TheApple

I am concerned about the not well defined nor well enforced female dress code. Basically, unless it is obscene it is allowed.
Am I too old fashioned?

Dress code for whom: students? teachers? both? Well, regarding students, the courts have spoken:

"The federal courts have ruled that, within certain parameters, school officials can legally regulate students’ personal appearance. Student appearance, the courts said, can be regulated if it is vulgar, indecent, obscene, insulting or if it carries a message that encourages inappropriate behavior."

Of course, like the definition of pornography, it's rather vague, isn't it - drive-a-Mac-truck-through-it kind of vague.

As for teachers:

"The uniform/dress code debate is not confined solely to students’ attire. In recent years, proposals in several states would require teachers to wear uniforms or, at a minimum, adhere to a strict dress code. Proponents of required teacher uniforms/dress codes argue that teachers are role models for their students and therefore must set a positive example through their attire. Proponents also argue that more consistency in the quality and type of teacher clothing can boost employee morale and respect for the profession. Opponents, however, claim that teacher uniforms or dress codes harm morale by treating teachers like students and that strict dress code/uniform requirements can violate rights guaranteed to teachers under the U.S. Constitution."

And I can appreciate the arguments on both sides of this issue - but, since I've always been more biased towards individual freedom than towards order and regimentation, I'd tend to side with the "opponents" above.

Not really an issue at the private school I teach at. Dress code is well defined and enforced. We do have casual Fridays which is great, can't beat jeans to end the week! I think teachers follow modesty standards well where I teach.

Our school has a dress code that they just can't seem to enforce. They tried handing out "tickets", keeping a stock of t-shirts on hand for cover-ups, calling home, calling parents to come get the child... and none of it works. I see far more cleavage in a day than I would care to. Thank goodness the "reverse cleavage" has gone out of style. The male teachers can't say anything to the girls because that implies that they were looking. I remember one Mom who was called in to a school for her daughter's attire showed up looking just as risque as the girl, and flaming mad at the school.

I agree that this is just one more place where teachers need to model the behavior for the students. When I first went from private business to public school I discovered that heels are lousy on linoleum (skid!) and heck to be on all day... so I got sensible shoes. I also discovered that my room was mostly unheated (7 years later it still is), so I started wearing really padded bras so nothing showed. I also stopped wearing my lower cut dresses, because I needed to bend over desks. The last thing I changed was a delight: when it was warm enough I was not required to wear hose (yeah!) Since then I have collected more pants and cut out the formal suits but I still try to maintain what I consider to be a professional attire. (It's difficult on this salary, though.) I've only worn jeans on days we were going to clean around the pond or something.

I think more teachers should take more care with their own attire.

I suggest teachers who have a problem with a student's attire keep on hand some oversized t-shirts and have the offender wear it... even if it is just for your class. You have the right to not be offended in your classroom.

I also teach at a private preschool. Maybe it's because I live in Hawaii, but alot of the teachers at my preschool dress casual. I do my best to dress professionally (I use a lot of my clothes from the law firm) and dress casual on Fridays. I think the way we dress reflects our professionalism as teachers. I think the children appreciate it also.

I  experienced  teaching both private and public school here in my country and we really follow proper dress codes.

I'm also worried about dressing appropriately being a young teacher. My school is all girls with a uniform of khakis and a white or black shirt. I brought up to one of the teachers my concerns about blending in with the students if I wore the same combination, but she seemed to be unfazed. I have a wardrobe of business professional clothng that involves many pair of khaki pants and black and white shirts. I'm inclined to not wear that combination, but I forsee frustration in my future. Has anyone had a similar situation? What have you done?

Cflaxman says ...

I'm beginning my student teaching this fall, and there has been tremendous emphasis on dressing appropriately/conservatively.  I'm a fairly young-looking woman, so I think carrying over my professional attire from finance makes the most sense. I'd rather err on the side of conservative, at least at the beginning, and then modify as I go or feel more comfortable. 

Does anybody have particular feelings about sleeveless shirts (not spaghetti top style, or anything) and open-toed shoes? I'm sort of curious to see how people address those.

I'm thinking back to women I have seen at work with sleeveless tops and...well let's just say they looked more casual than professional.  As for open-toe shoes, I recently went to see a comedian that,  after describing all of the big ugly feet she had ever seen, asked all the ladies in the house to repeat a pledge that went something like the following.  

I promise to: Take care of my feet., I promise not to: wear shoes that don't fit,  I promise not to: wear shoes with my toes hanging over the edge, I promise not to: walk around with "ashy" (unlotioned) feet or heel cracks, .I promise not to: wear psycodelic nail polish, I promise not to: let my toenails grow into claws,  I promise to: get a pedicure often.

I'm with her. At work though, I try to stay away from strappy sandles.

Cflaxman says ...

I'm beginning my student teaching this fall, and there has been tremendous emphasis on dressing appropriately/conservatively.  I'm a fairly young-looking woman, so I think carrying over my professional attire from finance makes the most sense. I'd rather err on the side of conservative, at least at the beginning, and then modify as I go or feel more comfortable. 

Does anybody have particular feelings about sleeveless shirts (not spaghetti top style, or anything) and open-toed shoes? I'm sort of curious to see how people address those.

I'm going into my third year of teaching and my college supervisors seemed to have put more emphasis on appropriate dress than my current school administrators. Personally, I choose to stay away from open-toed shoes at my high school; I teach science and to model proper lab safety I just don't wear them even on warmer days. In my first year of teaching I would dress down on Fridays which would include wearing jeans.  However, this past year I decided only wear jeans to school when there were no students present. Lastly, I believe that sleeveless blouses worn modestly can be worn professionally and are not inappropriate during school hours.

My son's high school does not allow any show of cleavage, female or male, staff or student. Sounds, and perhaps more important, looks like a good policy to me.

My former school did not enforce the dress code. As a result, the students wore sweat suits, short shorts and skirts, baggy pants below the waist and fitted tops. Some wore pajamas to school. A few of the teachers (not PE) wore inappropriate outfits like jogging clothes, shorts, sandals, deep V-neck tees, rumpled jeans, and tee shirts with obscene sayings .

Teachers should model appropriate dress. If the administration does not enforce a dress code for teachers, how can we expect the students to dress properly? I disagree that the administration should single out the attire of only the heavier teachers and students. Just because a female student is tall and thin, it is not okay for her to wear short shorts or mini skirts that reveal her undergarments when she sits in a chair. Instead, the dress code should state a minimum length for skirts and shorts and the type of tops or shirts that are appropriate to wear. Tight fitting or revealing clothing is not correct attire. The school should enforce the dress code equally without regard to the sex of the teachers or students. Many schools ban flip-flops and flimsy sandals because of injuries on the stairwells.

Sometimes, common sense about appropriate dress is nonexistent. Many students bring a change of clothes to wear in school without the approval of their parents. I can understand why school systems institute the use of uniforms for students and teachers. Surprisingly, many parents approve of the uniform policy because it is cost effective.

I admired one principal who monitored the dress of the staff and students as they entered the school. Anyone who wore inappropriate clothes had to wear an oversized, school tee shirt for the remainder of the day. They took the shirts home, washed them and returned the items to the principal the following day. This method did work.

I love snickers, but I usually put them in my mouth, not on my feet.

Very interesting topic and discussion. I used to wear nice clothes to school but grew annoyed at ruining my rather expensive clothes with overhead ink and yellow chalk dust. Since then, I hit upon a solution: I buy one style skirt in three or four neutral colors; then one style of jewel neck, short (1/2 or 3/4) sleeve sweater in five different colors; same for a long sleeve sweater, and four pants in neutral colors. Everything matches with everything. I have seven or eight bottoms and ten to fifteen tops - all covering everything. The most important part, I splurge for usually one, but sometimes two, really good pair of shoes I can stand up in all day - these often cost almost as much as everything else, but if the feet are not happy, it's not a good day. I alternate the tops and bottoms everyday - it's my uniform. It's easy. It's casually professional or professionally casual, whatever style it is, it looks good and wears all year. I save my wilder fashion impulses for my private life. But then, I wear my hair in a bun everyday too;-)

I do feel it is important for teachers to set an example. I have students who dress - well, it's not good. Boys with their pants so low their butts stick out are required to pull up their pants before entering the room. Though I often feel sorry for them - how is a teenage boy expected to concentrate when he is surrounded by girls with tight jeans, tiny shorts, and low-cut shirts - just everything hanging out; or as we call it, all their business is out to be everybody's business. I will tell girls they have to cover "the girls" because, in essense, they are disrupting the instrution in my class with all of their business hanging out. And of course, they don't always understand why boys react to them the way teen boys do. I'm not really sure how male teachers handle that sort of thing.