As the end of the school year approaches and temperatures outside soar, the urge to wear cool, comfortable clothes for your morning commute increases. Think flip flops, shorts, tank tops, crop tops, etc. This is especially true for those working in the approximately 36,000 public schools that have inadequate air conditioning systems..
However, whether teachers act on these instincts may largely depend on the dress code of school personnel.
Very similar to the student dress code., those aimed at teachers tend to cause controversy. For one thing, there is little agreement on whether it should exist. And among schools that implement teacher dress code policies, the rationale as to why they do so varies.
Additionally, most schools that enforce teacher dress codes often emphasize “professional” attire, although the definition of that term continues to evolve. Recently, what appears to be a very big fashion leap has happened.
What workwear is suitable for teachers?
Susan Moore Johnson, a Harvard education professor with more than 50 years of experience in education, shares vivid memories of how attitudes regarding professional teacher attire have changed over the years.
“As new teachers in the late 1960s, women had to wear skirts or dresses, some of which were very short, so it didn't seem to matter. I remember when one of my tenured colleagues “dared” to wear a pantsuit to school. Those of us who had less experience with her watched to see if she received her reprimand. She didn’t, so gradually the rest of us did,” said Johnson, who conducts research on teachers’ working conditions and satisfaction.
Clearly times have changed, and with them the idea of “business” attire. For example, crop tops (a fashion style that reveals the waist, navel, and abdomen, according to Wikipedia).—It has become a very popular wardrobe item among young women. For some, crop tops have crossed the threshold from “casual fashion” to “office wear.” wall street journal Earlier this month, we published an article that began with the sentence, “CROP TOPS are coming to the office.”
Do you think teachers should have a dress code?
But does this mean teachers have to wear crop tops and other skin-revealing clothing at school, especially if students' dress codes prohibit this?
Teachers' opinions vary widely as to whether educators should be held to the same standards set forth in student dress codes, and if so, what those standards should include. This is according to responses to the following questions posed by Education Week on its social media channels: Teachers, school administrators, and student dress codes often include guidelines for clothing that exposes body parts (shorts, tank tops, crop tops, etc.). Should this also apply to teachers, especially as the weather gets warmer?
Below is a sample of feedback from teachers who are vehemently opposed to teacher dress codes.
Zen Tate: “No. That question is insulting to the teacher!”
Rebecca Garelli, learning expert and consultant: “The dress code is very outdated and too conservative for both students and teachers. No one should be monitoring people's clothes. Most dress codes were developed in a misogynistic and classist tone…
Ligia “Gigi” Vasquez, bilingual educator: “As teachers, we need to be experts in all aspects, including how we dress. “It’s unfortunate that we have to be regulated in that respect as well,” he said.
However, some teachers' responses indicate that they expect or even accept dress codes in the workplace.
Elizabeth Crawford: “Um, what? Everywhere I've taught, teacher dress codes have been stricter. ‘Same rules as students’ would have been a vacation.”
Dawn Rupert: “Lead from the front! Be an example.”
What factors influence a teacher's dress code?
David Law, superintendent of Minnetonka Public Schools in Minnesota, takes a pragmatic approach to how teachers dress in his district, which does not have a teacher dress code. He points out that because of the physical nature of the job, elementary school teachers are much more likely to wear clothes that are comfortable and allow for easy movement, such as “joggers” or T-shirts. “They include themselves as part of the student experience,” he said.
Law said teachers in his district, especially high school teachers, tend to dress more and more “professionally.” Because students notice.
Deborah Wortham, superintendent of the Roosevelt Union Free School District in New York, said the student dress code consists of khaki pants and collared shirts, and that teachers consistently meet the following expectations, although there is no dress code per se. “Professional” dress.
Wortham asked a small number of 11th and 12th grade students to share their opinions on the attire of teachers in their district.
“They said the teachers dressed very professionally, and they appreciated that,” Wortham said. When she asked her students why, they responded: “‘Because teachers are role models. We want to see what that looks like in the workplace.’”