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New School Dress Code – for Parents!
I loved hearing this news. Imagine telling the parents of school children to dress like responsible adults! The principal of James Madison High School in Houston, Carlotta Outley Brown, expects parents to meet the standards to dress appropriately when they appear at the school:
A letter from Ms. Brown to parents and guests on the school’s website forbids them from being at school in such attire as hair rollers, pajamas, sagging pants, leggings that show the wearer’s bottom, low rider shorts and torn jeans showing lots of skin.
The resistance to the dress code could have been predicted. The Houston Federation of Teachers has spoken out:
Zeph Capo, president of the Houston Federation of Teachers, called codes relating to women’s hair ‘classist’ and ‘belittling.’
‘I’m sorry, this principal may have plenty of money and time to go to the hairdresser weekly and have her stuff done,’ he told the newspaper. ‘Who are you to judge others who may not have the same opportunities that you do? Having a wrap on your head is not offensive. It should not be controversial.’
The controversy erupted in response to a parent who arrived at the school to enroll her child; she was dressed in a headscarf and too-short skirt, and was turned away.
Ms. Outley Brown is a highly regarded principal at James Madison High who took over the school this year:
She previously was the principal at a Houston elementary school that routinely met state academic standards and occasionally earned awards for performing above average, the paper reported.
The elementary school at one point received one of the country’s highest academic honors and a U.S. Department of Education publication noted at the time that Outley Brown, concerned that parents were showing up in ‘inappropriately informal dress,’ would explain to them that ‘they may not appear at school so dressed and firmly turned them away, as she did any parents using inappropriate language on school grounds.’
I appreciate this decision for a number of reasons. First, it communicates that standards are important, including how we dress. Second, it directs parents to show respect for the educational institution for the role it plays in preparing their children for life. Third, it directs the parents to dress appropriately, sending a message to the children that the way we dress communicates in part who we are, including whether we respect ourselves.
I’m sure there will be more pushback on this decision, in whole or in part (such as regarding the wearing of headscarves).
What do you think about this dress code standard for parents?
Published in Culture
I say, “Hurray for Ms. Brown!”
The country needs more people like her. It seems to be getting to the point where any declaration of standards is seen as offensive.
I get the short skirts, but what’s bad about headscarves? Our pal Ilhan Omar makes them look pretty formal.
There was a time not that long ago when this would never have even been necessary in the South. I mean Northerners used to ridicule us for dressing nicely instead of wearing jeans and flipflops to everything. My Southern mom taught us that you dress to show respect for yourself and the occasion, so she’d applaud this. When parents dress this way at the school, it doesn’t exactly convey that it’s important.
In one of the articles, someone tried to make it a “class” issue. I guess they couldn’t make it a racist issue, since Ms. Outney Brown is black! It will be interesting, too, to see if others follow suit. It’s about time! Thanks, @jimmcconnell.
Yeah, I was wondering about that one. That may be a bit much. I know some people who look just beautiful in them! Thanks, @ishottheserif.
I wish it could be enforced outside of the school as well.
I thought they were talking about scarves covering hair curlers.
Kudos to those with the nerve to enforce dress codes.
I once worked at a zoo gift shop. In theory, it had a dress code. Every now and then, some shirtless, 450-pound man would saunter into the store from the adjacent water park, drip all over the stuffed animals and T-shirts, and pay for his soda and candy with sopping dollar bills he’d shoved into his swim trunks. Did I ever ask such people to leave? No. I took their money, then fled to the nearest bathroom.
That’s it right there.
I applaud her courage, though I fear that self respect is so far gone in this time that it’s at best a rear-guard action.
(In the case of the sagging pants and too-short skirts or painted-on yoga pants, it’s also a more literal rear-guard action)
Maybe that was it . The only headgear she referred to in her letter was was satin caps, bonnets (?) and shower caps.
Ha!
This may be a bit of an aside, but I don’t think it’s really OT. And forgive the man-speak description, but what are those “legging” type bottoms that I’m starting to see everywhere that have sort of a fabric, barber pole stripe running on the leg, but the fabric is kind of a mesh (i.e. essentially see-through)? Are these the new yoga pants? I know I wouldn’t want my mom (or certainly dad) showing up at school in these, but maybe that’s just me.
That is how I read it too. Am I missing something?
I think I must have missed those–darn! I do sometimes wear regular legging (snug pants) but only with a tunic top. The worst is seeing a woman who, uh, shouldn’t wear anything that snug.
It’s also possible that the kids are embarrassed, but can’t you just see the reaction of a mom whose kid tells her she “shouldn’t wear that piece of clothing”? Then again, some kids have no fear. Thanks, @hoyacon.
I don’t think the scarves are so much the issue as they’re trying to cover the curlers; the only way you can really do that is to wear a bag over your head.
I admire how sweet natured you are, Susan. Do you really think her being black will stop them from calling her racist?
I saw this story too. I spent a lot of time in our local public schools as a volunteer, and I always tried to look neatly dressed as a way of treating the people and the setting with respect. It mattered to me. In fact, I had a pet peeve with the teachers. It drove me nuts to see the guys without a jacket and tie on. And somehow the casual attire went with poor posture and other vague sloppiness in their speech and conduct. In the public high school I went to, the men teachers always wore a jacket and tie, and the women teachers were very well dressed too.
I couldn’t read the original article since it’s behind a paywall, but I did find this one, in case anyone else is looking for one.
As for the dress code, I agree with all of it except for the part that says: “No one can enter the building or be on the school premises wearing a satin cap or bonnet on their head for any reason,” I think the article raises some good points about the hair coverings. I also disagree with the ban on hair rollers – especially if they’re covered by something like a scarf or cap. Banning the types of clothes described is fine with me, but banning both of those things feels like a step too far.
Ms. Hoyacon, our household fashion guru, informs me that these are likely made by a company called Fabletics and will soon be the scourge of supermarket aisles everywhere. She is not in the market, however.
If a parent keeps a child from walking out the door because the child isn’t dressed properly, the parent shouldn’t turn around and dress the same way. My husband taught school for 18 years. He would occasionally send girls home because they weren’t properly covered. These were little girls between 5-9 years old.
I live in SoCal and you can have my flops when you pry them from my cold, dead feet.
I had the temerity to ask a woman about them. They are for exercise.
I imagine the idea is that they can vent heat, but I imagine our ricocheneers would disagree.
I would never interfere with the sacred bond between a woman and her treadmill. But that doesn’t extend to shopping carts.
I must confess that the supermarket was where I risked being branded a sex-offender by asking her about her clothing.
The way I read it said no rollers, not headscarves. Someone else interpreting it said scarves.
You’re right, @pettyboozswha. What was I thinking?!
For pete’s sake, @robtgilsdorf, be careful!!
Probably Easter-worshipper bonnets.
As long as the meaning is no hair curlers, with or without a scarf, I agree with all of the dress code. It shows a certain respect for the time and place. It reminds parents to set an example for their children.