Dress Code: Tinker Vs. Des Moines Independent School District

One main reason public schools have uniforms / dress code is because in 1996, President Clinton allowed the school uniform movement and said, “If it means teenagers will stop killing each other over designer jackets, then our public schools should be able to require their students to wear school uniforms.” This gave schools the power to control the

Dress codes are not helping schools like they are meant to do; they are actually harming students in the school. Dress codes shame students and make them insecure about their bodies. They also disrupt precious class time that is vital to students. Buying clothes to fit the school dress code is costlier than some families can afford. Not only are dress codes stifling, but they are also unfair toward specific body types and different genders. Dress codes also decrease a student’s ability to be different from all of their peers in the way they dress. Schools should not have dress codes because they are sexist, unfair and disrupt class time.

Dress code is put into place to keep students from being bullied for how they dress and how some people may treat them different depending on what they wear. There is a lot of evidence that show students losing time in the class room because they are too worried about there personal apparel. David Brunsma, a sociologist who wrote Uniforms in Public Schools: A Decade of Research and Debate in 2005, says,

Have you ever been excluded from learning because of what you wore to school? In most schools, dress codes are set in place to provide a better learning space for all students. Having a dress code can oppress students because students are given the impression that they should not express themselves. Not all families can afford the clothes that abide by the rules. For example, some students don 't have the means to pay for new clothes, so they have to use hand-me-down clothing. Enforcing a dress code can lead to more problems in the long run because of the exceptions made for students who are athletes and cheerleaders. Many school faculty members including teachers and administrators think that keeping a dress code will keep students looking appropriate while learning, but this idea is wrong because it keeps students from expressing themselves and, the dress code singles out women.

First and foremost why schools should have a no-strict dress code is because it brings girls self-esteem down. When girls get dress coded they might feel: sad, angry, annoyed and upset. And especially body shamed. “As a women, I know almost no women who like their body, who feel good about there body, almost none, but you don’t know how it got there,” Perlman said in an interview. As a result, Dress codes are body shaming girls from when they were in their teens, to adulthood. The average number of girls getting dressed coded has increased by 20% in the past year! That’s crazy! About most of the dress code, girls feel body shamed! One 15-year-old girl said, “I feel bad because it's my body... and there's no reason for the school to be telling me to cover up,” she said. Lastly, if schools had a less strict dress code with the excuse of girls showing too much skin, we would all be more confident with our

“School officials have a responsibility to provide a safe, secure, and productive learning environment.” Therefore, schools have dress codes because the safety of students is very important. A teacher’s number one priority is their student’s safety and to have a good learning environment. All students should have the same right to their education. Is the clothing the students wear distracting others from learning? It is distracting to others, but that is not the only reason why schools have dress codes. Schools also have dress codes because it helps prevent students from being bullied based on their clothing, especially if they wear something offensive or inappropriate. It also helps them prepare for professional environments as adults in the workplace.

In 1969, the U.S. Supreme Court created the first dress code law. That law ensured that students would have the freedom to wear what they choose as long as they follow specific rules set by their school. According to FindLaw, “In a far-reaching decision, the Court essentially decided that schools may limit student expression (...) if there is a legitimate concern that such expression will be disruptive to the learning environment (...)” (“School”). Due to a case known as Tinker vs. Des Moines Independent School District, dress code laws were set when high school students wore clothing that protested against the Vietnam War. In order to have respectable learning environments, school boards have been given the right to create their own dress codes for their schools, as long as they do not violate a student’s constitutional

Conclusively, there are many more important reasons why schools in our country should adapt school dress codes. The schools that participate in the traditional wearing of uniforms, are getting a jump start in the countless number of advantages schools can get to help up their statistics. Learning that there are many minor issues of the judgmental side of the dress code, a few more issues come from the simple fact of students not having to worry about what they are wearing the next day. Additionally, teachers would not have to anguish about getting on the students about their dressing habits. Likewise, not only the teachers, but the parents as well would have a much more relaxing day and would imply the skills that the students need to help

School dress codes are the most enforcing and restrictive policy out of all the school policies. I know everyone hates and don’t understand why we need dress codes. Sometimes dress codes can be ridiculous and nonsense. I’m on the same page as them. Dress codes informs high school students what we can wear and cannot wear.

Students all over the United States are believe that school dress codes are are biased and sexist. Many people are finding ways to protest against the dress codes, for example The Atlantic says, "'I’ve never seen a boy called out for his attire even though they also break the rules,' says Sunseri, who last summer produced Shame: A Documentary on School Dress Code, a film featuring interviews with dozens of her classmates and her school principal, that explores the negative impact biased rules can have on girls’ confidence and sense of self." This shows that the dress codes are destroying girls, confidence causing them to have low self-esteem. This is also just one way that people are protesting against dress codes. Even adults do not agree with the dress codes in schools. Choices

Dress codes has been apart of the educational system for many years. Administrators have struggled to find effective ways to deal with discipline problems. The creation of the dress codes has been a common solution for many educational system to help decrease the number of disciplinary issues that are dealt with on a daily basis. Things such as gang activity, bullying, increasing violence can all be traced to the way people in school’s dress. The dress code policy is considered to be a "fix all" solution in many public schools, but has failed to resolve the big issues. Dress codes should not be instituted to fix a particular problem, but should be looked at to help overall school reform. This why most private schools have a particular uniform that students must wear every single day. To try and resolve the issue. However, a school uniform policy does not carry enough weight that produces a safe learning environment or helps students achieve their goals at being successful. A student's role is to come into school everyday to learn, without having to worry about gang activities, being bullying or having someone start a fight with them because they are wearing a particular color.

During the last few years, dress codes have been implemented and accepted more and more. Dress codes are commonplace and most schools consider them a necessity. Dress codes, however, need to be revised. Dress codes objectify students’ bodies and often interrupt the students’ learning environment more than the student violating the dress code. For example, if a student has dyed hair, then there is still focus inside the classroom, but if the teacher dress codes them, all the class attention is lost. Dress codes should be revised to not interrupt the learning environment and be less objective and shameful to students’ bodies.

Most importantly, a dress code policy in schools promotes equality rights and acceptance with one another. Many students in high school are willing to do anything to be accepted, therefore if a teen feels like they don’t belong it may lead to serious mental or emotional problems. Some students get so upset that they start isolating themselves from others like family, friends, school, which means that their grades start to drop and they become very unfriendly. A bug part of dress codes is that students don’t have to worry about peer pressure when it comes down to what they wear. When every individual in the school is dressed the same, others won't have to worry about what you look like because it isn't that important. This helps students because in todays society many students tend to worry about other students and about the latest trends. This also helps student from bullies because its hard to make fun of someone if you're wearing the exactly

On the one hand, nobody can deny that there are many benefits of so-called dress code policy. Firstly, it helps create a sense of equality among students.

School dress code, a rule everyone has been familiar with from as young as first grade. Some dress codes make complete sense: no clothing with vulgar words, no gang affiliated clothing, no showing underwear. Other dress codes just seem completely sexist: no leggings, no showing shoulders, no shorts above knees. The reasons for these dress codes are usually "Its a distraction to the boys,"; but in reality, these dress codes are harmful and sexist to each of the genders.