My youngest goes to a school with a very strict uniform policy. I posted earlier this year about him getting written up for mis-matched socks.
Our school specifies the uniform pieces come from a certain company (Dennis uniform). They have separate styles for boys and girls and are styled appropriately for older kids. I agree with you that it can be pricey (we have to do the blazer thing next year, I think it's ridiculous) but with Dennis at least the items wear like iron. DS's have been washed twice a week for the entire school year and still look new. We also do a uniform exchange over the summer that keeps the costs down. I don't think I'm spending more overall than I would on regular school clothes. They don't specify shoes, the kids can wear what they want as long as they have closed toes.
For public schools, it wouldn't have to be that specific. We used to live in a neighborhood that had a public school that wore uniforms. They specified khaki bottoms of a couple different styles (plus a jumper and skort option for girls) and a different color collared shirt for every grade, no visible logos. That was it. As soon as the uniform policy was announced, every store in town that sold kids clothes threw up a display of appropriate pieces - you could find them everywhere from Macy's to Wal-mart.
I don't see length as an issue as long as the important bits and pieces are covered. Forget the length requirements, replace them with a coverage requirement and that settles that issue.
So, I looked up our dress code:
DRESS CODE
The XXXXXXXXXX County Board of Education has a strong commitment to the learning process and has a legitimate interest in regulating student attire and appearance during the school day in an effort to avoid disruption, to promote self-discipline, to promote student health and safety, and to maintain an atmosphere conducive to learning. The school reserves the right to exclude items of apparel or accessories which prove to be:
• Harmful or detrimental to the health, safety or physical well-being of students.
• Damaging to physical facilities.
• Disruptive to normal school activities.
• Individual schools have the right to further define acceptable wearing apparel or accessories.
I cant find anything on our Middle School website with any additional dress code information. It sounds like this teacher is going rogue.
My high school did this 20 years ago and more. It's what they do to make sure kids aren't wearing inappropriate shorts and other clothes.
I agree that both genders should be checked (and they were when I was in school), but more than likely the boys aren't getting checked as much because they don't commonly wear "booty shorts" to school like the young ladies.
My sister went to school in the 60's. They measured their skirts (couldn't wear pants) and made sure their bangs were not below their eyebrows every day.
This was my point.If they can't tell that a girl is wearing "booty shorts" just by looking at her and not doing the fingertip test, then they don't know what booty shorts are.
My sister went to school in the 60's. They measured their skirts (couldn't wear pants) and made sure their bangs were not below their eyebrows every day.
My sister went to school in the 60's. They measured their skirts (couldn't wear pants) and made sure their bangs were not below their eyebrows every day.
I grew up in a school district that outlined hair for the guys. Very specific measurements. It was a strict policy and I think they still have it. Our local district has it.So in the 60s did they also tell her what hairstyles are appropriate?
This is the standard for measuring appropriate length for shorts in schools. I think it’s fine. We used to have to kneel on the floor to make sure our kilts skimmed the ground. If they didn’t, we were sent home until the length was correct. I’m all for appropriate dress in school. I explain to my own kids and to my students in the past that there is certain appropriate dress parameters in the workplace and that school is their workplace. I’d support the school in this and not make an issue of it with your daughter.I hope you don't mind me using you as a sounding board. I am not all that sure how to react to this.
I noticed that despite a weather forecast of 80 degrees, my 14 year old Middle School daughter was wearing long pants. I asked her why as she said "I don't want to be dress coded" Upon further questioning, it came out that one teacher - her music teacher, makes the girls who are wearing shorts stand with their hands at their sides and show that there shorts are longer than their fingertips.
Now, my daughter is a total tomboy and prefers wearing long shorts (think around the knees) over short ones so I am pretty sure that most of her shorts are in compliance with the dress code. She just doesn't want to stand there and be examined so she wears long pants every other day when she has this particular class.
I asked her if the boys were "dress coded" and she wasn't sure but doesn't think so. I asked what happens if your shorts are too short and she told me that you get sent to the office for that period.
Now, I am all in favor of setting some sort of standard and I don't think that "booty shorts" have a place in school but I feel that this one teacher checking all the girls as they enter the classroom is kind of demeaning and maybe a little creepy.
Thoughts?
I grew up in a school district that outlined hair for the guys. Very specific measurements. It was a strict policy and I think they still have it. Our local district has it.
This is the standard for measuring appropriate length for shorts in schools. I think it’s fine. We used to have to kneel on the floor to make sure our kilts skimmed the ground. If they didn’t, we were sent home until the length was correct. I’m all for appropriate dress in school. I explain to my own kids and to my students in the past that there is certain appropriate dress parameters in the workplace and that school is their workplace. I’d support the school in this and not make an issue of it with your daughter.
So in the 60s did they also tell her what hairstyles are appropriate?
Still no issue with it. All they are doing is putting their arms at their sides.My issue isn't with the dress code or the enforcement of the dress code. It is the policy this teacher has that every girl in shorts but be measured on the way into the room - even when the shorts are clearly long enough (almost knee length) and it appears that only girls are singled out.
This was my point.
Still no issue with it. All they are doing is putting their arms at their sides.
Well, it’s been in place, with few modifications, for decades. So I think it’s safe. People move to districts with stricter or more relaxed standards, and around here, you know which is which. I was a bit surprised the local district had such a policy, but I’m not surprised my home town school still does. It has always had the reputation of being very strict, but people WANT to move there for that reason. The local school has these rules in place, but they aren’t so rigid about enforcing them as my home town. From what I see, they let you go a little outside the box. You just can’t wander off.Your public school tells students how to style their hair? At some point that school board is going to have issues, either legal or pr related (more probable).