I don't think I necessarily agree. I'm a strong believer in the mantra "fair does not mean same". Faculty and staff are a different population from students, and have different obligations and expectations. I see no problem with a student-only dress code.

One point of a dress code is to enforce discipline upon the students: they are obligated to prepare themselves for school, as opposed to just throwing on whatever's available at the time. Teachers and staff have, presumably, matured sufficiently so as not to need such discipline mandated. Moreover, faculty have the obligation of preparing lesson plans, grading homework, etc, all of which requires a tremendous deal more discipline than a simple dress code.

First, I didn't suggest that they have the same dress code, just and equally restrictive one. If the students are required to wear blue slacks, white shirt. The faculty should have a "Professional Attire" dress code tie and slacks/skirt (for example). Also, I think the argument of the job requirements is invalid. Is preparing lesson plans and grading homework somehow more requiring of discipline than studying those lessons and doing that homework? I suspect not, especially as many teachers give the same lessons and homework year after year. The dress code issue says to the kids "We don't expect that you are able to behave in a mature fashion." Whereas, having a dress code for faculty would, instead, say "We expect all members of this community to uphold the same standards."

Note: I'm going to try posting things like this to see what kind of discussion I can get rolling.

Ì have never, ever, understood the need for a dress code at school. It's probably due to not having it here in Norway, but I have yet to see a real need for it here either. I just don't understand how forcing everyone to dress the same makes for a better educational experience. The problem with most schools are that they try to enforce a "one rule to rule them all approach", when reality is that people are different. Why do some people feel the need to turn everyone into a homogeneous mass where no-one is allowed to behave, speak and dress differently?

I'll give my experience from 3 schools i've been at.

The first one was a low-income school (the lowest-income school) in Springfield, Missouri. The dress code for teachers was very casual. Teachers wore jeans and polos or button down shirts (rarely tucked ) every day. The atmosphere was very laid back. Students were respectful and the dress of the teacher didn't seem to matter.

The second school was the school I actually graduated from. The attire there was more strict. Dress in khakis or slacks and a nice shirt. On fridays we were (and are still, as I'm back in this school district) allowed to wear jeans. Still, a tucked in shirt was required.

The third school I was at was more strict. Jeans were never allowed and many of the male teachers wore shirts and ties on almost a daily basis. The atmosphere for students (and teachers) was no different than the other two schools.

None of these schools had a dress code for students (besides no revealing clothing, etc.) I do think that if students are require to wear certain attire, such as a uniform, teachers should follow along closely with the dress code, but as far as behavior of students with the manner in which teachers are dressed, I see really no change in behavior no matter what the teacher wears. It all boils down to classroom management.

Good points. I don't think forcing a wardrobe on people does anything besides try to keep them down, which ultimately might even lead to bigger discipline issuses.

One argument I've heard in favor of dress codes, that I think may have some merit is that it reduces pressure on lower-income students' families to keep up with the trends in fashion. You don't have to worry (as much) about coming to school in clothes that are a few years out of date because they're hand-me-downs. It also does create an artifical community identity, which can be useful when you're turning over 1/4 or more of your community each year.

I attended Catholic grade school and high school. We were required to wear a uniform every day, save for special occasions. Yes, ostensibly the uniform made everyone look sufficiently similar that lower income students has less to worry about with respect to the clothes they wore. The fact of the matter was, though, you could spot those lower income students a mile away because their clothes were hand-me-downs or purchased from a thrift store, whereas the well-to-do kids had new clothes every year.

As an interesting aside, as an eighth grader we had several Catholic high school principals come to our class to court us for attending their school. One principal made a very big deal abut equality, and declared that his school would never have a "dress up" day, because he knew that not all of his students could actually dress up in nice clothes. This really resonated with me, and affirmed my decision to go to this school, instead of one of the other choices available to me. Imagine my deep disappointment when, early in my freshman year at this school, the principal announced a "dress up" day.

Sean, yes, I think that at some level it is acceptable to say "We don't expect that you are able to behave in a mature fashion." I know that left to my own devices I would not have dressed appropriately for school much of the time. Being forced to prepare myself did, in fact, help me learn the importance of presentation. Let's be honest: most kids aren't mature or responsible enough to consistently make appropriate decisions -- they're kids after all!

So, leave it up to the parents instead of forcing everyone to look the same. I think it might contribute to kids not having the chance to really make their own identity, something I really believe in.

I reject the notion that personal identity has much to do with the clothes one wears. One can express their identity through clothing, but that's just one small aspect of communicating to the larger world who you are. If you can't be yourself in a uniform, you're unlikely to be yourself outside of a uniform.

"So, leave it up to the parents instead of forcing everyone to look the same. "
In an ideal world, I'd be 100% in favor of this. Having married a high school guidance counselor and spent a lot of time coaching high school children my complaint is that many parents have little understanding of the impact of their children's decisions. Many parents are still children in a great many ways. America has become a land of 'not my fault' and 'not my problem.' It's sick and it's sad but it's the direction we're headed right now. I've seen, first hand, parents who blame a teacher or counselor for their child's failing of a class in which the student has never opened the book or turned in an assignment. I've seen parents say their children didn't have time to study because they were at cheerleading practice. I've seen kids tell teachers that their parents don't care about their grades then turn in a forged signature on their report card so the parents won't know. Everybody wants a scape goat. I don't think school uniforms would have even the slightest impact on this.
To the point of the original argument, I don't think teachers need an equally restrictive dress code because they SHOULD be able to make the intelligent decision to uphold the societal norm of their school society. If your students show up every day in pressed slacks and button-down shirts, you may want to re-think your bermuda shorts and wife-beater combo. But ideally if you're a teacher, you already know this. Big Lebowski look-alikes shouldn't be teaching in a uniformed school.
Basically, I don't think somebody in that position should need a dress code written down aside from 'look like an adult.'
People need to take responsibility for themselves.

As a teacher in a Catholic School and survivor of 12 years of Catholic education, I support a uniform policy. It is important here to note the difference between a "dress code" and a uniform policy. A dress code does not necessarily mean students will wear a uniform. A dress code could be something as simple as no beer ads on t-shirts, or no gang colors. A uniform policy, which my school has, requires all students to wear the same colors and types of clothing.

The point of a uniform policy is to lessen the distractions of students wearing various outfits which may or may not be appropriate for school. They also promote a sense of responsibility on terms of looking like you're ready for the day. In an academic setting, which in many ways is preparation for a professional setting later in life, a nice shirt and slacks, for example, are appropriate.

In my experience, students have no problem exploring their individuality in other ways. If their manner of dress is one way of doing that, then they still have ample opportunity to do so on weekends and summers. It has also been my experience that many parents don't know, don't care, or don't control what their child wears on a daily basis. A uniform policy helps make sure students are all in line with the whatever the school deems appropriate.

I have been at schools wear the dress code was worthless, and kids still dressed in many inappropriate ways, including gang colors. I have also been at schools where the culture of the school was such that the kids could dress pretty much however they wanted, and the educational integrity of the school was not negatively affected at all. It does come down to the culture of the school and the general values and background of the parents. Having said that, I think that until kids are of age, a uniform policy is generally a good idea.