Feminism/ Dress codes

[bricco]

Any other teachers here have a fundamental problem with gender-discriminant dress codes, but work in a school with such a dress code?

How do you navigate it?

In general, I "don't see" violations, but it bothers me to see girls removed from classes because of the length of their shorts. Thoughts?

[flamingeaux]

I'm at a new school this year so I have yet to see what it will be like, but maybe you could help them start a petition to change the rules, do writing assignments on what they find more distracting, the length of the girls shorts on the interruption caused by removing said girl from class.

[imimahoney]

Yeahhh, it sucks. Bra straps can't show and shorts can't be too short. They have recently laxed on enforcing it so I haven't really rocked the boat but I should. I've been there 11 yrs so I have no problem raising the issues.

[sugarbear]

We have a uniform, so it's a little more simple.
Boys and girls have the same options: 2 colors of polo shirt, 2 colors of pants, 6 different sweatshirt options. Girls also have plaid skirts.

Our issue was that while *most* girls in middle school wear the skirt with shorts or leggings underneath, which they say is MORE comfortable than pants, we required them to wear the skirt on dress uniform days, a few times per month.

We have several gender non-conforming kids in our school and the skirt requirement was really awful for them. Two years ago, teachers gathered together to lobby the administration, and the decision was made (easily) to no longer require the skirt on those days.

[erbear]

I have a huge issue with this - it's kind of my hill to die on - dress codes unfairly target girls and I have spoken up loud and clear about them at my school for years. We dropped our specifics last year and the dress code now reads "students should dress appropriately for school activities". 

[W.T.Faulkner]

I'll be honest; I haven't given much thought to this issue. Almost all of my students are black, and we are constantly on alert and trying to protect them from harm by police, and deeply unfair judgment from employers, store-owners, etc., in any way we can. I know what white cops think of young black men with sagging pants, or of young black women wearing a revealing shirt. I've heard them say it. So, yes, I want to be a proper feminist and encourage my girls to wear whatever they want to, but I also want them to be safe, and taken seriously.

I know our dress code impacts girls more than it does guys, but I'm in support of giving all students guidelines to dress more conservatively, and it's not like our dress code is anything crazy. They'll need this skill in a future that includes college and employment in a professional environment. It's simply the way the world is, even if it's not how it should be. They need to learn to play the game, just as their more affluent counterparts will.

[thejackpot]

Jul 10, 2017 8:18:45 GMT -5 W.T.Faulkner said:

I'll be honest; I haven't given much thought to this issue. Almost all of my students are black, and we are constantly on alert and trying to protect them from harm by police, and deeply unfair judgment from employers, store-owners, etc., in any way we can. I know what white cops think of young black men with sagging pants, or of young black women wearing a revealing shirt. I've heard them say it. So, yes, I want to be a proper feminist and encourage my girls to wear whatever they want to, but I also want them to be safe, and taken seriously.

I know our dress code impacts girls more than it does guys, but I'm in support of giving all students guidelines to dress more conservatively, and it's not like our dress code is anything crazy. They'll need this skill in a future that includes college and employment in a professional environment. It's simply the way the world is, even if it's not how it should be. They need to learn to play the game, just as their more affluent counterparts will.

Keep on making their safety and security a priority. Continue to monitor and support them in a way that honors their existence and their experiences. I know that serves them better than just worrying about dress code for the hallways of their school.

[killercupcake]

Jul 10, 2017 8:18:45 GMT -5 W.T.Faulkner said:

I'll be honest; I haven't given much thought to this issue. Almost all of my students are black, and we are constantly on alert and trying to protect them from harm by police, and deeply unfair judgment from employers, store-owners, etc., in any way we can. I know what white cops think of young black men with sagging pants, or of young black women wearing a revealing shirt. I've heard them say it. So, yes, I want to be a proper feminist and encourage my girls to wear whatever they want to, but I also want them to be safe, and taken seriously.

I know our dress code impacts girls more than it does guys, but I'm in support of giving all students guidelines to dress more conservatively, and it's not like our dress code is anything crazy. They'll need this skill in a future that includes college and employment in a professional environment. It's simply the way the world is, even if it's not how it should be. They need to learn to play the game, just as their more affluent counterparts will.

Ditto.

We do enforce dress code when necessary and I see boys get dress coded just as much as the girls, but most of the time, we turn the other way. The biggest things we deal with are hats and crop tops.

I think we just have other things to worry about for and with our kids and we pick our battles.