Some students are returning to school with new bans in effect

[vdeane]

I recall skirts being mandatory was/is more of a private school thing. 

The only real dress codes I recall were along the lines of no crude sayings.

My Mom had the "skirts mandatory" rule and she went to public school, but this was an exurban/rural district in the 60s.  When I was in school the dress code was mainly "no translucent tops, no bare midriffs, no (visible) spaghetti straps, and skirts can't be too short (had to be longer than your fingers would reach when standing with your arms straight)".

As far as cell phone bans go, I've also seen schools suggest smart watch bans.  There's just too much cheating going on.  And as far as emergencies go - lots of parents claim they need to get in touch with their kids in case of emergencies.  I'm not sure what qualifies as an emergency nowadays, but I'm thinking most of these parents really just want to get in touch with their kids about mundane info.  Back in the day, if there was an actual emergency, parents called the school - school contacted the room via intercom or phone.  Today, the same thing can still occur.

Yeah, the parents are probably being overly broad with "emergencies"... still, if a student can avoid using their phone when they should be paying attention in class, have it on silent, and want to use it during lunch/free periods/passing time... let them, as far as I'm concerned.  Especially free periods, for schools that have them; if they're outside or getting lunch off campus, they need a way to tell the time, and who wears traditional watches anymore?

[rlb2024]

no skirts of any kind

Wasn't that all long ago that all girls had to wear skirts, no pants.

Define "all that long ago." I'm 55 years old and there was never such a dress code when I was a child.

I'm 12 years older than you and our public high school in Memphis did not allow girls to wear pants until I was in eighth grade or so.  In fact, neither boys nor girls were allowed to wear jeans until around 1970.  I'm pretty sure that was a district-wide rule.

Our public school district in southeast Louisiana allows each school's parents to vote on uniforms.  Once a school elects to wear uniforms they become permanent; if a school rejects them a re-vote is taken every four years.  All elementary, middle, and junior high schools have voted in uniforms, and four of the eight high schools have them; the remaining four high schools have strict dress codes.  (The high school that my kids attended is one of the schools without mandatory uniforms -- or at least it was when mine were there, which has been a few years now.)

[SectorZ]

My take on school uniforms is that it is an added expense for parents to have to buy specific clothes just for school and nothing else, where as most kids can wear their school clothes for other things.

It's school, not the military. Kids have a right to free schooling (in the case of my state a Constitutional right), so guidelines are OK but uniforms are just an unfunded mandate on the public.

[Big John]

My take on school uniforms is that it is an added expense for parents to have to buy specific clothes just for school and nothing else, where as most kids can wear their school clothes for other things.

It's school, not the military. Kids have a right to free schooling (in the case of my state a Constitutional right), so guidelines are OK but uniforms are just an unfunded mandate on the public.

I have heard the argument thar richer kids wore more fashionable clothes, thus uniforms would even the playing field. With all the fallacies with that, such as the added expense you mentioned, it is another example of forced conformity and outlawing individual choices.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Not to be cynical, but having gone to a private school with uniforms, when it comes to applying that to public school I'm skeptical of things that give more power to school administrators to arbitrarily harass students who they don't like.

[jeffandnicole]

My take on school uniforms is that it is an added expense for parents to have to buy specific clothes just for school and nothing else, where as most kids can wear their school clothes for other things.

It's school, not the military. Kids have a right to free schooling (in the case of my state a Constitutional right), so guidelines are OK but uniforms are just an unfunded mandate on the public.

So when teachers say kids have to bring their own pencils, markers, notebooks, headphones, etc, you don't get that stuff either?

[hbelkins]

The double-standards for apparel used to be pretty striking.

Prior to February 2001, it was perfectly OK to wear a T-shirt with Dale Earnhardt's car emblazoned on it, but not so much Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s car.

Why ban Crocs?

[NWI_Irish96]

Charles Middle School Principal Nick DeSantis informed parents all-black clothing is banned this school year due to it being associated with mental health issues like depression"

That may be one of the dumbest things I have ever read.

So now teachers are going to have a harder time identifying students who might need help with depression because they'll all be dressed in bright cheery colors.

Dumb.

[Scott5114]

Many of the other things that are cited strike me as having 'wokeness' origins, too.

We would get in trouble for sleeping in class.

Prior to February 2001, it was perfectly OK to wear a T-shirt with Dale Earnhardt's car emblazoned on it, but not so much Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s car.

A formal rule on which Earnhardts are allowed to be displayed on apparel is probably the most Southern thing I've ever heard of.

[Max Rockatansky]

Jr. was sponsored by Budweiser at the time.  You could get the jank Jr. merchandise without Budweiser on it and nobody at a school would care. 

[Scott5114]

Ah, I figured this was just rank Earnhardt discrimination.

[bugo]

in some cases banning hoodies and all-black clothing
As for dress codes... again good idea.

What in the name of authoritarianism is this? You think banning black clothes is a good idea? What the fuck? This is conformist nonsense, and discriminates against heavy metal fans. What is their excuse for banning black clothes? It sounds like they want to fuck with the kids who are individuals. This school obviously wants its students to be mindless robots who don't have opinions and don't complain when they're being fucked in the ass.   

[Rothman]

Many of the other things that are cited strike me as having 'wokeness' origins, too.

Mike

Now I've seen the term "wokeness" used in so many different contexts, I have no idea what it means anymore.

[LilianaUwU]

Many of the other things that are cited strike me as having 'wokeness' origins, too.

Mike

Now I've seen the term "wokeness" used in so many different contexts, I have no idea what it means anymore.

"Woke" is used when basic human decency happens these days.

[hbelkins]

in some cases banning hoodies and all-black clothing
As for dress codes... again good idea.

What in the name of authoritarianism is this? You think banning black clothes is a good idea? What the fuck? This is conformist nonsense, and discriminates against heavy metal fans. What is their excuse for banning black clothes? It sounds like they want to fuck with the kids who are individuals. This school obviously wants its students to be mindless robots who don't have opinions and don't complain when they're being fucked in the ass.   

Black clothes are banned in my house. They show cat hair too easily. 

Seriously, I agree. If you're going to ban black clothing, why not dark navy blue?

I think school dress codes in general suck.

[formulanone]

The double-standards for apparel used to be pretty striking.

Prior to February 2001, it was perfectly OK to wear a T-shirt with Dale Earnhardt's car emblazoned on it, but not so much Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s car.

Why ban Crocs?

Probably the alcohol advertising versus GM Goodwrench advertising had a lot to do with it.

Source: once mistakenly wore a shirt with a Camel GT (not the mascot, Joe) and wound up at the assistant principal's office about 30 minutes before the school ended. Oops.

Never been a fan of school uniforms. They're great for one thing: picky kids who don't know what to wear that day. They're just kids - if they don't fit in one way, they'll find another. If they're so far up/down the social scale, it's probably anything and everything other than the choice of clothing, and they'll just find another silly way to differentiate social strata.

[bugo]

Black clothes are banned in my house. They show cat hair too easily. 

I have 3 cats, and I wear black shirts a lot, and I don't care if anybody judges me for having cat hair on them, they can do us all a favor.

I think school dress codes in general suck.

They're anti-American.

[Max Rockatansky]

Someone want to explain what the theory behind banning black clothing is?

[SectorZ]

Someone want to explain what the theory behind banning black clothing is?

They might listen to Marilyn Manson or something and that's scary to some people.

[1995hoo]

Black clothes are banned in my house. They show cat hair too easily. 

....

We use a lint roller for that purpose. Works pretty well, although I sometimes find it a bit awkward to use if our cat has decided she wants to sit on my lap for some amount of time. The lint roller works well on a shirt, and on your legs, but in the middle area, well.....

[JayhawkCO]

I think school dress codes in general suck.

They're anti-American.

Because the American military doesn't have a dress code or anything.

[Rothman]

I think school dress codes in general suck.

They're anti-American.

Because the American military doesn't have a dress code or anything.

Just really bad camo.

[Scott5114]

Because the American military doesn't have a dress code or anything.

Members of the military are generally expected to temporarily give up personal freedoms while they serve. (Other freedoms members of the military give up include freedom of movement, the right to publicly endorse political candidates, and the right to decline vaccines.) This is generally known to you at the time you enlist.

You can, during normal times, choose whether or not you want to be in the military. Going to school isn't much of a choice. (Theoretically you can drop out at a certain point, but this puts you at a massive disadvantage in life, while declining to join the military does not.)

Military dress codes serve a functional purpose: you want to know if the people you're thinking about shooting at are friends or enemies. A school dress code does not have a similar functional purpose.

[bugo]

Maybe some public schools could adopt some school uniforms like some private schools or having uniforms like the school uniforms of Japan then we see often in various animes.

How about they not.

And it would be interesting to see pay phones coming back.

Do you think we should bring back the telegraph? Abacuses? Carburetors?

There's a reason those technologies are obsolete.

[bugo]

"Meantime, in El Paso, Texas, students at one middle school are encouraged to pick from lighter parts of the color wheel as they plan their outfits for the school day. Charles Middle School Principal Nick DeSantis informed parents all-black clothing is banned this school year due to it being associated with mental health issues like depression"

That explains a lot.

That may be one of the dumbest things I have ever read.

It is condescending to those of us with mental illnesses. I hope somebody sues.