school dress codes

[xzvrw2]

We have fought for other things but nothing has been done. We had half the school sign a petition to get us off lock down (no one can enter or leave the room unless escorted by a hall monitor during class, even if you have to use the bathroom like so bad that you are about to explode.). teachers abused this saying that kids couldn't even leave wen they were called down to the office. Nothing was done even after there was a protest down at the school board. In my opinion the Pontiac school board doesn't care.

[Adam Richards]

Originally Posted by Amanda Morrison

I can't say that I was ever targeted, and I was an... interesting and creative dresser for many years. Soon after I left, the school banned the color pink, fearing it was a gang color. Most recently, hooded sweatshirts were not allowed. The students had very little warning, and had the sweatshirts and sweaters taken away from them before they were allowed to proceed to class. The school confiscated them, telling parents they could come pick them up or the students could reclaim them at the end of the school year.

They banned the color PINK?! Ouch... I guess 233 would have a bit of a problem if they were ever going near your school.

[KathieK]

Many companies have a dress code, whether "official" or just expected behavior on the part of their employees. I am from the "post-hippy" high school era of patched embroidered jeans and boots (the ****-kicker kind, your parents will know) and admittedly enjoy a more relaxed dress code where I work. But I also know that if the occasion warrants it, or the next job requires it, I'll wear what is dictated to me to wear. That's the way it is.

[Rohan_DHS]

DHS (Dunbarton High School) does have a dress code, but its pretty fair...basically nothing offensive (like shirts that say something bad about some other culture, n stuff like that), or vulgur (like shirts with anything to do with sex, etc), no hats inside and try not to wear too much jewellerry (optional)..oh yeah, and no 'spaghetti straps'...which isn't much of a problem for me, since I am a guy lol

But, that's about it...I don't think that there is much more to it

[Jeff K.]

I have a really similar dress code/uniform now. We can only wear either navy blue or khaki pants/shorts that we have to buy from this one certain company, Landsend, online. We also can only wear polo shirts that have our school logo in them and each shirts costs $25 and we can only wear gray, white, and navy blue. The middleschool I had went to that was like, an extension of the highschool that I am currently attending had a similar dresscode except for polo shirts, we could only wear white and "forest" green. People have gotten used to the dresscode. It just really takes away on individuality.

We had been happy going into highschool because for the first year, my freshman year, the dresscode was really loose. We could wear ANY polo shirt and ANY shorts or pants that we wanted. Now we have a dresscode after the highschool has had the same dresscode for the last 10 years. I have some friends that are seniors that have had to spend a lot of money on uniforms and are only going to be wearing them for one year.

[xzvrw2]

Do you go to a private or public school? I go to a public school.

[Jeff K.]

I go to a private school...that is also a Catholic school.

[Cory]

I think my school's entire code of student conduct was shorter than the descriptions of what you can and can't wear.

That dresscode pretty much sucks. My school had one, but it was rarely if ever enforced, and it mainly involved too much skin being exposed.

[Mike]

Originally Posted by xzvrw2

no shorts may be work underneath the skirts

I'm assuming you meant to say worn there. Now this confuses me, if anything shorts help the dress code. No... erm... "show" if a girl falls or something like that. Sounds like they didn't think this through enough. Get a ton of kids and go to a Board of Education meeting. If you get enough people I think they'll definitely repeal this.

[xzvrw2]

I just typed it they way tey had it on the paper they gave us. So any typos are on them. It is the board of education that is bringing this on not the principal.

[mechanicalbrain]

Originally Posted by xzvrw2

It is the board of education that is bringing this on not the principal.

Get kids to show up and speak out. You wouldn't believe some of the things our board tried to pull that would probably have worked if kids hadn't stepped in and said something.

[xzvrw2]

My school board isn't the best school board. They look out for them selves. Half of them their kids dont even go to pontiac schools. One of the members don;t even live in pontiac, they live in lake orion.

[mechanicalbrain]

Yep i know the feeling that inspires but get kids to stand up and pressure them. I think more kids should take part in their schools decision making process.

[ahecht]

My middle school had a strict dress code. You had to wear navy blue pants or shorts (shorts had to be above the knee), and you had to wear a waffle-weave white polo shirt, tucked in. Sweatshirts were allowed, but they had to be the grey ones with the school's logo on them. After two years, they started allowing t-shirts, but you could only wear the special white t-shirts with the school's logo on them. If you violated the uniform, you had to wear your PE uniform all day (which is not fun).

From there I went to a high school with absolutely no dress code whatsoever. The school was founded on the principle of not restricting the students in any way, so the administration couldn't do anything clothing wise as long as you were dressed legally (i.e. no nudity, profanity, or exposed genitalia). When a girl was sent home for wearing a see-through top, it created a huge controvery.

Funny story: when the class that graduated last year was in 7th grade, they quickly got the nickname "the naked grade," because the girls had a reputation for wearing as little as they could get away with (and this nickname was started by the administration). Because the administration couldn't do anything via the dress code, they turned all the thermostats down to 60 degrees which, in Los Angeles at least, is when all the girls break out their heavy jackets and gloves. Within a few weeks, the problem was solved.

[KarenH]

My 2 cents:

One problem with uniforms is that most of the "school uniforms" I've seen in stores are very cheap quality--thin white shirts you can see through, and poor workmanship. Ugh!

On the other hand, I once saw a photo of a group of school children in India. They were all in uniforms. I was surprised at a certain optical effect: because all the clothes were the same, I found myself focusing on their faces. They weren't a group of kids; they were individuals!

Supposedly, most American kids oppose uniforms because wearing uniforms will take away their individuality. Yet, when left to choose their own outfits, woe to anyone who wears something different from the "cool" brand or the "in" ugliness! In other words, they all have to dress according to the "cool" code, anyway!

So, I think the real issue is that students don't want the authorities telling them what to wear. I wonder, what would happen if the school board told the students they HAD to wear ratty, baggy jeans with skimpy T-shirts sporting nasty slogans?

By the way, I've known some people who are involved with prison chaplaincy programs in California. They told me that if you visit someone in a California prison, you mustn't wear blue jeans. Why? Because blue jeans are part of the California prison uniform, and visitors aren't allowed to dress like prisoners!