Henrico School Board seeks more leeway in proposed dress code for staff
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Henrico County teachers may be able to wear jeans and sneakers next year after all.
The Henrico School Board reviewed a proposed dress code for employees, including teachers, yesterday and directed staff to build in a little more leeway for elementary school teachers and casual or school spirit days.
The original proposal had banned jeans and athletic shoes unless needed for job requirements.
Board member Linda McBride noted that teachers are on their feet six to eight hours a day and that elementary school teachers have outdoor recess as well as indoor time.
"I cannot see telling our teachers that at no time can they wear athletic shoes," she said.
"Our teachers are on their feet on hard floors. Anybody's feet are going to hurt" if they have to wear dressy heels all day on hard floors, she said. As for jeans on casual Fridays, "I see nothing wrong with that," she said.
She also requested flexibility on T-shirts to allow more than school-related slogans on casual days, recalling a "well-loved teacher" who would motivate high school students by wearing T-shirts from colleges attended by graduates.
At the elementary level, the policy needs to accommodate things such as Dr. Seuss day, pajama days, and slipper days, "all sorts of special days they participate in. I would hate to think that anything we write here would take that away from them," McBride said.
Board member Lamont Bagby, who argued that orthopedic shoes are more appropriate for staff than athletic shoes, nevertheless urged that principals have the ability to make exceptions for things such as spirit days.
School staff will revise the proposed dress code and post it online for comment. The board will consider adoption Aug. 13.
Contact Katherine Calos at (804) 649-6433 or
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Reader Reactions
In response to citycynic and lesti:
Could it be though that you weren’t swayed by said teachers manner of dress or appearance because he/she was dressed appropriately and did not wear anything distracting?
Personally, I’ve never had a teacher who didn’t dress appropriately, so I really couldn’t say whether or not I’d be inclined to pay attention to the lesson if he/she looked unprofessional.
I do agree though, there are surely more important things for the school board to spend their time focusing on. However, since it’s now being made a policy, I think it’s reasonable to assume that there are at least several teachers/employees who regularly violate an expected standard, but unwritten rule, in regards to dress. In order for the administration to terminate the employee and be immune to suit, they have to spend the time making it a written policy, otherwise they face all manner of free speech claims against them.
I hear people say all the time that teachers’ salaries are sufficient, especially given the fact that they have the summer off. As the parent of a teacher, here is my take on that. As far as my daughter having the summer off goes, the way I look at it, those weeks that she is off during the summer are really no different than the weeks of vacation that people in the business world take each year. Some people get five to six weeks of vacation a year and they get to take it off throughout the year. She is basically taking all of her vacation at one time. Added to that, she has to be at school by 7:30 every morning (well before her students arrive). Most days, she doesn’t leave school until around 4:30 and if she has a meeting, it’s even later than that. In the middle of that nine hour day, here’s how her lunchtime works…she takes her class to the lunch room, then goes to the teacher’s lounge to eat her lunch, which she must do within about 15 minutes so that she can get back to the cafeteria to get her kids. Bottom line, most days, she works well beyond 8 hours. She also works at home at night and one weekends preparing lessons, grading papers, etc. Plus, out of her own pocket, she often buys supplies for her classroom because what is supplied by the school is not sufficient.
There are many critical comments about teachers hear that are undeserved. I’ll not attempt to define the problem in excessive detail, however if those of you who are so willing to criticize teachers would take the time to look, objectively, into the situation, what you will find is a long list of factors - absolutely and completely outside the teachers’ control - that prevent their being effective. Many of those factors involve excessive political correctness, an unwillingness to expect parents to be involved and accountable for their own children, a refusal to enforce discipline, and an absolute refusal on the parts of administrators at all levels to remove habitually disruptive, rude, and disrespectful from the classroom - all these failures are on the parts of Administrators - at all levels.
Then these same administrators have the audacity to suggest that teachers are incompetent and uncaring. Given the adverse and hostile working environment administrators knowingly allow to exist in classrooms, it is a miracle that there are any teachers at all, much less successful ones. The cards are heavily stacked against teachers before they even begin.
Yet we continue to blame teachers when we should be blaming administrators, arrogant parents who fail to take responsibility for their own children, and a society that fails to promote and demand individual accountability.
Yes, teachers should set the example by dressing appropriately. In the larger scheme of things, inappropriate dress on the part of teachers is probably the least of the problems that demand immediate attention.
Citycynic- Rock on! You are sooooo right!
If they want teachers to dress professionally then they need to PAY the teachers professional salaries. I’d have to say that teachers are the bottom feeders of the food scale and these are the people who lay the foundation for our children. Shame on anyone who thinks teachers get paid nearly what they deserve.
Police officers, fire fighters, ect dress in uniform so that the public which they serve can identify them. They do not stay in one building all day long, they’re on the streets throughout our county so that isn’t even comparable.
Classrooms are severely overcrowded and we can’t possibly blame that on why some students don’t do well, it HAS to be the teachers attire that’s at fault because its distracting - give me a break!
Yes, I agree Ms. Smith shouldn’t come to school with a nose ring in or a tattoo smeared across her neck, but address these issues individually.
The comments posted on this article have been very interesting. It would be perfect if when students or teachers are dressed inappropriately that they would be spoken with individually and others wouldn’t have to know about it. Unfortunately, when that is done grievances are filed either by the parent or by the employee. Rules like these are needed so that before the fact everyone understands the standard set by the school board. Having said that, the comment about the parents who have fallen down on the job is right on the money. Some students come to school completely inappropriate in their dress, and their parents either don’t know what their child is wearing or don’t care.
As far as teacher dress, they want to be treated as the professionals they are so they should dress like professionals. The spirit days and celebration days like Dr. Seuss’ Birthday are indeed exceptions.
I applaud this school board for their endeavors to try to be fair in all situations.
I am proud to be a tax payer in Henrico County.
I can see both sides of this argument and there are pros and cons to a dress code.
Having said that, think about the teacher who made the most positive impact on your education. Who did you learn the most from? I’ll bet clothing and body art (or lack thereof) had little to do with why you remember him/her. Dedication, expertise, creativity, the right balance of fun and discipline, and a pure love of kids are what make a great teacher.
Jack - you say “the blame has to be put on schools and teachers” for “dismal performance and what has been going on in the classroom.“ No disrespect but I’d argue the blame should be put on the parents because too many of them expect the schools to raise their children. They expect to drop their child off at 4 years old (even younger if current legislation is passed) to be fed breakfast, lunch, and an after school “program” snack. They expect the school/teacher to be babysitter, mom, dad, preacher, disciplinarian, coach, doctor (administering Ritalin and any other number of meds), and just about anything else they can’t spare the time to do themselves. All of this for less money than we pay a mechanic to fix our cars.
I’d rather the School Board spend their limited time and resources addressing teacher pay and school overcrowding instead of this petty issue.
Dismal performance? Across the board? Please clarify. I know many a college grad that came from the Metro Richmond public school system. I’ve always thought parental involvement is the biggest factor in a student’s achievement.
It is rare that an employee of any employer be it private or government will not have some policy regarding personal appearance that they must follow.
If you choose to get your body tattooed or pierced in a visible manner, you are taking the risk that a future (or existing) employer will object to your appearance. You are a representative to the company and the image that you present is a reflection on them. They have the right to require certain guidelines be met for a variety of reasons.
Does the tattoo or piercing make you a bad person? no.. but it might limit your employment options. That is the risk you take.. Same for how you dress. If you want the freedom to dress however you want.. become self employed.. I have a job.. I have a dress code.. I don’t think my employer doesn’t trust “me”, but it is just part of having a job.
As far as the jeans/sneaker issue, if the school board ultimately decides that they do not convey a professional enough image.. it is their perogative to prohibit them as option. There certainly are options for comfortable footwear that are not athletic wear for both men and women that are reasonably priced. The same goes for pants/skirts..
Posted by ( marcngin ) on July 17, 2009 at 1:32 pm
With all of the things befalling education recently, this is really just another way to show that school boards really do not have their pulse on how best to serve their employees by allowing them to do their jobs with minimal distraction and interference. The more they try to meddle unnecessarily in the hard work that teachers do, the more resentful and distrusting the teachers become, which leads to good teachers leaving jobs where they are most needed, which leads to lower test scores and higher dropout rates. Will they ever learn? Since this issue is what is taking up the time of the board, instead of how best to serve their employees and get them the resources they need, the answer is clearly NO. Leave us alone and let us do our jobs.
You have to be kidding. The record of our teachers over the past several decades indicates school boards haven’t paid nearly enough attention to what has not been happening in our classrooms. Given the dismal performance of our students the blame has to be put on the schools and teachers. When we have teachers who have no clue as how to dress and act the results are understandable. Leave you alone and let you do your job? Hardly feasible. They should keep a close eye on your performance and results and if it doesn’t measure up you’re out. Evidently we have way too many teachers that should not be.
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