, stripes, dots, etc.)? Takes the nebulous personal judgment right out of the equation.

Who cares whether their clothing has spaghetti straps or they wear tube tops or tank tops? Are shoulders that sexily distracting? As long as the girls wear bras, it shouldn’t matter.

The schools should have metal detectors at all entrances/exits IF you’re concerned enough to ban untucked shirts and all kinds of headgear out of fear of weapons or contraband being brought into the schools. (They can still smuggle items in via their backpacks/purses/lunch bags and their pockets and elsewhere in their clothes, can’t they?)

Why do you care about whether they wear shower shoes? The requirement should just be “wear shoes.” Period.

Who cares if they wear facial jewelry, dye their hair all colors of the rainbow, or wear sunglasses (unless that is to check for pupil changes that indicate drug use)? If they’re attentive, respectful and participating in the classroom, it should not matter. And if you’re going far enough inside a student’s body to prohibit TONGUE piercing, you need to back away a few feet and consider where the school’s boundaries end and the child’s bodily autonomy begins.

I am all for creating a harmonious atmosphere, but this chokehold on children’s clothing, hair, and accessories is unnecessary. Let’s be reasonable.

Thank you for soliciting parental opinions and for reviewing my thoughts on this topic. If you would like to contact me for any reason, my info is below.